How Can You Get Rid of Viruses Without Paying for It?
Whenever a computer is connected to the Internet, there is a possibility that it will come into contact with malicious programs or malware. Malware is an umbrella term for things like viruses, worms, Trojans, adware and spyware that can damage a computer's files and cause troublesome issues such advertisement popups. If you have a computer virus, an antivirus company may try to charge you for removal tools or to sign up for a subscription service. While these options may be effective, it is often possible to remove viruses using programs and tools that are free or built into your computer.
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Instructions
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Fully update your system. Click "Start," "All Programs," "Windows Update" and wait as updates are found and installed.
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Restart the computer.
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Run Windows Defender. Click "Start," "Control Panel," "Windows Defender" and then "Scan." If malware is discovered, select "Remove all." Windows Defender is built into Windows Vista and 7 and a Windows XP version can be downloaded for free from Microsoft.
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Download, install, update and then run a free antivirus program. Popular free antivirus programs include AVG Free, Avast and Avira AntiVir. To use a free program, visit their official website and download the most current version of the program, run the setup file that you download to install it, launch the program and search the menus and interface for an option to update the program. After the program is fully updated, conduct a full system scan and elect to remove or delete any malware that is discovered.
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Use antimalware removers in addition to your antivirus program. Antimalware removers are programs that can search for and eliminate malware that can avoid detection by an antivirus program. Popular free malware removers include Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad Adware and Malwarebytes. Microsoft also has its own malware removal tool (see Resources). Follow the same procedure to run antimalware as you did for antivirus program: download the program, install, update and then conduct a system scan and delete any threats that are discovered.
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Tips & Warnings
You can keep several different malware removal tools on your computer at once and run each one for increased levels of detection.
You should only use one full antivirus program on your computer at a time, since programs may interfere with one another if installed simultaneously.
