How to Delete a Virus Infection

Deleting a virus infection in your computer.

A virus infection is a common occurrence in Windows operating systems. Viruses may enter your system without your knowledge and can cause a hard disk crash or data loss. The most effective way to delete a virus infection is by using an antivirus software. An antivirus scans your computer and detects and removes any virus infection.

Things You'll Need

• Antivirus program

Instructions

1. Find an antivirus program that suits your needs. There are several antivirus programs on the market. AVG, Avast, Avira and Norton are some of the brands that offer free downloads and free trials. See the Resource to explore more options and make a selection based on your preference.

2. Install the antivirus program. Almost all of them will guide you through the installation process with the help of on-screen prompts and instructions.

3. Restart your computer once you have finished installing the antivirus program. Some programs will prompt you to execute this step by default.

4. Run a complete scan of your computer. This process may take a long time depending on the size of your hard drive and the amount of files and folders that you may have stored on your computer. Wait till the program finishes the scan. Follow the on-screen prompts to delete the virus infection. Most of the antivirus programs will do this automatically after they finish the scan.

5. Repeat Step 4 at least three to four times a week to prevent further virus infections in your computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Review the scan report if your antivirus program generates one. Most of them do. The scan report will give you a good idea of the kind of virus(es) that had entered your system.

References

• Microsoft.com: How to recover from a computer virus infection

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Techsupportalert.com: Best Free Antivirus Software