How to Fix Computer Viruses When I Cannot Get Online

Virus alert symbol

Computers tend to stop working at the worst possible times, and many times the culprit is none other than the computer virus. Either because of the virus itself or other circumstances, sometimes you can't get on the Internet from your computer. Even in this worst case scenario, however, there are still actions you can take to delete the invading computer virus. Most store-bought computers come pre-installed with antivirus software. Additionally, Windows itself has System Tools for stopping viruses.

Instructions

1. Look for antivirus software already installed on your computer. For example, most Windows computers sold in stores come pre-installed with some kind of antivirus software, at least for a limited period of use. This can vary from computer to computer, however. Open the "Search" bar from the "Start" menu in the bottom left corner of your screen. Once there, search for "Norton," "McAfee," "antivirus" and "Dr. Soloman" (one at a time, not together) until you find a search result that appears to be your computer's default antivirus software. If you find the antivirus software, double click on it. If not, or if the antivirus software does not find the virus, continue on to step two.

2. Activate a System Restore on your computer. This will restore your computer to its settings from a previous date. It does not delete recently installed software, however. Some viruses will disappear simply by restoring your computer to a date before the virus was installed. Accessing Windows Restore is slightly different depending on your version of Windows.

   Open the "Start" menu in the bottom left corner, click on "Programs"; in the new menu click on the "Accessories" folder, then click on the "System Tools" folder. From inside this folder, there should be a program named "System Restore." Click on this program, and follow the instructions inside to reset your computer to a date previous to the day you discovered that you had a virus. The interface differs depending on your version of Windows, but is simple and straightforward on all versions.

3. Contact a friend to give you software from the Internet, or use your friend's computer to do so. While you may not be able to access the Internet, you likely know someone who can who can help you. Instruct your friend to download AVG antivirus and Ad-Aware (both are free; see "Resources"). Have your friend put these two downloaded files onto a USB flash drive (or any portable media) and give them to you. Once you've recieved them, double click on each of them and install them both on your computer. Once installed, run each of them separately to see if they can find this virus. The interface in each program is simple, just look for the "Full Scan" option.

References

• Microsoft: How To do a System Restore on Windows

Resources

• CNET: AVG Free Antivirus
• CNET: Ad-Aware Free Anti-Malware 8.2