How to Find and Remove a Virus From Your PC?

To get back a working computer, you can help your antivirus get the hang of it, and if that isn't enough, replace it.

Here is the procedure for getting rid of a virus embedded in your PC. The maneuver takes at least a few tens of minutes. If you do not have an antivirus on your computer, go directly to step 4.

1 - Get Your Antivirus Straight

Your antivirus has allowed malware to enter your computer. There is a small chance that, with your help, he will succeed in driving it away. At the bottom right of your screen is a small drawing symbolizing your antivirus. Here are the icons of some popular antiviruses:

Click on the icon symbolizing your antivirus and read the information displayed. If it alerts you that it is no longer able to protect your computer, go to step 3. If no alert appears, go to step 2.

If your antivirus requires payment of a monthly payment, this means that while awaiting payment, certain functions are restricted. Paying could make your antivirus fully effective. Be aware, however, that there are effective free antivirus today that can replace a paid antivirus. Do not hesitate to replace yours (see step 3).

If your antivirus warns you that its "virus definitions" are not up to date, it means that it has stopped receiving the virus scans of circulating viruses needed to identify malware. If your antivirus downloads the latest virus definitions, it may be able to neutralize your virus. These updates are daily and automatic. If your computer missed them, it's probably because it hasn't been connected to the Internet for a few days. Connect it and search the menus of your antivirus to start the update. Wait a few minutes, then verify that the alert disappears, and go to the next point.

2 - Inspect Your Computer in-depth

Antiviruses constantly monitor suspicious movements on your computer: they offer "real-time" protection. But sometimes little bits of malware slip through the cracks. Antiviruses have a second weapon: the careful inspection of every corner of your computer. This check drastically slows down the computer. It lasts a few tens of minutes, sometimes even a few hours, but it is recommended to hunt viruses that the permanent protection has not detected.

Open your antivirus and look for the “full scan” (or “smart scan” ) key. Press this key and be patient. At the end of the process, if a virus is found, your antivirus will offer to delete it, or to quarantine it - which amounts to preventing it from working. Accept the recommendation of your antivirus and restart your computer.

If the symptoms do not go away after a few hours, it probably means that your antivirus is not armed to fight the virus that has infected your computer. In this case, go to the next point.

3 - Remove Your Old Antivirus

Antiviruses cannot coexist: they would neutralize each other. Before installing a new antivirus, it is therefore imperative to remove the old one. To achieve this, the method varies slightly depending on your version of Windows, which you can identify here.

If your PC is equipped with Windows 7

Click at the bottom left of the screen on the “Start” button, then on “Control Panel”. Click on "Uninstall a program", locate your antivirus, double-click on it, and let yourself be guided.

If your PC is equipped with Windows 10

Click at the bottom left of the screen on the “Start” button, then on the “Settings” button, located just above (symbolized by a toothed wheel). Click on "Applications", expand the list and find the name of your antivirus. Click on it, then on "Uninstall", and let yourself be guided.

Note, if you use Microsoft's antivirus (Windows Defender), its uninstallation is impossible: you just have to deactivate it. Normally, Windows takes care of this automatically when you install another antivirus, but sometimes it does not work as expected. Fortunately, there is a manual method to disable Windows Defender, it is explained on the Microsoft site.

Can't remove your antivirus? There are two common reasons for this. You may not have full control of your computer: make sure you are the administrator of your computer (see this "step by step" ). If you are not an administrator, contact the person who made the initial settings for your PC. If you are an administrator, it is possible that the virus is embedded in your computer to the point of paralyzing certain functions. In this case, go to step 5.

4 - Install a New Antivirus and Inspect Your PC

The first thing to do is to choose an antivirus. Several American media offer comparative tests: PCMag and Tom's Guide. You can also consult the tests of the independent German research institute AV-Test. These three sources recommend the free version of Protegent, available at this address. Ideally, download Protegent from an uninfected computer to a USB flash drive that was not in contact with your PC before the virus appeared.

Start the antivirus installation and let yourself be guided. Allow Protegent to download the latest virus definitions and search the software menus for the "Full Scan" button. Click on it and wait until the analysis is complete. If a virus is found, agree to quarantine or remove it.

5 - What to Do if the Virus Persists?

Your antivirus still does not detect any threats? On the contrary, he spotted a virus, he even said he removed it, but the symptoms persist? You should consider the possibility that your problem is not caused by a virus. Over time, for example, it is common for PCs to slow down a lot, especially when installing a number of programs, even more so if the computer's memory is full of documents.

If despite everything you remain convinced that a virus has infected your computer, an alternative is available to you: several antivirus companies offer completely free virus detection and removal tools. They don't require any installation, which is invaluable when the virus is so virulent that it blocks any installation. In addition, these disinfection tools can be used at the same time as an antivirus without the risk of neutralizing it. We recommend ESET Online Scanner (click on the “Scan Now” button) and the Trend Micro Online Scan / Clean Tool (if you do not know which version to use, choose 32 bits).

If this two security software is unable to overcome your virus, we advise you to contact Internet users who are experiencing the same problem as you. Open a search engine, type in a few keywords that summarize your symptoms, and browse forums for Internet users who are complaining about the same problems. If your symptoms are very specific, you may find interesting solutions there. As a last resort, call a professional.