How to Find Hidden Viruses on Your Computer

For some time now, I have noticed that the computer you own is starting to behave in a "weird" way: after another crash due to a sudden (and unpaid) memory gap, I decided to do more research to understand if these events are caused by a virus that runs silently without you noticing.

How do I say did the nail hit the head? Excellent, so I would like to tell you right away that you are in the right place, at a time that couldn't be better: In the next lines, in fact, I intend to explain in great detail how to find hidden viruses on your computer using a series of simple application techniques. I will make sure to show you the best software to use to get maximum results with minimal effort.

So what are you waiting for to start? Reduce a few minutes of free time for yourself, feel comfortable and read carefully what I will say about it: I am sure that by the end of this reading, you will have acquired all the skills necessary to "fortify" your computer, and get a more than satisfactory result. Happy reading and good job!

How to Find Hidden Viruses on Windows PC

Do you trust the operating system Windows ??? Excellent, so this is the section for you: Next, I'll show you different ways to find hidden viruses on your computer based on free and easy-to-use solutions.

Trust a good antivirus

Yes despite having Windows Defender, you still encounter very strange behavior on the part of your computer, you should consider installing a third-party antivirus program that is effective and cheap if possible.

The best solution I recommend for its good value for money is definitely Protegent360: it's anti-virus and anti-malware with low memory footprint, very high threat detection rate, and clean and easy-to-use interface.

FYI, Protegent360 for Windows is available in two versions: the first, for free, provides all the basic functions of system protection (including real-time protection module); The second that pays, add more advanced features like a VPN, a safe browsing module and a built-in password manager.

Wait, are you telling me that you have no intention of spending money on an antivirus? Don't worry, the free version of the program is more than enough to ensure your computer is sufficiently protected and to chase down hidden threats. However, to use it, you will need to register with the Protegent360 service.

everything is clear? Well, let's get started! First, connect to the internet page of the program. Click the Download Free button and once the configuration file download (for example, Protegent360_online.exe ) is completed, run it and hit the Yes button to start the Protegent360 installation process.

At this stage, wait for the necessary files to download, accept the license agreement by placing a checkmark next to the item by clicking Install, you agree to the subscription agreement privacy policy, remove the checkmark from the box Send anonymous use report to prevent the program from sending anonymous usage statistics and pressing Install button.

It is at this point that Protegent360 should initiate a useful initial scan to track down threats in memory: Once the initial cleanup is complete, the anti-malware installation is complete and Protegent360 is finally ready to use.

To activate the program and immediately start real-time protection, contact it from the code generated on the Windows desktop, click the button Login to Protegent360 to quickly create an account to link it to the service, complete the following form with the necessary information ( name, email y password ), put A checkmark next to the item I agree to the terms of service and click the Reper button to finish creating the account.

Once this process is complete, real-time protection is activated and you have the option to run a full system scan (deeper than the scan performed during the installation phase) to detect hidden threats - all you have to do is click the System Scan button and wait for the system scan to complete (it might It takes a while). To view the scan details, just double-click the progress percentage (for example, System Analysis In Progress X% ).

At the end of the scan, Protegent360 should show you a summary screen containing the threats detected, their nature, and any actions taken to remove them or "clean" the files they contain. If you need more information on how Protegent360 Free works, you can consult my program guide.

In addition to Protegent360, other anti-virus solutions are also available for Windows, which are useful for detecting and removing malware while working on your computer. If you like, you can dive into the topic by taking a look at AV-Test reviews and AV comparisons, two companies that regularly report on antivirus efficiency. For more details, you can also read my study on antivirus rankings.

Using a "rescue disk"

If for some reason you did not benefit from the previous solution, because the hidden virus is preventing the correct installation of the antivirus program of your choice, you can try to return everything to normal with the rescue disk o Rescue Disk.

This type of support allows the implementation of a complete anti-virus system "outside" the operating system installed on the computer: in this way, it is possible to perform a file analysis with complete convenience, and easily detect viruses and malware hidden on all disks connected to a computer.

Optional for this purpose is the responsibility of Kaspersky Rescue Disk - this is a free version of the computer antivirus of the same name, which can be started with a CD or a USB memory stick and offers a number of useful tools for scanning and detecting malware on-disk files (especially system files), all with an interface Very simple, it can also be used by those who are new to computers.

How to say Do you really think you've found the right solution for you? Excellent, so let's get started right away! First, contact the Kaspersky Rescue Disk website, close the initial window (related to the request for comment) and click the Download Now button to start downloading the image file (for example, kdr.iso ).

Once you do that, burn the downloaded ISO to a CD or always create a bootable USB stick using one of the tools available on the network. If you haven't already, I recommend you read my guides on how to burn ISO files (to create a CD) or how to create a bootable USB stick, depending on the means you chose to start your antivirus.

Once you create the media that suits your needs, insert it into your computer and restart the system to access the BIOS / UEFI settings (if you don't know how to do this, follow the instructions I gave in my guide on the topic) and set the CD or USB port, always count On the support you chose to create earlier. If you need help in this regard, you can consult my tutorial on how to configure BIOS, which I wrote especially for you.

If all goes well, you should see the text appear on the screen. Press ESC to download Kaspersky Rescue Disk: To start "live" support immediately, press the ESC button on the keyboard within 5 seconds after the said message appears, and in the menus Next, first select the language Inglese Press the button present on the keyboard and repeat the item selection process this time Kaspersky Rescue Disk, Graphics Mode.

Once the antivirus has been loaded into memory, you should see the full interface from it: What you have to do is put a checkmark next to the two suggested boxes in the initial window, press the Accept button to accept the license terms and start a full system scan with the default settings, click the Start Scan button should It appears after a few seconds.

On the other hand, if you need to remove malware hidden on a specific disk only, or if you want to add other external storage media to the scan, click on the item Change Parameters and put a checkmark next to the additional disks for analysis. To add new items, you need to click on the Add Object ... button. Once you have made the necessary settings, you can press the Start Scan button to start a system scan.

To view the malicious files that are detected and/or quarantined, even during scanning, you can press the buttons at any time to report any Cuarentena, located in the upper right.

At the end of the scan, which may also take a long time, Kaspersky will display a summary screen containing the actions taken automatically or any request about the operation to be performed on the detected malicious files: it is generally possible to transfer the files to the quarantine ( Cuarentena ), clean them ( clean ) Or deletes it ( delete ).

Note that if necessary, you can access the content of the disks connected to the computer at any time by clicking on the folders icon Browse the Internet by clicking on Firefox or take advantage of the tools provided by the rescue disk (terminal, screenshot, file manager, etc.) by contacting them From the main menu of the system, which can be accessed via the button in the form of K located in the lower left. When done, you can restart your computer via menu K> Exit> Restart.

As you say, do you need something to get you to act deeper, perhaps in a more "professional" way? So I advise you to switch to a comfortable rescue disk, an antivirus based rescue disk of the same name full of functions and tools for deep cleaning of files. I told you in detail in my guide on how to remove viruses from your computer without formatting.

Take an online survey

You don't have a way to install an antivirus solution other than the one you're already using and don't have the tools to create a rescue disk? As a last resort, you can try one antivirus scan on the Internet using special software. For this guide, I choose to suggest Eset Online Scanner, the free online analytics tool promoted by the software house of the same name (the "parent" of antivirus solutions like NOD32, so to speak).

To use it, connect to the application's main webpage. Press the Clear Now button and wait for the supporting program (eg esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe ) to download to your computer. At the end of the download, start the downloaded file, press the button Accept, then the button Yes and indicate whether to activate ( allow ) or not ( disable ) Detect unwanted applications o Unwanted applications (that is, those programs that are Often installed, for advertising purposes, along with other free software) and hit the Surface Drawing button to enter the preparation stage for system analysis.

Note - if necessary, you can use additional options (such as detection of potentially unsafe applications, automatic cleaning of threats, or use of a proxy to access the Internet) by clicking on the item Display advanced settings.

At this point, Eset Online Scanner should immediately start downloading the database containing virus signatures, and after this procedure, the scanning phase begins: you can follow the progress using the corresponding progress bar shown on the screen.

If this solution wasn't able to fully convince you and you are concerned that you have failed to remove all the threats active on your computer, you can trust other free programs designed to wipe files online - I have told you in detail in a specific study.

How to Find Hidden Viruses on Mac

Did you not find the information provided in the previous lines useful, as you are not using Windows but you have a Mac ??? Fortunately, macOS is not a target for viruses like Windows: in addition to being a less "coveted" system by cybercriminals, you should know that this operating system integrates pre-defined protections (like GateKeeper) capable of preventing potential malware from running.

However, if you find any strange behavior on your computer, you can check out the tutorial dedicated to the best antivirus software for Mac and run a full system scan by following the instructions in the guide. FYI, Mac antivirus can also identify viruses designed for Windows without problems: in this way, it is possible to prevent the exchange of infected files (for example, via USB memory stick) from other systems.

How to "Stay Away" From Viruses

If you have read this yet, it means that you followed all the advice that I gave you throughout this guide and that you have, most likely, achieved finding hidden viruses on your computer and getting rid of it permanently. However, before concluding this speech, allow me to give you some advice so that you don't have to fight against strange behavior and threats of various kinds that can endanger data and computer integrity.

Keep the protection system is active - use the latest versions of Windows and macOS protection of tools built-in, such as filtering SmartScreen and User Account Control in Windows and the tool gatekeeper on macOS system, is able to prevent the implementation of programs that are potentially harmful or infected. Although it might cost a few extra clicks in practice, I recommend that you always keep these tools active to prevent programs from starting out of your control.

Keep your antivirus software up to date - Technology is evolving rapidly, unfortunately, this also brings with it the evolution of technologies that cybercriminals use to create and spread malware. For this reason, it is essential to always update the antivirus software installed on your computer to the latest version available.

Running Trusted Program - Download and install on PC only font programs are supported, such as Microsoft Store, Mac App Store, and official websites of the most commonly used software. Avoid installing pirated software thoroughly: the latter is a huge carrier for viruses, spyware, and any other kind of threat.

Beware of the included software - as you definitely know, there is much freeware that promotes the installation of potentially unwanted or spyware programs, for completely profitable purposes. Pay special attention to the suggested screens during installation and the set of checkmarks: When possible, avoid installing adware, toolbars, and other potentially unwanted software.

Use common sense - even if installing infected software is the most common carrier of malware spread, it is not the only means of transmission: just open a malicious email attachment, insert a storage medium (like a USB stick or microSD), or perform other "risky" operations, To meet the extremely unpleasant guest victims. So try to be as careful as possible and avoid opening attachments you don't know (or expecting) their source, or connecting devices from people you do not know to your computer, or connecting your computer to local networks (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) from strangers: You see, the computer will be able to thank you