If you suspect that your business has been attacked by a malicious malware virus, we aren’t surprised. According to statistics from the State of Malware Report 2020, businesses report a 13% increase in malware viruses in 2019.
Whether your business has dealt with the threat of a malware virus or not, it may be a good idea to know how to remove malware from your computer in the event of an attack.
The Threat of Malware Viruses to Your Business
With the threat of malicious malware on the rise for small businesses, it makes sense to be informed by the potential threats to your business.
- The United States accounts for 72% of all phishing emails spread by malware
- Every minute 4 companies are victims of ransomware attacks
- 60% of small businesses won’t survive a cyberattack
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a statistic if you know how to remove malware from your computer system. Here are 6 ways to remove malware from your computer.
Disconnect the Internet
If you feel your computer may be compromised, disconnect your computer from the internet. This includes disconnecting printers or anything else that may run on your network.
Run in Safe Mode
Next Restart Your Computer:
- Hold the Shift key then restart your computer opening the Windows menu. Click Restart.
- Choose Troubleshoot then Advanced options.
- Click Startup Settings.
- Click Restart.
- Press 5 to Restart in Safe Mode.
Remember to keep your computer disconnected from the internet as it restarts in safe mode.
Delete Temporary Files
Using the disk clean-up tool, delete any temporary files. These may be files carrying malicious malware.
To get to the disk clean-up tool, click the Start menu and scroll to Windows Administrative Tools. This will take you to the clean-up tool. Choose Temporary Files from the list of options to delete and click OK.
Deleting the temporary files may do one of two things: speed up the scan you’re about to do, or remove the malicious malware that was set to run when you rebooted your computer.
Download a Virus Scanner
If you don’t have a virus scanner installed on your computer, now would be the time to connect to the internet to download a virus scanner.
When choosing a virus scanner you may want to download a real-time scanner and an on-demand operating system scanner. You may need both to remove the malware from your computer. The real-time scanner runs continuously in the background while you’re using your computer. On-demand scanners only run as you click to scan.
Run a Virus Scan To Remove Malware
You will want to run your on-demand virus scanner first. Then you can run the real-time scanner. Using both increases your odds of finding the virus and removing it.
Manually Remove The Virus
Sometimes scanners won’t detect the virus. In this instance, you’ll have to manually remove the virus.
This should only be attempted if you are experienced with removing files. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this on your own check out our security solutions.
Thinking about Security for Your Business
We hope this helps you remove malware if you suspect your business is at risk of a virus. With the rise in malware viruses against small and mid-sized businesses, it pays to be protected. If you’re concerned about the security of your business, contact us. We’ll handle all your security concerns.
Pegasus Technologies is the IT Team for organizations that don’t need a full-time IT department. Our technology experts build you a technology plan to keep your business running at its best. We have offices in Kennett Square, PA, Media, PA, and Wayne, PA to provide better computer support and IT services to you.
