Home / Product Selection / PC / Security, Virus and Spyware / Protect Your Computer or Remove Virus, Spyware or Other Malware in Microsoft Windows
- Question
Protect Your Computer or Remove Virus, Spyware or Other Malware in Microsoft Windows
- Answer
-
Article Summary: This article describes what viruses, spyware and malware are, how to remove a suspected malware infection and ways to protect your system against attack. Table of Contents:
- What is Malware and How Do I Know if I My Computer Is Infected?
- Determine if Security Software is on Your Dell Computer and Get Support
- Register Your Dell Factory Installed Security Software
- Run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT)
- Ensure Your Microsoft Security Features Are Enabled
- Install the Latest Anti-Malware Software to Protect Your Computer
Topic 1: What is Malware and How Do I Know if I My Computer Is Infected?
Malware is any type of malicious software such as spyware, adware, orviruses that harms your computer's performance or security. Most malware infections stem from Internet activity which include downloading files or even just browsing Internet sites. Most measures for protecting against malware focus on ways to make Internet browsing more secure
Various symptoms can be associated with malware, so any one (or a combination) of the following symptoms could be good indicators of malware infection.- Browser Redirects, Popups, Homepage Changes: The browser may suddenly redirect to an unknown website, or a previously set homepage may change without warning or input.
- Slow Computer Response: The computer may seem to "lock up" or run slow during regular use. It is also not uncommon to experience delays in the operating system loading to the desktop.
- Processor Utilization at 100% in Task Manager: The processor seems to be working overtime and/or slowly. To check the processor utilization or the Kernel Memory status, press the
+ + keys at the same time. Then click the Performance tab. Processor utilization is indicated by the CPU Usage gauge. - Virtual Memory Low Message: This message will keep appearing no matter what changes are made to resolve the issue.
For detailed information on Malware, refer to the Wikipedia entry on Malware: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/MalwareTopic 2: Determine if Security Software is on Your Dell Computer and Get Support
Determine if you have security software already installed on your computer. If so, refer to your vendor for information on removal of malware. A list of security software vendors' contact information can be found in the Security Software section of the Dell Third-Party Software Contacts page One simple way to determine if you have security software is to check the System Tray in the bottom right corner of your screen for a security icon. Some common icons to look for:
Check for the McAfee
icon in your system tray (near the system clock).
Check for one of the Norton AntiVirus (
or 
) icons or one of the Norton Internet Security (
or 
) icons in your system tray (near system clock).
Check for the Trend Micro PC-Cillin
icon in your system tray (near system clock).
Note: If you do not have or do not wish to purchase any Internet security software, Microsoft has created free security software built specifically for your operating system. VisitMicrosoft Security Essentials to preview, download and get support. Topic 3: Register Your Dell Factory Installed Security Software Register Norton Internet Security
For information on registering Symantec Norton Internet Security, refer to Symantec Knowledge Base Article Registering Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall after it is installed Article ID: 2001032112172036Register McAfee SecurityCenter
To register your McAfee products:- Connect to the Internet.
- Right-click on the M icon by your system clock.
- Click Product Setup.
Note: If you do not see Product Setup, then your products have already been registered. - Click Next.
- Follow the prompts to register your products.
Note: If you already have a McAfee account, click Current McAfee User Log In and enter your email address and password. Click Log In and follow the prompts.
.
After completing McAfee Product Setup, your products will update automatically on a regular basis.
Click here for additional product activation and update help.Register Trend Micro Internet Security
For details on installing and registering Trend Micro Internet Security, refer to Trend Micro Knowledge Base Article "How to download and install the latest version of Trend Micro Internet Security for Dell" Article ID: EN-1037434Topic 4: Run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool accurately detects and removes about 80% of known viruses and spyware from your system.
Navigate to the Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool download page.
Click Download to start the download process.
Click Run to download and run the program.- Follow the on-screen instructions to initiate the scan and remove any malicious software, if found.
Topic 5: Ensure Your Microsoft Security Features Are Enabled Learn more about updating your built-in Windows security features!Topic 6: Install the Latest Anti-Malware Software to Protect Your Computer You can find many home security products available for download at theDell Download Store Home Security Center.
Also, full retail (shrink-wrap) versions of security software are available at the Dell Antivirus and Security Store.
If you do not have or do not wish to purchase any Internet security software, Microsoft has created free security software built specifically for your operating system. Visit Microsoft Security Essentials to preview, download and get support.
- What is Malware and How Do I Know if I My Computer Is Infected?
- View Answer at http://support.euro.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs&docid=DSN_277075&isLegacy=true
- Not the answer you were looking for?
- Click a problem area below for more PC solutions
-
- Not sure where to start, try searching our site
