Do you have a computer virus?

There are so many threats to our computers that it can be challenging for us to protect them. Anti-virus programs are good to use and can scan the computer and help to keep it clean. There are some viruses and things that can still sneak through and can lead to great concerns. Consumers might not be able to tell if they have a virus or problem with their system until it is too late. How can you tell if there is a virus running on your system? It helps to know the warning signs and to use a professional software program that will be able to scan the system daily and will also scan it when you are using the system in order to ensure that your computer is free from issues. There are a lot of programs out there and if you don't want to spend the money on the programs like McAffee or Norton you can find other programs like AVG as they do a great job and help to protect your computer. Here are some of the warning signs to watch for if you are concerned that you have a computer virus:

1. Slow running PC - If your computer seems to run very slowly and the internet and all the programs seem to be slow, you probably have a virus. When you turn on the computer, how long does it take to boot up? You may have a program that is running in the background and it could be slowing down the system. Always check the memory usage of your computer and find out what programs are running. You shouldn't have a large amount of memory being used if you don't have any programs that are open. There are websites that will scan the system and look for things such as viruses and program that are taking up a great deal of memory in order to help you identify what is taking up the room and they can also clean up the system for you. This may indicate a virus or it may indicate that it is time for you to upgrade your system.
2. Security warning - If you have an antivirus program, it should indicate when there is a threat. If you have a program message that is displayed when you go to the internet, it indicates that the website is high risk or it may indicate that the site has infected your system. If you have a security message, listen to it and don't go to that site. Call a professional to check over your system if you are concerned that the system may have been compromised.
3. Changes in programs or settings - have you noticed that the security settings and other settings have been changed on your computer? What about the internet browser, does it go to your homepage or a different site? You have to worry about changed settings because it does indicate that your system has been compromised. Call a professional to clean your system if you have changed settings. Another thing you can do at home is to do a registry clean. This will clean up your files in order to remove a virus and to keep the system running quickly and efficiently.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to get a good anti-virus program on the computer like Avast and to keep it updated so it can clean out the new viruses that are attacking computers. It is a wise idea to do an off-site back-up as well with an external hard drive to ensure you have all of your files safe and protected in the event that a virus compromises your system.