What Are The Most Common Signs Of A Virus On A Computer?

Computer viruses don’t just plague inexperienced computer users. These bugs are extremely sophisticated, and there are different types of computer viruses that can harm your computer over time. 

In fact, there are more than 1 billion malware programs throughout the internet. 

The good news is that it’s not difficult to tell if your computer has viruses. By performing a computer virus scan, you can check for all kinds of malware that could be harming your CPU. 

You can even take initiative in learning how to get rid of a computer virus with a simple scan. But before you continue, let’s discuss all the signs of a virus on computer systems. 

In this article, we’ll give you the complete rundown so you can make the correct judgment for yourself. 

Constant Pop-Up Windows

Frequently popup windows are a telltale sign that your computer is infected with viruses. Let’s say that you’re using Microsoft Word to type up a document and a pop-up window suddenly shows up advertising an opportunity to win a free car. 

Constant Pop-Up Windows
Source:microsoft.com

Entering your information into the window gives a malicious user the opportunity to collect your personal information and defraud you in the future. 

Now, not all pop-up window viruses are this obvious. Some random pop-up windows will even pose as legitimate companies offering to help you rid your computer of viruses.

Any unsolicited, random pop-up window should be ignored and promptly dealt with. 

Changes to Your Browser’s Homepage

If you’re like most computer users, you have a default homepage on the browser you use the most. The homepage is tied to a search engine where you’ll surf the web.

Whether you’re using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox, the most common search engines are:

  1. Google
  2. Yahoo
  3. Bing
  4. MSN

If you notice that your browser is using an unfamiliar search engine homepage, it’s safe to say that your computer may have a few viruses. This is especially true if there are multiple search bars on your browser.

Multiple Emails Being Sent from Your Computer

Computer viruses don’t just affect files and browsers. If you have an email address set up on a desktop client, computer viruses can gain unauthorized access.

Multiple Emails Being Sent from Your Computer
Source:alphr.com

This can be damaging for a few important reasons. One, a malicious user can send mass emails to random addresses, causing other email providers to flag your email address as spam. 

Second, your work email address can be compromised and used against your will, ruining your professional life. Using a malware remover for Mac is the best way to prevent these hazards from happening to you. 

Frequent Computer Crashes

Computers are basic machines that can get overloaded when you run too many programs. Viruses tend to act in anonymity, which means you won’t see them operating unless you perform a computer virus scan. 

If too many viruses are operating at once, your computer can crash constantly. This will continue to happen until the root file of each virus is deleted. 

Using antivirus software is the best course of action for deleting dozens and even hundreds of viruses from your computer.

Very Slow Computer Performance

Again, too many viruses can put a strain on your computer’s processor. The lower your CPU drops, the slower your computer will be. CPU is usually measured in gigahertz (GHz). 

If you ignore this problem for too long, deleting the viruses will become nearly impossible. The good news is that viruses don’t affect your computer’s processor in a permanent way. 

Viruses are designed to limit computer speed to make it difficult for you to get rid of them, much like how human viruses affect the immune system. 

Weird Programs Open When Your Computer Starts

If you’re wondering “does my computer have a virus,” you should pay close attention to what it does when you press the power button. Viruses show themselves whenever a computer powers on. 

Weird Programs Open When Your Computer Starts
Source:microsoft.com

For example, if you turn an infected computer on, you may see dozens of unknown programs booting up. These viruses usually take the form of random pop-up windows. 

Hackers behind the design of these viruses want to use every opportunity to steal your personal information. Inexperienced computer users are often fooled into believing they downloaded the fake programs. Once they use these programs, the problems only get worse.

Unusual Password Changes

Malware isn’t the only computer virus that can damage your computer. Spyware has been used since the mid-90s to steal people’s personal information.

If you stumble upon spyware by downloading a suspicious program, you could be in trouble if you store your important passwords on your computer. 

The goal of spyware is to monitor all your computer activities and find sensitive data. If the passwords to your accounts have changed without warning, there’s a good chance your computer could be infected. 

If this happens to you, download an antivirus software immediately to eliminate the problem and contact your local police. 

Overworked Hard Drive

Everyone knows that computers make normal whirring noises when in operation. The louder a computer gets, the more processing speed it’s using. 

Fortunately, you can easily tell if your computer is infected by paying close attention to its sound. Is your computer making loud noises even when you’re not using it?

If this is the case, it could mean that there are viruses running in the background. Your computer is simply working harder than it has to in order to process these malicious programs. 

To find basic viruses on your computer, open up your task manager. This will allow you to see every program that’s using processing power, even hidden viruses.

Learn More Signs of a Virus on Computer Systems

As you can see, there are plenty of signs of a virus on computer systems. Finding viruses isn’t difficult if you know how they work and damage your computer. 

If you spot a virus, it’s important to remove it right away before the problem worsens. This way, you can protect your computer and prevent other users from encountering the same problem.

With that said, do you want to learn more helpful technology tips? If so, check out our blog for more articles about computers and software.