KOMPUTERY Blog

One of the biggest concerns with frequent computer use is viruses and how to stop them.  There are a number of anti-virus programs on the market, all with different levels of protection and support.  Sadly, there are also a large number of junk anti-virus or fake programs.  How can you avoid bad anti-virus software?

First things first.  You don’t want fake anti-virus programs.  These offer no help and are essentially a backdoor for fraudsters and hackers to mine personal data and other critical things.  They might even be doing it because they simply enjoy wreaking havoc in other people’s lives.  No matter the reason, only use reputable virus software, which can be recommended by your trusted computer repair technicians or thoroughly researched and reviewed all over the place.  Always download or purchase the software directly from the source or your dependable outlet.

PRO TIP:  Ignore pop-up windows saying your computer is infected and needs to be cleaned, or action needs to be taken immediately so you should “CLICK HERE“.  No matter what words they use, it’s a scam.  They are hoping to scare you into doing what they say or taking advantage of those who aren’t so tech-savvy.

Here are a few signs that you may have junk software:

• You are unable to shutdown or uninstall anti-virus software
• Your antivirus says it can only fix issues if you upgrade or purchase additional software
• You notice an antivirus program on your computer that you never installed
• There are a number of pop-up windows or “issues detected”

Junk antivirus can cause viruses or other malicious issues that can effect other systems and functions like slow downs, freezing, pop-up ads, different homepages, odd toolbars, random software or processes running, etc.  To learn more about issues involving viruses and how to spot them, check out the article Why Is My Computer Full Of Viruses?

Getting rid of junk antivirus might not be so simple.  You may have to reformat your hard drive, reinstall operating systems, programs and backed-up files.  Sometimes a factory reset can help and other times installing a real antivirus program can clean infected files and remove malware.  There are so many ways to troubleshoot being rid of bogus antivirus software and something may just work.  More often than not, it’s going to take much more than a simple uninstall or tool to fix the issue.

With the increase in computer use, more bogus programs will appear online.  Stay safe and never download anything you can’t trust.

If you are already suffering from what you suspect is a junk antivirus program, contact your local computer repair experts, like KOMPUTERY.  We can eliminate junk software, clean your system and even recommend our favorite antivirus program that fights threats and attacks in real time, not after the fact.  Call us today to find out how we can help.