How to Clean an Infected Computer on Windows 10/11?

How to Tell If Your Computer Is Infected?

It is very common to encounter threats like viruses and malware in daily life. They can corrupt or delete data on your Windows device, so you had better remove them from your computer as soon as possible. Before knowing how to clean an infected computer, you need to figure out how to tell if your computer is infected.

Generally speaking, an infected computer might experience sudden and constant performance loss, bandwidth loss, function loss, and more. More specifically, it might manifest the following symptoms:

• Frequent crashes or freezes.
• Modified system settings unexpectedly.
• Links redirect to the wrong web pages.
• Programs running without your consent.

How to Remove Virus from My Computer?

Way 1: Install the Latest Windows Update

The latest updates usually contain some security patches that can fix security vulnerabilities in your operating system. Therefore, updating your OS to the latest in time is also a good option to clean an infected computer. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Press Win + I to open Windows Settings.

Step 2. In the Settings menu, scroll down to find Update & Security.

Step 3. In the Windows Update tab, click on Check for updates to check for any updates available.

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Way 2: Uninstall Suspicious Applications

If your computer gets infected after installing new software, this software might be the culprit. Uninstalling this application can minimize its effects. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Press Win + R to evoke the Run dialog.

Step 2, Type appwiz.cpl and click on OK to launch Programs and Features.

Step 3. Scroll down to find newly installed programs and right-click on them to select Uninstall.

Step 4. Confirm this action and then follow the uninstallation wizard to complete the rest process.

Way 3: Remove Harmful Browser Extensions

Extensions are a common malware vector. Once your computer is infected, your browser will be prompted with tons of ads or fake warning messages. In this case, you need to remove these unwanted extensions to clean your computer. To do so:

On Google Chrome

Step 1. Launch your browser.

Step 2. Click on the three-dot icon and select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. In the Extensions section, disable the suspicious extensions and hit the Remove button beside them.

Also see: How to Remove Extensions from Chrome and Other Popular Browsers

Way 4: Detect and Remove Threats via Third-Party Software

To remove some stubborn threats, you might need the help of some third-party antivirus software like Malwarebytes. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Download and install Malwarebytes from the official websites.

Step 2. Launch it and hit Get Started.

Step 3. Click on Scan to start a full scan of your computer. After that, select Quarantine to get rid of the detected threats.

Step 4. Restart your system. 

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Way 5: Turn on Windows Defender Firewall

If you doubt that there are some unauthorized accesses, you can utilize Windows Defender Firewall to filter them. To do so:

Step 1. Press Win + S to evoke the search bar.

Step 2. Type control panel and hit Enter.

Step 3. Go to System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall > Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.

Step 4. Check Turn on Windows Defender Firewall under both Private network settings and Public network settings.

Step 5. Click on OK to save the changes.

Way 6: Reset this PC

As we all know, performing a factory reset will erase all the data on your computer. On the other hand, it can also remove some viruses.

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Step 1. Open Windows Settings.

Step 2. Click on Update & Security.

Step 3. In the Recovery tab, hit Get started under Reset this PC.

Step 4. Either select Keep my files or Remove everything.

Step 5. Follow the prompts on the screen to complete the reset process.

Final Words

How to clean an infected computer? I believe you are clear now. This guide displays how to get rid of malware from your computer in 6 ways. You can try them one by one to get free from cyber threats.