How to Know if Your Computer Has a Virus When Your Antivirus Says That You Do Not
- 1). Determine if your computer is running slow. Open a few programs and see if they open normally. Open your web browser to see if you can navigate the web. One of the common symptoms of a virus is a slow computer. There can be other reasons for slowness, including the need for more memory, fragmented hard drive, or spyware.
- 2). Check if you are getting pop-ups on your screen. Pop-ups, programs starting and then closing, messages appearing on the screen, Windows locking up or shutting down on its own are all signs that your computer may be infected with a virus.
- 3). Check if your modem or hard disk is running constantly. Look at the activity light on your modem. If it is constantly lit, you may have a virus. If you hear your hard drive constantly making noises, this can be a sign. If you are only getting these symptoms, however, it may not be a virus. These symptoms, along with symptoms in the previous steps, are signs of a virus.