Today we are fully aware of what a virus can do to our peaceful life. Similar is the case with laptops. A malware or virus can harm our laptops severely, and then using it can be a pain and lead to frustration.
Malware is derived from the term ‘malicious’ that indicates something terrible.
Keep in your mind that a virus or malware can be the most significant harm that can be done to your laptop’s health.
Therefore if your laptop shows these seven signs, it is infected with malware or a virus.
Bonus Tip: Always use anti malware like ByteFence.
Your Laptop Turns Slow
Usually, viruses run in the background, which causes your laptop or PC to slow down. Due to this, viruses consume a good amount of your laptop’s memory; thus, fewer resources are left for other essential programs. All of this causes the internet to slow down, and hence the laptop’s overall speed goes down.
Other than the viruses’ invasion, your laptop’s speed can also slow down due to the following reasons;
- Missing updates
- Lack of resources
- Applications are opening automatically as your laptop starts.
Automatic Opening and Closing of Software and Applications
This might not always be a symptom of malware or a virus. For instance, applications like Cisco WebEx or Microsoft Teams automatically open when you start your device. Such applications are coded in a way that they start automatically.
Moreover, this particular activity can be due to the invasion by a virus or malware on your device. This leads to applications behaving strangely and starts and closes on their own.
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)
One of the most annoying problems that you can face is the deadly blue screen. This blue screen is another indication that your laptop is affected by malware or a virus. The blue screen of death is a fatal error and highlights a system crash in Windows.
Several other reasons can cause this blue screen of death. A blue screen occurs typically when your laptop’s windows face some issues. It is a type of error handling that is carried by your computer. Other reasons for this problem include;
- Updated hard drives
- Faulty RAM
- Driver or hardware conflict
Insufficient Storage
There will be many occasions when you feel that your laptop’s storage is insufficient, even for your essential files. Therefore before making any assumptions make sure that you clear up space on your device.
Another primary reason for less storage can be viruses or malware. A virus replicates by making a vast number of files. These files take up a large amount of space on the laptop. To free up space on your laptops, you can delete these files, but this is not the ultimate solution.
Unwanted Pop-ups on various Websites
Most of the malware and viruses enter your devices by your browsers. Doubtful advertisements on various websites can pave an entrance for viruses. Suspicious websites can also send viruses and malware to your devices.
Due to this, several notifications and pop-ups are formed even if you do not plan to access your browser. Downloading suspicious files on your laptop can also attract viruses.
Busy Network Activity
If your laptop constantly shows there is heavy network activity going on and you are using the internet, this means viruses have entered. The malware utilizes the internet to different pirate information from one network to another.
Sending Spam
You may experience certain events where your friends may complain regarding unnecessary emails or messages that they have been receiving from your account. You must understand in such cases, and the virus has entered the system. The primary cause of this problem is weak passwords and suspicious links that lead to such actions.
Therefore these are some of the signs that indicate the presence of malware in your laptop. To prevent your laptop from such events and malware, you can take the following steps;
- Use of antivirus software to prevent your laptop
- Scan for viruses present in the system
- Avoid clicking on suspicious emails and advertisements
- Constantly update your devices
- Do not visit unsecured websites
- Make a backup of your data regularly
- Download files from genuine websites