Ideally, every computer should have an anti-virus program installed and every computer user should be vigilant about using and updating it.
But, it’s not a perfect world, which means people need to rely on early warning signals should something go awry with their computer.
Unfortunately, that approach is also starting to lose its effectiveness as modern computer viruses become even more pernicious.
One indication that a computer might have been contaminated by malicious software, or malware, is when the machine needs a noticeably longer time to start up or open programs, according to experts from BITKOM, a German computer industry association.
After all, just like any other program, malware needs resources, which gum up the works then they’re diverted for the malware’s needs.
But slowness can also indicate software that’s been installed incorrectly or a poorly configured system. Computers that have older Windows systems also have a tendency to slow down.
The best option is to peek into the Task Manager to see if there are any undesired programs or processes gumming up the works. In Windows XP, this function is summoned by hitting the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys.
The Task Manager brings up an easy-to-read list of active applications. On the other extreme, calling up Services usually results in a list of inexplicable entries. To make sense of that, it’s best to turn to a free program like System Explorer, which can pull up a list of active programs, services and network connections.
System Explorer sorts through this list and allows the user to upload individual files to a Web site called Virustotal where a free analysis service checks for viruses, worms, Trojans and other potential problems.
If your hard drive spins when the computer isn’t in use, that’s another possible sign of a viral infection. Usually, the spinning just means that a harmless program like Windows…