Infected PC? Learn how to remove threats!

Do you feel that you have lost control of your web browser? Are you fed up with the constant pop-ups appearing on your screen? Learn how to remove all threats from your browser.

Infected Computer Symptoms

Among the many ways that a computer can be infected, *it is through the Internet browser that the vast majority of attacks originate. It is true that many of these infections are more related to the invasion by publicity than something else, that is, they are more annoying than dangerous, however, the difficulty in removing them tends to be the same.

As a rule you will only notice that your browser is infected when you verify that the main page has changed to an unknown search engine, or when the pages generate persistent errors during their playback.

But there are other symptoms: annoying pop-up windows, unknown favorites, toolbars, and unknown extensions that start running without even noticing your installation or activation.

Remove infections

The vast majority of malware removal tools can do a great job in removing the major threats linked to your browser, especially if you ensure these tools are updated. It is recommended that whenever you close your browsers, perform an advanced or thorough search, restart the computer, and repeat the process before using the browser again. If all goes well, the infections will be completely removed, although there are always certain traces that may prevent the correct functioning of the browser, such as the list of favorites, the search engine and the home page. You should also clean up all the unknown extensions, something you can easily do within the settings by restarting your browser to make sure they are properly removed.

Other types of threats are those that, although they are associated with the browser, usually install in conjunction with other applications. These, during the installation process, tend to put extra options such as home page change, unsolicited applications and tricks such as having to refuse to install these extras when they are enabled by default. To uninstall them, you must go to the "Applications" menu in Windows' Settings (in Windows 10), or in the'"Programs and Features" menu in Windows 7, 8 and 8.1.

Although some cleaning tools indicate that they are very effective in removing unknownly installed malware on your computer, few can beat the effectiveness of Malwarebytes, which can work in conjunction with your antivirus or full security program, ensuring you'll find more infected files and threats than with any other tool. Here, make sure that you have the database properly updated, and after a thorough search, restart the computer, double-checking to ensure that all threats have been removed.

Malwarebytes, link for download: https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/

If you need to do an even deeper cleaning, Malwarebytes has an additional tool, AdwCleaner that is characterized by its effectiveness in detecting threats and malware specific to Internet browsers. If your computer has been infected for some time, or if the threats you have installed already prevent you from changing the properties of your Internet connection, or accessing certain folders or the Windows registry, then it's time to use the Windows Repair Tool and NetAdapter Repair All In One.

Block future threats

Once the problem is resolved, you should ensure that it does not happen again by following the instructions in the "Enhance Your PC Security" box. But more than these solutions, you have to verify that your browser is properly configured. First of all, avoid browsers that do not offer the minimum security conditions, like Internet Explorer, and it is advisable to use alternatives such as the new Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera.

Regardless of which browser you choose, make sure it is up to date. Review security and privacy settings, and disable anything unfamiliar to you, such as syncing data from extensions or third-party applications. It is recommended that you turn off automatic content playback of Flash, Javascript and Java, as well as accepting cookies from unknown sources and automatically clearing browsing history.

But more important than configuring the browser, it is critical to ensure a change in your own behavior while browsing the Internet. Avoid installing applications from unknown sources, always keeping in mind all the settings that are indicated during the installation of the apps you need to install. Escape of pages of unknown origin that are flooded with free software messages, applications and tools, especially when they should be paid for. Always doubt of emails and messages that announce that you have to click or change something urgently. The most certain thing is to be more of a threat in disguise.

Strengthen your PC's security

Prevention always offers better results than healing, so you should follow these tips to make it harder for threats to enter your computer. If you still use Windows Defender, it is recommended that you replace it with a more effective solution, even free ones such as AVG and Avast, although it is advisable to install more complete and paid solutions such as Eset Internet Security and Kaspersky Internet Security, since they allow you to protect your computer more fully.

It is also recommended to use an additional malware cleanup tool, such as Malwarebytes. Another tool recommended for installation is Unchecky, whose main function is to automatically prevent the installation of additional (and unwanted) software while installing other applications.

The best extensions

Although some browsers are introducing additional security solutions by default (Opera includes VPN and Adblocker), the reality is that natively browsers come too devoid of tools that ensure "minimal services" for your computer.

As such, it is recommended that you go to the official extensions repository (do not use unknown sources) and install applications such as HTTPS Everywhere, which forces the use of security protocols during browsing, or AdBlock Plus, to filter content such as pop-up windows. Disconnect is another extension that detects and blocks invisible pages that follow all your movements, such as search history and navigation. You can still use LasPass, a very useful and significantly safer tool than your browser to manage your passwords. For Firefox users, we recommend installing NoScript, which blocks active, potentially unsafe content in Java, Flash and Javascript.

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