How to Remove Viruses That Slow Down Your Computer (2024 Update)

Updated by

Sherly 

Authored by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

Why is my computer so slow? How do I fix it? If your computer has suddenly become slow or unresponsive for no apparent reason, it's possible that a virus is to blame for the sluggish performance.

On this page, we'll introduce you to some potential viruses and malware that could be causing your computer to run slow, and guide you through checking whether Windows is infected and how to successfully remove a virus from your PC.

English to Chinese translation: Translate the English content into Chinese.

When a computer becomes slow or unresponsive, it could be due to virus infections, insufficient disk space on the operating system drive, too many background applications running, high memory usage, or hardware issues.

On this page, we'll focus on the first reason and explain whether viruses can slow down your computer, and how to easily fix a slow computer caused by a virus. Let's get started.

Can a virus slow down your computer or laptop?

Yes, not only viruses, but also spyware and other malware can slow down your computer in various ways. For example, a virus might affect your computer's performance and cause it to run slower, leading to issues like:

• Hijack browsers to display ads
• Cause computer crashes
• Consume storage space
• Slow down file transfer speeds
• Reduce internet speed
• Lock drives and encrypt files
• Hide drive contents
• Steal personal information, privacy, and business data
• ...

One clear sign that your computer has been infected by a virus is that it runs slower and slower over time. Which viruses cause this? Check the list in the next section to find out.

Virus Slowing Down Your Computer

In addition to causing data corruption, privacy breaches, and financial losses, viruses can also slow down your computer. Here are some types of viruses that could be responsible for the slowdown. Let's take a look:

• Ransomware
• Spyware
• Adware
• Malware
• Keylogger
• Malware

These are just some of the malicious programs that can bog down your computer. There are many others, and they're joined by an endless stream of new variations. How do you know whether a virus, lack of disk space, too many background programs, or your operating system itself is to blame for your computer's slow speed? We'll look at how to tell in the next section.

How to Tell If a Slow Computer on a Windows OS Is Infected with a Virus

How can I tell if a virus is causing my computer to run slowly? Or, how do I know if my computer is infected with a virus?

Here's a guide you can follow to run a virus scan on your computer, and that should answer your question.

#1: Diagnosis of Viral Infection Symptoms

Please check if your computer still has any of the following two or three symptoms:

< li > Your computer is running slow, and programs take a long time to launch or open. < li > You have shutdown or rebooting issues with unknown error codes. < li > You 're experiencing data loss or missing files that weren 't deleted. < li > Pop-ups occur randomly. < li > You can ' t shut down your computer or close programs. < li > Unknown programs or new apps appear on their own without being downloaded. < li > Your browser is redirected to new websites or opens unknown sites on its own. < li > You receive strange warning messages claiming that your drive is infected with a virus or malware and that you need to pay to unlock and recover your data.

If you're experiencing other unknown issues with your computer or want to check if it contains malware, proceed to the next guide.

#2: Scan and detect viruses on your computer

The quickest and easiest way to check for viruses on your computer is to run an antivirus program or scan your system with Windows Defender.

1. Open "Settings" and click on "Update & Security." 2. Click on "Windows Security," then select "Virus & threat protection" from the protection areas. 3. In the "Virus & threat protection" window, click on "Scan options." 4. Choose the scanning mode you want to perform on your computer: - Quick scan - Full scan - Custom scan - Windows Defender Offline scan 5. Click on "Scan now" to initiate the scan.

You will be able to see the results of the scan, and confirm whether your computer is indeed infected with the Virus.

How can I get rid of viruses that are slowing down my computer for free?

How do I get rid of viruses that slow down my computer? Are there any free tools to remove them and speed up my PC?

Of course, there are two ways to try to clear all the viruses off a computer immediately:

• #1. Run an Antivirus Program
• #2. Remove the Virus Manually from Your Computer

You can learn how to successfully remove any existing viruses, malware, and even spyware from your computer in a way that suits you.

#1. Which program can remove viruses? Anti-virus software recommendations

So, what programs can help you get rid of a virus? An antivirus is the tool you need to remove a virus from your PC. If you're unsure which antivirus to choose, TotalAV is a well-known and reliable option you can try.

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will do my best to translate it into Chinese.

TOTALAV

TotalAV is an award-winning antivirus and security software that provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, and online threats.

 Get Instant Protection

Enable Antivirus Protection

What is the best antivirus for Windows? Check this out:

Top 5 Best Antivirus for Windows 11 in 2023

Most Windows antivirus software includes protection against viruses, rootkits, botnets, worms, Trojans, spyware, and phishing. See details.

Here, we'll use Avast as an example to show you how to scan and remove viruses from your computer:

< strong > Step 1. Open Avast Free Antivirus, click Protection, and then choose Virus Scan.

Step Two: Select "Full System Scan" to scan and remove viruses from your computer.

Or, if you need to scan another device, choose a specific option.

Wait for the process to complete, and you should be able to successfully scan and remove all viruses from your computer.

Use antivirus software to remove virus

#2. How to Remove a Virus from a Laptop Without Antivirus Software (Manual Removal)

If you don't want to install any third-party antivirus software to scan and remove the virus, you can try to manually remove it from your computer by following these steps.

Here are the details:

Step 1: Turn off System Restore:

1. Right-click "This PC," select "Properties," and then click "System Protection." 2. Click "Windows System," then click "Configure," check the box for "Turn off system protection," and then click "OK."

Step 2. Restart your PC in Safe Mode:

• Restart your computer and press the F8 key while it is starting up.
• Select "Safe Mode" from the Advanced Boot Options menu.
• Press F5 to boot your computer into Safe Mode.

Step 3: Scan and remove existing viruses from your computer:

• Go to Settings, click on Update & Security, and then click on Windows Security. • Click on Virus & threat protection. • Under Threat history, click on Scan now.

Use Windows Defender to scan and remove viruses

Wait for the scan to complete and for the virus to be removed. Your computer should now be clean and healthy.

Additional Tip: How to Remove Hidden Viruses from Your Computer

Aside from that, sometimes your computer might be infected by a hidden virus that hides your data and files on the PC. It's hard to notice such changes.

You have three options to remove the hidden virus and recover your files right now:

1. Using CMD to Remove Viruses

Step 1: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator:

Type cmd in the search box, right-click “Command Prompt”, and select “Run as administrator”.

Step 2. Enter each of the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each:

• F: (Replace F: with the letter of the drive on your computer that contains the hidden virus.)
• attrib -s -h -r /s /d *.* 
• dir
• del autorun.inf

Step 3: Type exit to close the Command Prompt.

2. Use a free app to remove hidden viruses - with Windows CleanGenius tool

Command lines are best left to computer experts, as incorrect commands can do more harm than good. For safety and convenience, we strongly recommend trying an automated command-line alternative, such as CleanGenius. This handy tool lets you check and fix file system errors, enable or disable write protection, and update your system with a single click, without having to type complex command lines.

Use this one-click repair tool to show hidden files with these simple steps.

Step 1: Download the CleanGenius tool for free.

Step 2: Launch CleanGenius, and then select “Optimize” from the left pane. Click on “File Visibility” from the right.

Step 3: Select the hard drive and click “Execute”.

Step 4: Once done, click on this link to view the hidden files.

What is the most effective way to remove a computer virus?

When your computer is running slow because of a virus, you can use an antivirus program or Windows' built-in virus removal tool to help.

There are probably some people who want to know how to get rid of the virus on their computer, right?

Here is the answer:

For beginners with Windows - a reliable and free antivirus software is the way to go. For experienced Windows users - either Windows Security or Virus & Threat Protection are good options.

In short, if you are not sure why your computer is running slow on Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, you should first run and scan viruses from your PC.