You don’t need to be a technology expert to know the word virus is bad. A virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without a user’s permission or knowledge. So, how do you know if your computer has a virus? Shannon McCarty Caplan, Consumer Security Advocate at Trend Micro has put together a list of the top 10 symptoms of a computer virus to help you diagnose the problem.

1. Top 10 Symptoms of a
Computer Virus
8/13/20131 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
You don’t need to be a
technology expert to know the
word “virus” is bad. A virus is a
computer program that can copy
itself and infect a computer
without a user’s permission or
knowledge.
So, how do you know if your
computer has a virus?
Shannon McCarty
Caplan, Consumer Security
Advocate at Trend Micro, has put
together a list of the top 10
symptoms of a computer virus to
help you diagnose the problem.
Start

2. 1. Your Desktop Looks Different
Sometimes the signs of a
virus are obvious. Have
the icons on your desktop
been moved around or
renamed? Are there
icons for programs that
you didn’t install? Pay
attention to any changes
made on your desktop
that you didn’t
authorize, as they could
be the result of a virus.
28/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

3. 2. Your Homepage Changed
Your homepage is the
Internet page that opens up
automatically whenever you
start your browser (such as
Google or Yahoo). If you
are noticing that your web
browser is displaying a
different page, especially if
it is one you’ve never heard
of, this is a red flag.
Before doing anything
else, check to be sure you
(or anyone else who may
have used your computer)
didn’t accidently change
your browser settings.
38/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

4. 3. Everything is Sloooooooooow
Is every action on
your computer
painfully slow? If you
notice that starting
your computer is
taking a long
time, programs are
taking longer than
usual to load, and
the internet is
moving like a
snail, your computer
might have a virus.
48/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

5. 4. Programs or Files Appear or
Disappear Without Your Knowledge
You’re not crazy! You
may have in fact
saved that file in the
right place.
However, computer
viruses have the
power to erase files
and make new ones
appear without your
knowledge. This is
why backing up your
files is so important. If
you notice this is
happening on your
computer, you may
have a virus.
58/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

6. 5. The Browser May Not Respond, Close
Unexpectedly, or Randomly Redirect
Is your browser acting
strange? If your
browser starts to
freeze or close
unexpectedly, this
could be a sign of a
virus. You may also
notice that every few
minutes you are
suddenly sent to a
page you didn’t tell
your computer to visit.
68/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

7. 6. Pop ups, Pop ups, and More Pop ups
An increase in pop ups
is generally the most
well known symptom of
a virus, probably
because it is the most
annoying. Getting
some pop up windows
as you browse the
Internet is somewhat
normal. However, if
you are seeing them
constantly and they all
seem to be for the
same websites, then
you might have a virus.
78/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

8. 7. Bizarre Error Messages
Most people know what
a typical error message
looks like on their
computer and browser.
If you start to notice
pop-up windows with
strange error messages
and/or sounds, this is a
symptom of a computer
virus.
88/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

9. 8. Fake Virus Scans
If anything else besides
the antivirus software on
your computer warns you
that you have a virus, be
very cautious. Oftentimes
websites will use
authentic-looking fake
virus scans of your
computer to make it
appear that you are
infected with hundreds of
bugs. Ignore these scans
and perform one of your
own to see if you are
infected with a real virus.
98/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

10. 9. Unexpected Freezing
We’ve all been there:
You’re working on a
document and then
suddenly—nothing.
Your computer
becomes
unresponsive and
you mouse is frozen
in place. This could
be your computer
exhibiting symptoms
of a virus.
108/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

11. 10. Your Contacts Receive Emails From
Your Account That You Didn’t Send
It’s not enough to infect
your computer; the
viruses want to spread
the love to your friends
as well. Hopefully your
contacts will catch these
fake emails and give you
a heads up that your
email is sending links to
a virus.
118/13/2013 Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.
Next

12. So, what do you do once you
have a virus? If you do get
infected, Trend Micro offers free
tools to clean up your computer
and get you back to normal.
Viruses can crash your
system, destroy data, and reveal
your confidential information. It’s
important to be aware of the
symptoms and have powerful
antivirus software installed so
you can be worry free.
8/13/2013 12Confidential | Copyright 2012 Trend Micro Inc.