Removing Viruses From Your Computer — The Complete Guide, and When It Is NOT a Virus

At the shop, after “it won’t turn on,” the most common complaint is “I have a virus, I can’t get any work done.” In 60% of cases it isn’t a virus — it’s adware, a browser hijacker, or simply a full cache. Let’s look at how to tell the difference and what to do.

What real viruses actually are in 2026

A “virus” in the classic sense (like Conficker from 2008) barely exists anymore. What people call viruses today are:

• Ransomware — encrypts your files and demands money (the most dangerous; you lose everything)
• Trojans — steal passwords out of your browser (the most common)
• Cryptominers — use your processor to mine cryptocurrency (CPU at 100%)
• Adware — pushes ads everywhere (least dangerous, most annoying)
• Browser hijackers — change your homepage and search engine

5 signs it really IS a virus

1. The CPU is at 100% while you’re doing nothing — check it through Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance. If Chrome is closed and the CPU is at 80%, something is mining.
2. Your files have been renamed to .encrypted or similar — that’s ransomware. Turn the computer off IMMEDIATELY and don’t turn it back on until you bring it to us.
3. The browser keeps opening a new tab full of ads — adware/hijacker.
4. The antivirus shut itself off and won’t turn back on — that’s real malware (legitimate AV doesn’t shut itself down).
5. Your bank sends an SMS that someone checked your balance — a keylogger stole your password.

When it is NOT a virus (even though it looks like one)

At the shop we regularly recognize these causes that people mistake for viruses:

• Chrome has 200 extensions — it slows everything down and makes it look like the system is infected
• Windows Update running in the background — disk at 100%, everything stutters, but that’s normal (an hour or two)
• The graphics driver stops responding — random restarts, blue screen. Not a virus, it’s the driver.
• The SSD is about to fail — the system is extremely slow, files go missing. SSD guide.
• Faulty RAM — random crashes across every app, BSOD. Not a virus, a physical fault.

What to try YOURSELF (for free)

Before coming into the shop, try this:

1. Run Malwarebytes (free, malwarebytes.com) — full scan
2. Open Chrome → chrome://extensions → remove anything you don’t recognize
3. Windows → Apps → uninstall every “PC Optimizer,” “Cleaner,” and “Speed Up” — 90% of those are junk pretending to be a virus
4. Restart into Safe Mode (Shift + Restart in Windows) and try again

When to bring it to us

If, after all this, Malwarebytes still shows more than 5 items, or the system keeps stalling, bring it in:

• Antivirus scan + cleanup — 3.500 RSD
• Windows reinstall (when the system is completely infected) — 3.500 RSD + drivers
• File recovery after ransomware — 6.000 RSD (if possible)

From experience: we resolve 80% of cases without a reinstall — just Malwarebytes + AdwCleaner + manual registry cleanup. A reinstall is the last resort because you lose everything.

We send a courier to pick up your device at your address, and return it the same day or the next. Diagnostics are free.

If you can’t fix it yourself: we handle virus and malware removal, and for stubborn infections the cleanest solution is often a Windows reinstall.