Virus & Malware Removal Guides

Most infections on home PCs are not dramatic. They show up as pop-up ads outside the browser, a search engine or homepage that keeps changing back, notifications from sites you never meant to allow, or a fake "your PC is infected" warning that pushes you to call a number or install a tool. Some arrive bundled with free software; others come through a browser extension or a scheduled task that reinstalls them after you delete them.

These guides show how to check whether a PC is actually infected, using Microsoft Defender and a second-opinion scanner, and how to remove adware, browser hijackers and notification spam completely, including the extensions, browser policies and startup entries that bring them back. There is also a guide to the warning signs that an account or the PC itself has been compromised, and what to do first if it has.

If the infection keeps returning, or you suspect someone has accessed your accounts, a technician can clean the system remotely and check it for persistence.