Many viruses will try to prevent you from connecting to the Internet and of course you need Internet access so we can connect to your computer. We have several things we can do to get you on the Internet so we can remove the virus. In the rare case that we can not connect to your computer you have nothing to lose. Since we don't charge you anything up front we simply tell you we can not help you remotely and you are on your own and there is no charge to you.

You need to make sure that your anti-virus software is up-to-date and running. Some of the more reputable anti-virus programs include Kaspersky, Avast, and Trend. While we work with all major antivirus applications, our recommendations change as new versions come out. If you are interested in our recommendations, your Sharp Tech can assist you. We can also install a reputable free anti-vrius program on your computer when we are done cleaning it.

We specialize in Microsoft Windows, but we also have familiarity with Android, Chrome, iOS and Linux as well depending on what your problem is. We obviously get the most questions on Windows but depending on the problem we may be able to help you.

Unfortunately virus and trojan infections are very common in today's computing environment. After one of our technicians removes an infection it is important to make sure you do not get infected again and reasonable precautions are made to make sure there is no data loss. This means changing all your passwords for all your accounts. This includes email, banking, and especially any account that has to do with accessing your money. In addition, our technicians will go over some common safety procedures to make sure that you do not get reinfected.

This is a very valid question and the reality is 98% of customers that call in with a virus have a good anti-virus program running and the infection simply disabled the anti-virus program and began launching popups and blocking your Internet browsing. Anti-virus vendors including the big names like Symantec and McAfee are having difficulty keeping up with all the new malware that comes out on a daily basis. The anti-virus vendors are about 97% effective at stopping the 5000 new pieces of malware that come out per day but typically 3% of malware will completely bypass your anti-virus software.  That means every day, there are 150 new viruses that won't get caught by your security software.

No one is targeting you or your box on purpose. The virus writer's primary goal is to make money. This means getting as many people as possible to get infected with their virus. Once they do get you infected they will attempt two possible ways to get your money. They will either steal any data they can find on your local computer such as credit card information, passwords, or bank information and typically sell it on the black market (yes there is a black market) to someone who can quickly use it making harder to trace. Optionally, they will make believe that that their virus is actually your anti-virus program by using well designed popups, windows messages and icons in your system tray (click here to see example). They will constantly nag you and tell you that you need to update your "fake anti-virus" program for $60 so you can be protected and they can remove all your viruses. In addition, they will redirect all your Internet traffic to their website until many people eventually lose patience and pay the fee demanded by virus writer.

Unfortunately there are countless programs that promise to "fix" your problems such as viruses, trojans or malware. There are also many programs that promise to speed up your computer by fixing the registry. The Internet offers thousands of programs that claim to fix your problems but most of these programs are written by malware writers who are simply looking to make a few dollars from unsuspecting consumers. Many times these programs make your problems worse or install additional malware on your computer. There is no such thing as "fixing" your registry. Any registry problems should be addressed manually by a technician who understands your computer. Be very careful when trying to find a quick fix for your problems. Would you rather download some software from a website that masquerades as a real company or would you rather talk to a live person who can answer all your questions and truly address your problems.