Virus and malware removal in Lake Zurich

Signs a computer is infected

Any of these is a reason to have the computer looked at:

• Searches land on a search site you didn't choose, or toolbars and add-ons appear that you never installed
• Ads pop up on the desktop even with the browser closed
• Your antivirus has been turned off and won't turn back on
• Friends get emails or messages from you that you never sent
• A page fills the screen, says the computer is locked or infected, and gives a phone number to call
• Documents and photos won't open, their names end in something new, and a note demands payment

Virus removal at the store or by remote session

Bring the computer to our store on Route 22 in Lake Zurich, Monday to Friday 9 to 5 or Saturday 9 to 2. No appointment is needed, so a computer that starts acting up late in the week can come in on Saturday morning.

If the computer still starts and gets online, ask whether a remote session can do the clean-up instead. How a session connects, step by step, is on remote support.

How a clean-up works

1. We look the computer over and find what is actually wrong, including whether it is malware at all.
2. You get a diagnosis and a quote back the same business day. What it costs depends on what we find.
3. There is a diagnostic fee, and it goes toward the repair. Nothing is done until you say yes.
4. We remove the infection. If Windows has to be reinstalled instead, you hear that with the quote, before anything is erased.

Making another infection less likely

After the clean-up we set the computer up to make another infection less likely. No clean-up can promise it never happens again, so a backup matters: if there is none, we can set one up. See backup setup.

Three habits that help:

• Turn on two-step sign-in for your email, so a stolen password alone doesn't get anyone in
• Keep one backup drive unplugged between backups
• Ignore pop-ups and ads that offer to clean, speed up or update your computer

Scam warnings and phone calls

A screen that says the computer is locked or infected and gives a number to call is a scam, whatever logo it shows. The person who answers wants access to your computer, and then a payment.

Don't call the number, and don't let anyone who phones you connect to the computer. Close the browser; if it won't close, hold the power button down until the computer switches off. If the warning is back after a restart, bring the computer in or call 847-381-7960.

Already let someone connect, or paid? Bring the computer in and tell us what happened. From your phone or another computer, change your email and banking passwords, and call your bank or card company about any payment or card number you gave out.

Ransomware on office and home computers

Ransomware scrambles documents and photos so they no longer open, and puts up a demand for money to unscramble them. If you see that demand, unplug the network cable and turn off Wi-Fi so it can't reach other computers or shared folders, keep any backup drive unplugged, and call 847-381-7960.

We remove the ransomware and get the computer working again. Files it has already scrambled usually come back only from a backup made before the attack, such as an external drive that was unplugged at the time or an online backup that keeps earlier versions. Restoring files and setting up backups are covered on data recovery and backup.

In an office, one infected computer can scramble files on a shared drive or server, so the backup that counts is one the ransomware could not reach. Backing up every office computer to one place is part of networks and servers.

Slow is not always a virus

A slow computer with no pop-ups, warnings or strange programs may simply have an old drive or too little memory. That is covered under slow computer and SSD upgrades. We check which it is before any work starts.

Bring it in or call first

Bring the computer to the store, or call 847-381-7960 and describe what is on the screen. You can also send a repair request and get a free quote back by text or email.

Common questions

Is a locked-screen warning with a phone number real?

No. A warning that gives a phone number to call is a scam. Close it, and if it comes back after a restart, bring the computer in or call 847-381-7960.

Do you remove viruses from office computers?

Yes. Lake Zurich Computer works on home and business computers. Bring the infected computer to the store, or call 847-381-7960 and ask whether a remote session can handle it.

Can you get my files back after ransomware?

If there is a backup made before the attack, the files can be restored from it once the ransomware is removed. Without one, scrambled files often can't be recovered.

Can you set up a backup after the clean-up?

Yes. We set up backups for home and office computers. Ask when you bring the computer in, and you hear what it costs before any work starts.