STS: Student Technology Services

Viruses and spyware are common annoyances in today's computing world. Usually malware (viruses and spyware collectively) doesn't completely destroy the system it infects. Instead, it resides on the infected computer and uses the system resources to infect others. As a result, it is not always obvious if a computer is infected with a virus. So how can you tell if your computer is infected? Here is a list of symptoms that may mean that your computer is infected. (Note: these infection symptoms only apply to computers using the Windows Operating System)

You get errors when you try to update your antivirus software
Hitting Ctrl + Alt + Del opens the task manager, but then it quickly closes
The System Configuration Utility (MSCONFIG) also closes when accessed
The computer gives a countdown before it shuts down and restarts
Explicit files clutter your hard drive
Files randomly appear on your desktop
Files randomly appear in shared folders
Antivirus pops up saying that it found a virus but it could not be fixed, deleted, or quarantined
Your friends get IMs from you with links but you haven't sent any
Web pages suddenly don't open
Computer suddenly becomes slow to use, especially when connected to the internet
Computer boots into Windows quickly, but you have to wait a long time before you can do anything

There are also many viruses that scan your contact lists in email clients such as Outlook and send emails containing the virus. If your friends have received emails from you containing a virus, this does NOT mean that your computer is infected. Commonly these viruses "spoof" the sender address with another name in the contact list.

If you think your computer is infected, you can call STS to speak with a technician. We can troubleshoot over the phone, and if necessary you can drop your computer off at the STS office to be cleaned by our staff.