Most PC users have experienced the utter despair of a virus attack at some point in their lives. If your PC is suffering from a devastating virus, then you may not have to put it out of its misery just yet. Instead, follow these simple tips to get your PC back in working order:

Disconnect your PC from the internet immediately

The first thing to do when your PC has a virus is to disconnect your PC from the internet. If your PC isn’t connected to the internet, then a mysterious third-party can’t steal your information and send it to hackers overseas. In many cases, viruses communicate with home servers in order to better attack your system.

To disconnect your PC from the internet, you can pull the Ethernet cord straight out of your PC or you can right click on the wireless network icon in your system tray and disconnect that way. Once you’re off the internet, move onto the next step.

Scan your PC with good antivirus software

If your infected PC has antivirus software installed, open it and start a full scan of your PC.
If you don’t have antivirus software installed, then you may be tempted to reconnect to the internet. But don’t. Instead, download the installation file for the antivirus software on another PC and transfer that file to your infected PC using a USB stick.
Once the antivirus software has been installed, scan your PC until viruses or malware are found. Some clever viruses will block your antivirus software from starting up, in which case you may need to run the antivirus software directly from the USB drive (or the CD/DVD if you have it).

Check to make sure the virus is gone

In most cases, your antivirus software will have removed the virus threat completely. If it hasn’t, then you’ll want to start searching for your problem online (using another computer or smartphone if you’ve got one). You may need to install a different type of antivirus software, or you may simply have to uninstall a Windows program.
I’ve yet to meet someone who has encountered a virus that nobody else has ever had. It’s a big world out there, folks, and chances are pretty good that someone, somewhere, has encountered your virus before. Spend a few minutes Googling your problem and you should be able to fix even the peskiest computer problems.

System restore

It never hurts to perform a System Restore. A System Restore moves your PC back to an earlier point in time. You will still have all the files that you created up to today, but any programs you’ve installed since the System Restore will be removed (along with any settings you have changed).
To access System Restore, just go to the Windows Start menu and type in System Restore then choose the restore point that you want to access. In many cases, this can immediately fix your virus problem with no negative consequences.

Prevent future attacks

You can prevent future PC attacks by installing good antivirus software and keeping it updated. You should also practice smarter online browsing techniques and avoid installing software from shady sources.