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Or so you think... Here is a quick checklist to determine if you have been infected by a computer virus or not.

NOTE: You may want to boot in Safe Mode for this. Detailed instructions are here

STEP 1: ANTVIRUS

Run your normal Anitvirus program and see if it comes up with a positive. If it does, remove it and see if your computer has improved. If you are still experiencing the same problems, proceed to the next step.

STEP 2: ERROR MESSAGES

Since you are reading my guide, you probably already noticed some abnormalities. The next time you get a suspicious error message, write it down and do an online search for that exact error message. No matter how rare your probelm is, you will most likely find someone with the same one. Read what other people say about it and see if your problems are caused by a virus or not.

STEP 3: PROCESSES

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Task Manager. Go to the "Processes" tab and examine the list. For this you should close all programs to make the list easier to read. Some times you may come accross a program that didn't shut down properly and that you already know what is. Highlight it by clicking and press delete, then enter to end it.
When you have broken down your list a little, it's time to do some dirty work. Search online for EVERY SINGLE process and see what people are saying. If they are related to a virus, it will usually tell you which.

BEWARE: Many websites will tell you that just about any process is a virus, and most are willing to step in as the good samaritan and provide you with a "free" tool that will remove them all. THIS IS A SCAM and the programs are not free. In most cases they detect false viruses and malware, and in some cases can lock up your computer until you buy the software. You may find the My WOT addon for Firefox useful for identifying such sites.

STEP 4: CLEANING UP

If you have found the source of your problems or not, this step will help you. Download CCleaner and run the cleaner function of the program. For a detailed description of this, check out our Disk Cleanup Guide.

Hopefully, after going through this checklist you will have found out whether you are dealing with a virus or not. While we can hope that you are not, your computer will most likely be infected some times during it's lifetime. The best thing you can do is to prevent infection by being careful. The next best thing is to take care of it quickly and effectively when you are infected, and this guide should help you do it.