Unfortunately, you can’t check your computer for viruses with the help of just a site open in the browser. The fact is that for security reasons, web services do not have access to local files and programs on a PC.
But there are cloud antiviruses that can check the system without a full installation and registration. To use one of them, just download a small client and run it. After that, you can scan the entire computer or select partitions for a partial scan. In the process, the program will download the data it needs from the cloud. If viruses are detected, the service will offer to remove them.
If you want to check your computer using cloud antivirus, try these services. All of them are products of well-known companies and work in a similar way - according to the scheme described above. Therefore, you can choose any of them.
Of course, such an online scanner is suitable only for periodic checks on demand and does not provide constant protection of the computer against malware and network attacks. Therefore, it is not an equivalent replacement for a paid antivirus.
Perhaps there are similar services for mobile devices, but I will not recommend them. Indeed, even Android developers say that most users do not need antiviruses for this system: it is enough to install programs only from Google Play and be careful with. And the iOS system is too closed for viruses to pose a serious danger to the iPad or iPhone.
Web services for checking individual files
If you want to check a small file or archive of files for viruses, then this can be done completely online without installing any programs at all. You just need to go to any of the resources listed below, upload the suspicious file from the computer to the server and click on the check button.
Computer viruses since the advent of the first operating systems cause computer users a lot of problems. It is not surprising, because some types of threats can completely disable both the software and hardware components of a computer, laptop or mobile device. With the operating systems and the programs installed in their environment, there seems to be no ambiguity, but many may object to how the equipment used fits here? Everything is simple. It is enough to recall the threats that once affected computer monitors, focusing the supply of maximum energy to one area or point of the screen, because of which the screens instantly burned out and could not be repaired. But all this, I hope, is already in the past.
However, modern viruses have changed quite a lot and are also capable of much - even steal confidential user information. So let's see how to check a laptop, a stationary computer terminal or a mobile device for viruses using the tools available on the market for such software. But for starters, it is worth deciding on the main symptoms that can signal that a virus has settled in the system.
When should I check my laptop for viruses?
In general, installing an antivirus is the very first and necessary step after installing the operating system. Everyone knows that. However, it should be noted that not all such programs are able to withstand the effects of modern threats. Some of them can disguise themselves so well as official software or infect files in such a way that revealing the presence of their executable code is not always possible. Sometimes, however, users themselves ignore warnings, for example, when clicking on an insecure link in a web browser. But the Internet today can be called one of the most extensive breeding grounds for all kinds of threats.
To identify the main types of viruses in the system is sometimes quite simple. Due to their effects, the following symptoms may occur:
- decreased performance due to excessive loads on the processor or RAM;
- incorrect operation of the operating system;
- the inability to launch installed programs or call some system functions;
- frequent errors on the hard drive;
- blue screens of death;
- activation of unknown or doubtful processes observed in the “Task Manager”,
- constantly pop-up ads, substitution of search engines and start pages in browsers, as well as redirection to resources of dubious content;
- the inability to access the Internet or network environment;
- spontaneous shutdown or reboot of a computer device;
- permanent reset of system settings and parameters;
- spontaneous installation of programs or the appearance of unauthorized downloads, etc.
Naturally, it is possible and necessary to deal with this manifestation of viral activity, but in most cases only advertising threats belonging to the Hijackers, Malware and Adware classes can be neutralized manually.
Of course, some of the symptoms presented in the list may also occur in case of malfunctions of the operating system itself or installed equipment, but for viruses such situations are characteristic to a much higher degree.
Basic methods and means of verification
Speaking about how to check a laptop for viruses, you first need to decide which method or using which software such a check will be performed. It is the choice of the appropriate security software that largely determines the effectiveness of scanning, removing threats or disinfecting infected objects. Typically, such applications are used to perform verification:
- full-time scanners aimed at preventing the penetration of threats or scheduled scanning;
- portable utilities of all directions that do not require installation on an infected hard drive;
- programs with built-in bootloaders, launched before the start of the operating system;
- specialized, highly targeted utilities for detecting specific types of threats.
As already mentioned, both visual means of detecting threats and manual removal of viruses can be used. How to check if there are viruses on the laptop in such ways?
The easiest way is to identify suspicious processes in the “Task Manager” with the names of processes consisting of a meaningless character set, determine the location of the file responsible for the process on the hard disk, terminate the active virus process and delete the corresponding files and directories (if possible). But this helps very rarely, since viruses know how to disguise themselves as system processes (for example, as the svchost.exe process or other services), and it is not always possible to determine that this is a virus. Therefore, it is better to give preference to special software, the developers of which today you can find quite a lot.
Using regular antiviruses
Regular antiviruses are good because they mostly prevent the penetration of threats of any type, from any space and from any medium. Most of these software products have built-in protection against infection. But they do not always cope with the duties assigned to them.
However, if there is nothing more at hand, you can first start a standard scan (often called S.M.A.R.T.) or an in-depth scan with self-selection of objects to be scanned. As for the choice of scanner, it is better to initially install only official versions (preferably paid or shareware). From free software, it is best to give preference to the products of Kaspersky Lab, Doctor Web, Panda Cloud antivirus, etc. But everyone who praises Avast is better not to use, because there are enough complaints about its work.
Some shareware antiviruses like some packages from ESET need to be activated every thirty days. This is somewhat inconvenient, but keys and licenses can always be found in the public domain on the Internet. It goes without saying that for most of these programs, instructions are provided in the help system. How to check a laptop for viruses in practical terms? Just set the desired type of scan, select the desired action when a threat is detected and wait for the results.
Portable utilities
The advantage of portable applications is that they do not need to be installed on the hard drive, and even run from removable media in the form of conventional flash drives, memory cards, optical or external USB HDDs.
You can check your laptop for viruses using these programs in the same way as with regular scanners. The only difference is that when you run any such utility, you should initially update the anti-virus database.
How to check before loading the system?
Some viruses are capable of hitting the system deeply enough, settling even in RAM and constantly keeping their unloadable modules in it, which may affect the loading of the operating system. Among the boot programs recorded on external devices, the most preferred are utilities under the general name Rescue Disk.
The most powerful, according to the vast majority of experts, is considered such a utility from Kaspersky Lab. It has a graphical interface similar to Windows, it allows you to select the desired language and check absolutely everything that is possible (including in-depth scanning of RAM). The only condition is to set the device with the recorded utility in the BIOS / UEFI parameters first to boot.
How to deal with advertising viruses?
Now let's look at the manual removal of viral applets. You can check your laptop for viruses and get rid of them using the following sequence of actions:
- identification of the virus process in the "Task Manager" with the determination of the location of files and folders;
- uninstalling the advertising applet (if it is visible in the programs and components section);
- manual or software removal of residual virus components from the hard disk and from the registry;
- restoration of the search engine and browser start page or a complete reset of the browser settings;
- removal of doubtful browser panels, if any;
- delete posts in the path to the browser file via the properties of the shortcut;
Note: sometimes interference with the registry may be required even before the virus is removed, and it is better to use special uninstall programs to remove the main application and its possible residues. In the absence of access rights to files and folders, the Unlocker utility sometimes helps.
How to scan a phone for viruses through a laptop?
With mobile technology, you can do exactly the same as with stationary systems by installing the appropriate software on the device.
But if we talk about how to scan a tablet or smartphone through viruses for a laptop or a smartphone by connecting them, for example, via the USB interface, it should be noted that the internal and removable drives of the device will be displayed in Windows as ordinary removable drives, if debugging was previously enabled USB Verification tool - at the choice of the user.
Of course, these are only the basic and most frequently used methods that allow you to scan a laptop, desktop PC or mobile device for viruses. There are many more special programs designed for specific threats.
In the end, it remains to add that it is not recommended to install applications such as SpyHunter that are so widely advertised on the Internet in any case, since it will not be possible to remove the found threats without buying the full version of the package, and getting rid of the program itself will be even more difficult and problematic than from the same advertising viruses .
Hello dear readers! I’m Ekaterina Kalmykova. Most people face the problem of penetrating into their computer foreign programs that, one way or another, interfere with normal operation.
Moreover, sometimes these same programs completely kill the operating system, in which case you lose your computer for at least a few days.
In such a situation, we simply cannot do without the help of professionals who will help to “cure” and protect our device from foreign objects. You can also try to find out what is the reason and eliminate it yourself, but it will take time. Agree that not everyone has.
Therefore, in order to prevent this, it is necessary to periodically check your computer for any malware.
I think this topic is very relevant especially for people working through the Internet and certainly for bloggers. Therefore, today we are going to talk about how to check your computer for viruses online for free.
Why check
Only beginners can ask this question. Indeed, more experienced users probably already managed to face the problem of a virus attack. Therefore, they take this issue more seriously, and often with the purchase of their electronic assistant they immediately acquire an anti-virus program that helps prevent breakdowns.
But I still answer the question: “Why?”
Let's imagine that a computer system is a kind of organism and how all organisms can undergo various diseases and illnesses. What do we do when our body gets sick? - That's right, we begin to treat. And for this it is necessary to find the cause and prescribe the right medicine.
So with the computer organism, the same thing: if signs of a disease are detected, it is necessary to check the disease and cure it by checking the PC.
Reasons for checking your PC:
- Minimize the risk of software failure. Many viruses force you to reinstall or even buy new software.
- So that you can, firstly, use the Internet normally, and secondly, work with the search engine and the browser you want.
- Protect all information contained on your computer from malware infection.
In general, pests can destroy files or folders that are important to you, thereby causing enormous damage to your work and knocking it out of operation for a long time.
I think there are enough reasons to begin to closely monitor this.
Verification Methods
There are different ways to check computers: free, paid, online, with and without program installation, etc.
There are anti-virus programs whose action is aimed at warning about the danger of infection with malware and various viruses and neutralizing them. The most common are Kaspersky, Dr. Web, ESET Nod32, Norton et al.
Well, let's get to know them better.
Paid way:
You can buy antivirus programs either in the store or via the Internet, and install it on your computer. There are many different companies that provide your protection, for example:
1. Kaspersky Internet Security
Perhaps the most famous player in our market, which is able to protect your computer from various malicious threats and is able to remove many viruses. I remember that he appeared when the first computers just went.
What are its advantages?
1. Reliability. According to many users, one of the most reliable systems for protecting the operating system.
2. Constant updating. He constantly updates the database, as a result of which you can be calm in protection against new malicious files.
3. Efficiency. Malicious objects appear in the registry much earlier than other similar antiviruses.
2. Dr.Web 
It is also a fairly reliable assistant.
What are the advantages of this antivirus?
1. Has a broadly updated registry of virus programs
2. Blocks only those specific files that are infected
3.Clear and easy to operate
There are other programs, but these are perhaps one of the most popular, and most often downloaded and bought.
Please note: before deciding on your choice of the antivirus that suits you, be sure to familiarize yourself with the system requirements and reviews of other users who have used this program.
Free ways:
They are divided into 2 types: either you download pirated versions of the above programs, what should we do not recommend, because the vulnerability of your computer is increasing, or check through online services.
Let's talk more specifically about online services for software verification.
Online services for free verification
Now a lot of services provide the service of checking your computer. What are the advantages of such an opportunity?
- No conflict between installed antivirus and software. That is, you can simply upload any file you want to check, and this will not cause any inconvenience.
- Time saving. You will not slow down the computer, you will not need to reboot.
- Speed \u200b\u200band speed. No need to register anywhere, just went to the site and that’s it.
But this method has its drawbacks:
- You will not be able to fully check, there is the possibility of downloading only one file and scanning it.
- You may need to download some program to your computer, as you will need access to the file or folder that you want to check.
As we can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether to use this verification method. So, I will talk about some services so that you know where you can find them and how to work in them:
1. Virustotal - a service that allows you to check files and sites for viruses and malware (trojans, worms, etc.) without additional downloading programs.
After checking, a window opens with its results. As you can see, there are no viruses on our blog.
2. Bitdefender- the most common online antivirus that also provides the ability to scan.
Click on the Scan now button (on the screenshot the translation is "Scanning with the enterprise") and you will be prompted to install the BitDefender extension for your browser.
After installation, the service will gain access to the data on your PC and verification will begin.
3. ESET - A free online scanner that allows you to check the protection of your computer, and when they are found to destroy malware and viruses.
To get started, click the "Run ESET Online Scanner" button. 
Note: if you use Internet Explorer, the scan will begin without additional downloading and installing the program. For other browsers - you will need to download and run a small file.
4. Housecall- Assistant in the search for spyware.
Before work, you must additionally download and run the utility. After starting, you need to agree to the terms of the agreement and click on Scan Now. Before checking, you can choose what you will check: a specific file or the entire computer.
5. Panda activescan - also allows you to conduct an online scan of your computer.
On the main page you need to click "Scan".
You will be prompted to download an additional module that allows you to check your PC for malicious files, programs, etc.
Here are a variety of ways you can use to protect your computer. How to check your PC for viruses online now you know, and understand that it is better not to stay without an antivirus, but which one is the only way to choose!
Do not forget to periodically check, because the sooner you detect a "disease", the faster and without serious consequences you can get rid of it and do not let it spread to the entire computer body.
Virus-free work for you!
Bye Bye!
Ekaterina Kalmykova
Hello! Today's article will be devoted to antiviruses ...
I think many people understand that the presence of an antivirus does not give one-hundred-percent protection against all misfortunes and adversities, therefore it will not be superfluous to sometimes check its reliability with the help of third-party programs. And for those who do not have an antivirus, checking “unfamiliar” files, and the system as a whole, is all the more necessary! For a quick check of the system, it is convenient to use small anti-virus programs, in which the virus database itself is located on the server (and not on your computer), and on the local computer you only run the scanner (approximately takes several megabytes).
Let’s take a closer look at how to scan a computer for viruses online (by the way, let’s first consider Russian antiviruses).
Online antiviruses
F-Secure Online Scanner
Website: http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_ru/online-scanner
In general, an excellent antivirus for a quick scan of your computer. To start the verification, you need to download a small application (4-5mb) from the site (link above) and run it.
More details below.
1. In the top menu of the site, click on the "run now" button. The browser should offer you to save or run the file, you can immediately choose the launch.
2. After starting the file, a small window will open in front of you, with a proposal to start the scan, you simply agree.
An example of scanning a computer for viruses.
Findings:
At a connection speed of 50 Mbps, my laptop with Windows 8 was tested in ~ 10 minutes. No viruses or extraneous objects were detected (which means that the antivirus is not in vain installed). An ordinary home computer with Windows 7 was checked a little more in time (most likely, it was connected with the network load) - 1 object was neutralized. By the way, after cross-checking with other antiviruses, there were no more suspicious objects. In general, the F-Secure Online Scanner antivirus makes a very positive impression.
ESET Online Scanner
Website: http://www.esetnod32.ru/support/scanner/
The world-famous Nod 32 is now also in the free anti-virus program, which online can quickly and efficiently scan your system for malicious objects in it. By the way, the program, in addition to viruses, searches for simply suspicious and unwanted software (at the beginning of the scan, there is an option to enable / disable this feature).
To run the check, you need:
1. Go to the website and click on the “launch ESET Online Scanner” button.
2. After downloading the file, run it and agree to the terms of use.
4. Then the program will update its databases (~ 30 sec.) And begin checking the system.
Findings:
ESET Online Scanner checks the system very carefully. If the first program in this article tested the system in 10 minutes, then ESET Online Scanner tested it for about 40 minutes. And this despite the fact that some of the objects were excluded from the scan in the settings ...
Also, after checking, the program provides you with a report on the work done and automatically deletes itself (i.e., after checking and cleaning the system from viruses, there will be no files from the antivirus on your PC). Conveniently!
Panda ActiveScan v2.0
Website: http://www.pandasecurity.com/activescan/index/
This antivirus takes up more space than the others in this article (28 MB versus 3-4), but it allows you to immediately start checking your computer after downloading the application. In fact, after the download is complete, the computer scan takes 5-10 minutes. It is convenient, especially when you need to quickly check your PC and restore its performance.
Beginning of work:
1. Download the file. After starting it, the program will offer you to immediately begin the test, agree by clicking on the “Accept” button at the bottom of the window.
2. The scanning process itself is fast enough. For example, my laptop (average by modern standards) was tested in about 20-25 minutes.
By the way, after checking, the antivirus will delete all its files on its own, i.e. after using it, you will have no viruses, no antivirus files.
BitDefender QuickScan
This antivirus is installed in your browser as an add-on and checks the system. To start the scan, go to http://quickscan.bitdefender.com/ and click on the “Scan now” button.
Then allow the add-on to be installed in your browser (I personally checked it in Firefox and Chrome browsers - everything worked). After that, the system check will begin - see the screenshot below.
By the way, after checking, you are offered to install a free antivirus of the same name for a period of half a year. Can I agree ?!
findings
In what advantage online check?
1. Fast and convenient. They downloaded a 2-3 MB file, launched and checked the system. No updates, settings, keys, etc.
2. Does not hang constantly in the computer's memory and does not load the processor.
3. It can be used in conjunction with a conventional antivirus (ie get 2 antiviruses on one PC).
Minuses.
1. Does not protect constantly in real time. Those. you must remember not to run the downloaded files immediately; run only after checking by antivirus.
2. Need high speed internet access. For residents of large cities - no problems, but for the rest ...
3. Not as effective a scan as a full-fledged antivirus, there are not so many options: parental control, firewall, white lists, on-demand scan (schedule), etc.
Virus software is developing at such a rate that not all antiviruses can handle this. Therefore, when a user begins to suspect that a malware appeared on his computer, but the installed antivirus program does not find anything, portable scanners come to the rescue. They do not require installation, therefore, do not conflict with the installed protection.
There are many scanners that can easily determine if there is a threat in your system, and some will even clear it of unnecessary files. You just need to download the utility you like, for the need to configure or download the database, run and wait for the result. If problems are found, the scanner will offer you a solution.
Users also use antivirus utilities when there is no protection on their computer, because it’s easier to use a scanner than to always load the processor with an antivirus program, especially on weak devices. Portable utilities are also convenient, because if you have problems with the installed protection, you can always run a scan and get the result.
Method 1: Dr.Web CureIt
Dr.Web CureIt is a free utility from the well-known Russian company Dr.Web. This tool is able to treat detected threats or quarantine them.
Method 2: Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool
Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool is a useful and accessible tool for everyone. Of course, it does not provide such protection as, but it copes with all kinds of malware that it can find.
Method 3: AdwCleaner
The lightweight AdwCleaner utility can clean your computer of unwanted plugins, extensions, viruses and much more. Can fully check all sections. Free and does not require installation.
Method 4: AVZ
Portable AVZ mode can be a very useful virus removal tool. In addition to cleaning up malicious programs, AVZ has several useful functions for convenient work with the system.
Knowing several useful portable scanners, you can always check your computer for virus activity, as well as eliminate it. In addition, some utilities have other functions that are useful for work, which can also always be useful.
