viruses Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Why you should always scan your PC for malware before taking it to a repair shop

Posted on October 24, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

As you probably know, malware infections can cause all kinds of strange problems on Windows PCs.

That’s why if your computer starts acting strange all of a sudden it could very well be infected with a virus or some other form of malware.

Most malware infections can be removed by running a thorough series of scans with the free tools mentioned in this post, but there are some strains of malware that might need to be removed by an experienced computer tech.

I recommend that you always run your own malware scans (if it’s possible to do so) before you take your PC to a repair shop for ANY type of service or repair, even if you don’t believe the issue is malware-related.

[Read more…]

Q&A: How can I keep my online backups virus-free?

Posted on October 13, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Joyce: I’m constantly taking pictures of my grandkids and copying them onto my computer. And since I don’t want to lose them I keep my computer backed up with Carbonite.

But a nagging question has been bugging me for a while now.

Since Carbonite backs up my files automatically, how can I prevent it from backing up a virus too should I ever get one on my PC? [Read more…]

Scam alert: Don’t fall for this dangerous virus notification scam

Posted on October 9, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

As you probably already know, scams and hoaxes are everywhere these days, and some of them are quite believable and compelling.

It’s very easy to fall for some of these scams because they mimic actions that are taken by legitimate security apps.

One of the most dangerous scams that’s making the rounds right now is the insidious “Your computer has a virus!” scam. There are several variations of this scam, but they typically work something like this… [Read more…]

Why you should never run two antivirus apps at the same time

Posted on September 24, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

I’m often asked to remove viruses and other forms of malware from ailing computers, and many of those machines are running two or more antivirus programs at once.

The problem is, when it comes to antivirus apps, more is not better. I know that probably sounds like it can’t be true, but it actually is.

Before I discuss why that is, here’s a quick overview of the two primary types of anti-malware programs: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I create a Restore Point for a time that’s already passed?

Posted on July 21, 2026

Want to get my easy to follow Tech Tips in your email?

Question from Barry: Rick, I desperately need to create a System Restore Point for last Monday.

What happened was I downloaded a couple of torrent files last Tuesday and now my Windows 11 PC is all messed up.

I tried doing a System Restore back to the previous Monday, but the oldest Restore Point I see is from over 2 weeks ago and I have some really important files that were created since then. Is there a way to create one for last Monday? [Read more…]