Computer Virus Symptoms

1. You suddenly have a slow computer.  This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background. 
2. You continually get pop-up ads that you can’t make go away.  This is a sure sign that you have “adware,” and possibly more, on your computer.
3. Your computer stops responding or locks up often.
4. You’re being directed to sites you didn’t intend to visit, or your search results are coming back weird.
5. Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally.
6. Applications on your computer don’t work correctly.
7. You see unusual error messages.  Some viruses can cause damage to Windows or some of your programs.  The results of this damage might include messages appearing unexpectedly, programs starting or closing automatically, or Windows shutting down suddenly.
8. You see distorted menus and dialog boxes.
9. Your modem or hard disk seems to be working overtime.  An e-mail virus works by sending many copies of itself by e-mail.  One indicator of this is that the activity light on your broadband or external modem is constantly lit; another is the sound of your computer’s hard disk continually working.