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So you’ve finally decided on the antivirus (AV) software you want to install and are feeling pretty good knowing that your data will be safe from malware. Suddenly, a question pops into your head; what happens if I already have a virus. Will my antivirus software remove existing viruses? The answer is ‘yes’, but there’s one caveat; to remove them, you’ll need to take some action yourself. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

**Scan your system**  
First, run a full system antivirus scan on your computer. Full system scans scan all the files on your system. If malware is detected, your AV software will ask you whether to quarantine or permanently delete the virus. Either option is an effective method for removing the virus. Before you run your scan, however, make sure that your AV software is current. Since scans rely on a database of known virus signatures to detect viruses, your AV should always work with an up-to-date signature database. Scanners compare the unique signature of each file on your computer to the virus signatures in the virus database. A match means that a virus has been detected, but if your software isn’t current, it won’t be able to use the latest database and thus might not detect new viruses. Consequently, you can’t be fully protected from known malware unless your software is current.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_378062515-e1578845135960.jpg)

**What happens if I can’t boot up my system to run the scan?**  
If you can’t boot into Windows, you’ll have to boot into Safe Mode and run a full-system scan from there. Depending on the size of your hard drive and the number of files on your system, this process could take some time, but make sure that the scan runs until it is completed. As explained above, when it’s finished, your AV software will ask you how you want to deal with any malware found (e.g., delete permanently or quarantine).

**What happens next?**  
Once your antivirus software has successfully removed the malware, shut down your computer, reboot it and then run a full scan again. Hopefully, you’ll be malware-free the second time around and good to go, but if not, you’ll need to repeat the process described above.

**Prevention is the best antidote**  
While it’s good to know that you can remove existing viruses, the best way to truly keep your data safe is to prevent malware from infecting your system in the first place. And the best way to do that is to install AV software and always keep it current.

shutterstock_378062515-e1578845135960.jpg

If you’re alarmed by all the news reports about malware attacks and the damage they cause, you’re not alone. And if you’re wondering how you can protect yourself against these attacks and asking yourself “which antivirus should I use?”, you’re not alone there either. The first question is easily answered; the best way to defend your data against malware is by installing antivirus (AV) software. The second question, however, requires a little longer explanation; let’s get started.

First, look for AV software with a high malware detection rate. Most antivirus software promise a 100% detection rate, although that figure varies depending upon whether the AV is run online or offline. The point here is that you shouldn’t settle for a detection rate that is less than 100%. That said, it’s also important that the AV software has a low rate of false positives, (files that are incorrectly flagged as malicious), as you don’t want your safe files falsely identified as malware and then removed.

A light system load is also important especially for older PCs, which are the most vulnerable. Most AV software have trial offers, so you can test it before purchasing. The trials are great way to check that the AV doesn’t cause your system to perform sluggishly. 

Your AV software should also provide real-time, comprehensive protection. This means it should protect you from both known and zero-day or unknown malware. Detection of known malware threats relies on a database of virus signatures, so it’s important that the signature database be regularly updated with the latest virus signatures and that the AV software itself be updated so it’s using the latest virus database. Detection of unknown or emerging threats relies on different technologies such as heuristics, sandbox, or behavioral detection. Rather than relying on a database of known virus signatures, these types of detection look for unexpected behaviors in a program, and in this way are able to detect zero-day threats.  

Still another important security feature is browsing protection, which stops you from navigating to malicious links where you can be tricked into giving away personal information.  Similarly, protection from phishing attacks, which try to get you to click on malicious links or download infected files is also an important security feature. 

Finally, look for AV software that provides ransomware protection. Ransomware is one of the most pernicious of malware and can cause mountains of financial and reputational damage. AV software that protects you against ransomware stops ransomware from being downloaded and prevents your data from being encrypted.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_1120069835-e1578844913699-1024x673.jpg)

#Antivirus

Will antivirus software remove existing viruses?

Which antivirus should I use?

Which antivirus is best for a Windows 10 laptop?

How do you know what antivirus to use?