My boyfriend unintentionally downloaded a virus while trying to get something else on my Windows computer. The first thing I noticed was the taskbar disappearing. After that, he turned off the WiFi. When he checked the file explorer, it showed that a file had been modified about 50 minutes before he downloaded it. I haven't reconnected to the WiFi since then. What steps should I take next? Should I reset all my passwords and perform a hard reset on my computer? I'm really worried about this situation!
5 Answers
You might want to boot into safe mode and uninstall any recent programs that were added. You can also run commands in admin mode like 'sfc /scannow' or 'dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth' to help fix the system.
If you really think your system is compromised, the best course is to wipe it clean and reinstall Windows. There's no way to be sure what the virus might've done otherwise. Just format your C: drive and start fresh.
The disappearing taskbar could mean various issues. If you haven't noticed other strange behavior, it might not be a virus. Still, backing up your important files to a USB drive and resetting the PC could be a wise move. It doesn't hurt to change your passwords too, just to stay safe!
Have you tried running Windows Defender to check for any malware? That's a good first step. It might help identify if there's anything funky going on with your system.
Before panicking, check if a recent update could be causing the issue. I've seen reports of Windows updates messing up the taskbar. Maybe that's what happened instead of a virus? You can try rolling back the update, though it doesn't always work well.
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