Never underestimate the speed with which malware can slow computer performance to a halt. You’ve undoubtedly encountered pop-up ads. They often appear, along with their equally annoying cousin the pop-under, when you visit certain Web sites. They’re generally annoying and some browsers allow you to block pop-up ads. The built in browser controls might (or might not) work on pop-under ads.

Disabling Pop Up Windows Won’t Cure Malware Infections

Disabling pop-up windows might cause certain sites to misbehave. For example, my banking site uses a pop-up window to provide access to my credit card information. I have to specifically allow pop-up windows from my banking site in order to access all functions on that site.

These aren’t really the pop-ups I’m talking about when it comes to slow computer performance. The pop-ups I’m talking about are malware extremists that put up windows as fast as – or faster than – you can close them down. The computer spends so much time opening new windows that it has no time to do anything else. These pop-ups are more than simple annoyances. They often signal the presence of a malware infection. When your computer starts misbehaving like this, it’s time to get serious about scanning and cleaning up your hard disk.

First, make sure your anti-virus and anti-malware software programs are on and up-to-date. If you’re under the impression that you’re using A/V and anti-malware software regularly, and you’re still having this kind of trouble, something’s not right. Some of the nastiest malware disables A/V and anti-malware programs. If possible, boot your computer from bootable media like a flash drive that’s protected from infection. Beware, however, that there are a few viruses that can infect USB drives – Conficker being one of them.

Scan your drive for viruses and clean up whatever you find. Don’t assume that you’re done, however. You’ll also want to scan for other types on non-viral malware that can be just as annoying. When you’re finished, run a registry cleaner to remove the leftover bits of gunk from your registry. Before you get back to work, make absolutely certain that your A/V software is working and that your virus and malware definitions are up-to-date. If you still suspect that you have a problem once you’ve cleaned up your drive, you can employ additional strategies to locate and fix the problem. Some users run two or more A/V programs. This may work, but many A/V programs don’t work well together, so if you’re going to go this route, make sure you get two compatible A/V programs.

Photo Credit: MDaniels7 via Flickr