How do I get rid of a computer virus?

Question

I think I have a virus on my computer. I can’t use log in or use my computer. When I turn on my PC I get a message that says verifying pool data. I can’t type or get past that. Is there anything I can do?

Answer

Boot your computer with a Windows Startup Disk (make sure the disk is write protected) or from the Windows CD-ROM. Then you should try to reload Windows to the same directory it was originally installed in. If you successfully reload Windows you should then go online and visit our Free Antivirus Scan page and run the virus checker to clean the virus from your system.

If you can't install Windows to its current directory then you have to load Windows to a new directory, or format your hard drive and reinstall Windows.

Formatting the hard drive and reloading Windows is one of the last steps you should take, as it may not solve your problem.

Fatal Exception Errors are usually caused by deletion or corruption of Windows system files, computer viruses, out-of-date hardware drivers, or ill-behaved software programs. Some errors are well documented but most are not.

It would be easier to determine what is causing your problem if you could remember what program or driver you loaded that caused these errors to occur.

As this is not always possible to do, I suggest you do the following in the order presented. Determine if the error has corrected been by rebooting and using your computer before going to the next step.

1. Disable all antivirus programs from starting up automatically -- do not disable firewall programs. Find a good free virus checker online and run the virus checker to clean any new computer viruses from your system.

2. Visit your computer and other component manufacturers, and make sure you have the most recent Windows drivers for your video card, sound card, modem, printer, scanner, and for any other peripheral you use, or use DriverAgent.

3. Upload the newest versions of your Internet browser.

4. If the problem is still not resolved, reload Windows into its current directory (do not format the hard drive). This should overwrite corrupt or missing system files.

5. The last thing you should do is format your hard drive and reload Windows. Please see the topics in the Tech Tips page which discuss reloading Windows.

After reloading Windows, load your drivers and software applications one at a time, and reboot after each is loaded. Use your computer after each driver or program is loaded, this should allow you to pinpoint any offending program/driver. If you need help locating or reinstalling drivers, use DriverAgent.