There might be a number of reasons why your gaming laptop has started to slow down recently or is glitching out more often. It may be a temporary glitch in the system because you’ve been playing a game for far too long or the RAM is running out, which can usually be fixed by the traditional IT favorite of switching it off and back on again. However, it’s important to be cautious, especially if the issues persist after you restart the laptop, since these could also be signs of malware or a virus on your device. Some of the main things to look out for when it comes to spotting malware and viruses include:
Worrisome Warnings
Cybercriminals will often set up fake antivirus programs to trick you into thinking that you need to do something about a virus on your Lenovo laptop, before installing a virus on your device. Drive-by downloads are one example of the techniques that these ruthless criminals will use to install fake antivirus software programs on your laptop before displaying messages about threats that are not real. Victims are tricked into making a payment to fix a problem that actually never existed.
Popup Ads
While popup ads aren’t seen quite as often as they used to be thanks to pop-up blockers and pretty much everybody hating them, an adware program will overload your laptop with online ads. They may sometimes be ads for legitimate products or services, but there’s no way to tell the difference between these and popup ads that are filled with links to malicious websites that if you click on them, they will infect your laptop with even more malware.
Browser Redirects
Although site redirects can be quite common and certainly don’t always mean malware, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for if this happens. For example, one of the most common is when you are trying to search for something in Google, you suddenly end up on a search site that you’ve never seen or heard of in your life. Or you might not even realize it is happening if your browser is redirected to a fraudulent, copycat site that looks exactly the same as the one you think you are visiting. Because of this, it’s important to be vigilant when it comes to checking URLs, especially before you enter any sensitive information.
Strange Social Media Posts
Checking your social media could provide you with some clues if you suspect that your laptop may be infected with malware. When malware is focused on popular social networks like Twitter and Facebook, your profile will generate fake posts and comments. Maybe you’ve seen this in action with random people commenting all over news articles about cryptocurrency or the witch doctor who saved their relationship – they’ve been hacked. If you’re getting lots of strange, spam messages from friends or even seen that they have been sent from your profile, then you’re dealing with malware.
Malware may and may not be obvious, and there are lots of ways that it can show up. It’s important to be vigilant regarding the different signs of malware to help you spot it and fix the problem early if needed.
Originally posted 2022-07-12 18:40:56.