Issue 30.10
When a technician evaluates a virus problem on your computer, there are a number of things that have to be decided. Can the virus be quickly and safely removed without damage to other programs, data or the operating system (Windows)? If damage has occurred, what and how long will it take to fix it? Does the recoverable data need to be backed up and restored after the problem is fixed? Does the hard drive need to be reformatted (erased and reloaded) and can the information on the drive be saved?
The answers to these questions are usually determined by how long the virus has been active in your system. That is why it is best to get problems taken care of right away if you suspect you have been infected. The longer the virus operates, the more files it infects and the more damage it does. After a while, some systems simply will no longer work. Damage to the hardware can even occur in rare instances.
Good technicians will usually take a step by step approach and do the least invasive solution that will solve your problem. This takes a little longer, but is the best way to retrieve as many of your files, pictures, data, etc. as possible. Unless the hardware has been damaged, your tech can almost always recover your important data and pictures. Some techs don’t want to take the time and just format the hard drive to solve the problem. It is quicker and cheaper, but most people care more about their information than they do about the computer itself. If your data is important to you, make sure you inform your technician of that fact or find a tech that cares enough to do it carefully.
The virus levels and solutions are as follows:
Level 1 – Non-invasive “pest” type viruses. Easily deleted. Usually takes from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
Level 2 – Destructive viruses that embed in important files. Takes special software. Usually takes from 1 to 2 hours.
Level 3 – Extreme viruses – embeds in multiple files and system operating files. Usually requires backing up important files, reformatting hard drive and restoring/repairing everything you can. 2 to 4 hours.
Level 4 – Destruction of Operating System or File Allocation Table. Extremely difficult to repair and often hard to recover files. (Good reason to always have a back-up). 2 to 6 hours plus reinstallation of most programs.
Like most illnesses, if you catch it early and treat it aggressively, you can often stop it while it’s a level 1. If you wait, it may turn into a cancer that kills. Hopefully it won’t happen to you, but in the meantime remember to be safe – and always have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 29 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.