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Can a virus brick your PC?

Some viruses brick your devices and make them impossible to use, but more often viruses slow down your computer or steal your data. But there are steps you can take to boot a virus off your machine.
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Can a virus destroy your PC?

As a computer virus is only code, it cannot physically damage computer hardware. However, it can create scenarios where hardware or equipment controlled by computers is damaged. For example, a virus may instruct your computer to turn off the cooling fans, causing your computer to overheat and damage its hardware.
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Can a virus break your motherboard?

Yes, theoretically it can. A virus could cause the computer to use all its resources, running the CPU, RAM and GPU at full capacity for a long period. This could definitely lead to the mobo and/or the PSU to eventually fry.
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Can viruses damage BIOS?

Yes, malware can hide in BIOS by infecting the bootloader. The bootloader is a small program that loads the operating system into memory. If the bootloader is infected with malware, it can infect the rest of your system, including the BIOS.
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Can a virus reach BIOS?

Some viruses reside in the master boot sector of your hard drive, and load simultaneously with the operating system. Among the hardest viruses to remove are BIOS viruses, which reside in the firmware that drives your motherboard.
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Can a Program BRICK Your PC?

How to know if PC has virus?

10 signs your computer is infected
  1. Unexpected pop-up windows. ...
  2. Random sounds. ...
  3. Unexplained file or folder changes. ...
  4. Slow operation. ...
  5. Random connections to unknown websites. ...
  6. Unexpected images. ...
  7. Inability to download antivirus programs or updates. ...
  8. Spam sent from your email address or social media.
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What kills a computer virus?

The easiest way to remove viruses is by using an antivirus program designed to clean your system safely. If a virus is already on your computer, however, you may need to run this program under very specific conditions.
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What virus kills hardware?

Since many files are executed during computer use, the virus is able to spread quickly and infect those files. The Chernobyl virus is most notably recognized as the first virus known to have the power to damage computer hardware.
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What was the worst PC virus?

1. Mydoom. Considered by many to be the most dangerous computer virus in history, the Mydoom virus cost around $38 billion worth of damage in 2004. If you think in terms of today's economy, given inflation, that would amount to about $52 billion.
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What is the deadliest software virus?

Mydoom is arguably the worst malware in history, causing more than $38 billion worth of damages in 2004. Like Sobig, it was another type of mass mailing computer worm that stole email addresses from infected computers and sent itself to those addresses.
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Can a Trojan virus destroy a hard drive?

Virus infection can never destroy your disk physically.
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How do I clean my PC from virus?

If your PC has a virus, following these ten simple steps will help you to get rid of it:
  1. Step 1: Download and install a virus scanner. ...
  2. Step 2: Disconnect from internet. ...
  3. Step 3: Reboot your computer into safe mode. ...
  4. Step 4: Delete any temporary files. ...
  5. Step 5: Run a virus scan. ...
  6. Step 6: Delete or quarantine the virus.
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Can a PC virus be undetected?

Malware can take many forms, including viruses, worms, trojan horses, ransomware, and spyware. Can malware be undetected? Yes, malware can hide itself and antivirus and other protection programs may not catch it.
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How do I scan my PC for viruses?

Run a quick scan in Windows Security
  1. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security and then Virus & threat protection. Open Windows Security settings.
  2. Under Current threats, select Quick scan (or in early versions of Windows 10, under Threat history, select Scan now).
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Can Windows Defender remove Trojan?

Windows Defender cannot remove all Trojans from your device. There may be additional steps you have to take to remove them. Make sure Windows Defender performs a virus scan. Type “Windows Security” in your search box and choose the “Virus & Threat Protection” option.
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How common are viruses on PC?

More than 15 percent among those aged 16-85 years, or 1.3 million persons, have been infected by a computer virus, for example a worm or trojan, during the last twelve months. A slightly higher percentage of men, 21 percent, than women, 12 percent, have been affected.
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Where do computer viruses usually hide?

Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Computer viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in pirated software or in other files or programs that you might download.
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Can your PC get a virus without downloading anything?

Yes, you can get a virus just from visiting a website. These days, it's very easy to be overconfident in our abilities to avoid computer viruses. After all, many of us were told that we simply had to avoid files and programs we didn't recognize.
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Does wiping PC remove all viruses?

In most cases, a factory reset will remove viruses. But how exactly do some manage to survive it? Wherever your backup data is stored, make sure you scan it for malware before moving any of it back to your device. The recovery partition is part of the hard drive where your device's factory settings are stored.
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Does factory reset remove virus?

If you get malware on your iPhone or Android phone, does a factory reset remove it? The short answer is that it can and will in most cases, but there are some things to consider first. Once you do a factory reset, it's an irreversible act. You cannot stop the process if you suddenly change your mind.
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What is the most common symptom of computer viruses?

The most common symptoms of a computer virus infection are…

Your computer slows down without any reason. Your computer system has less available memory than it should. Unknown programs or files are being created. Programs or files become missing.
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What is worse a Trojan or a virus?

Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. Trojans also open a backdoor entry to your computer, giving command to malicious actor or allowing malicious users/programs access to your system. This leads to confidential and personal information being stolen.
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Can a virus permanently damage your hard drive?

Some particularly bad viruses, including boot-sector viruses, can be so difficult to remove for a nonexpert that he may feel like the hard drive is a lost cause. But the fact is that while viruses can destroy the data stored on a hard drive, they cannot destroy the device itself.
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How serious is a Trojan virus?

Trojan viruses can not only steal your most personal information, they also put you at risk for identity theft and other serious cybercrimes.
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What is the number 1 virus in computer?

Considered to be the most destructive virus in history, the Mydoom virus was the only one to spread even faster than ILOVEYOU. Its record still stands - at its peak, one in four emails sent globally was sent by Mydoom.
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