"Virus" covers a lot of ground: constant pop-ups, a browser homepage that's changed itself and won't change back, a machine that's suddenly crawling for no reason, or the aftermath of a phone scam where someone talked their way into remote access. Each needs a slightly different approach, but all of them get properly cleaned, not just patched over.
The common signs
Pop-ups appearing outside your browser, a new toolbar or search engine you never installed, a warning that your computer is "infected" and needs you to call a number, or a laptop that's become sluggish right around when the strange behaviour started. If any of that sounds familiar, don't wait on it, some malware is built to spread to anything else on the same network.
How we actually clean a machine
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Isolate it
Off the network first, so nothing spreads further while we work.
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Full scan and removal
Not just the obvious pop-up generator, but anything else it brought with it.
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Check what let it in
A browser extension, a fake update, a scam call. Worth knowing so it doesn't happen again.
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Update and lock it down
Patch what was out of date, and leave the machine in better shape than before.
What it costs
$150 per hour. Most cleanups are one to two billable hours, more if the infection has spread deeply or a full reinstall turns out to be the safer option.
Common questions
Do I need to reinstall Windows completely?
Not usually. Most infections can be removed without wiping the machine. A full reinstall is reserved for cases where malware has embedded itself so deeply that removing it properly isn't realistic.
Will my files survive?
In the large majority of cases, yes. Malware removal targets the infection, not your documents and photos.
My files are all locked with a ransom note. Can you fix that?
Ransomware is the one type of infection we can't always undo. If you have a backup from before the infection, that's the most reliable way back. We'll always look at what's possible, but we won't promise a decryption we can't guarantee.
How do I stop it happening again?
Most infections come in through a scam link, a fake update, or a phone scam rather than bad luck. Part of the cleanup includes talking through what let it in, so it doesn't happen the same way twice.
“Robert dropped everything and immediately commenced the virus removal by a remote connection from his base in Queensland to my location in Adelaide. He discovered the likely connections used by the hackers and removed them from my laptop and also completed a full scan on the day.”
“We were scammed and Robert cleaned up our PC, laptop and phone of malware, also sent through a full report on our devices. He explained every step of the process in a way I could understand, and it made sense to me.”