Virus, malware, and Windows 8

[zipplewrath]

Just did a security scan on the hard drive. It only took 29 hours since apparently there are over 1.2 million files on the drive. Is there a "classic" folder where virus and malware tend to hide themselves so I don't always have to scan the entire drive? Oh, and in the pre-Windows days there used to be software that would clean ones drives of obsolete and redundant files. Do they still exist?

[cayugafalls]

1. What software do you use for scanning?

Most of them will do realtime scanning which can cut down on the time needed to do scans, and the better ones will do background scans that do not interfere with your activities.

I use MalwareBytes Realtime protection and it seems to work just fine on my older windows 7 pc.

[zipplewrath]

3. I have a service

I just don't assume they are perfect. Also, I have to reboot every other day or it slows way down. I just like to make sure.

[cayugafalls]

5. So you use one of the cloud services? Like Comodo or Panda.

They are not the best for scanning local PC's and can be a drag on resources as you have found.

Having to reboot every other day is an indicator to me that their cloud solution may not be optimized for your OS or situation.

[zipplewrath]

7. A couple

I have non-Microsoft based anti-viral subscription. I also used a Microsoft based scanner over the internet to make sure it was run off my computer. Absolutely nothing was found after all these years. It kinda surprised me that not even suspect software was found. But it also surprised me that there were that many files found for a PC that is used mostly for surfing and email.

[5X]

2. first off, why in the world would you still be on windows 8?

Windows 10 has been a free upgrade forever and much more secure.

If a scan took that long, I'll guess you have a bad hard drive.
I did this for a living for 20 years.

[zipplewrath]

4. Cheap

I've had it so long that I'm sure there will be issues with upgrading and maintaining my existing software. It's also a strange form of virus protection since fewer people develop compatible viruses.

So, do you have an answer to my question?

[cayugafalls]

6. Some things you can do to help your OS work better.

Download CCleaner and run it. If you need help with what it asks you message me and I will be happy to help. The current version works with Windows 8 so you are good to download. https://www.ccleaner.com/

It will look at your PC and recommend files and other things that need to be cleaned up to run faster. The free version will not harm your computer, it has a long history of being a safe tool for home users.

Uninstall and software you no longer use. You would be surprised how many programs you might have that you really do not need. After uninstalling software, run CCleaner again.

I've spent 30 years in IT so message me anytime.