User Guide - Kaspersky Lab

18 Kaspersky Internet Security 7.0
There are also indirect indications that your computer is infected:
• Your computer freezes or crashes frequently;
• Your computer loads programs slowly;
• You cannot boot up the operating system;
• Files and folders disappear or their contents are distorted;
• The hard drive is frequently accessed (the light blinks);
• The web browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer) freezes or behaves
unexpectedly (for example, you cannot close the program window).
In 90% of cases, these indirect systems are caused by malfunctions in hardware
or software. Despite the low likelihood that these symptoms are indicative of
infection, a full scan of your computer is recommended (see 5.3 on pg. 56) if they
should manifest themselves.
1.5. What to do if you suspect
infection
If you notice that your computer is behaving suspiciously…
1. Don’t panic! This is the golden rule: it could save you from losing
important data.
2. Disconnect your computer from the Internet or local network, if it is on
one.
3. If the computer will not boot from the hard drive (the computer displays
an error message when you turn it on), try booting in safe mode or with
the emergency Microsoft Windows boot disk that you created when you
installed the operating system.
4. Before doing anything else, back up your work on removable storage
media (floppy, CD/DVD, flash drive, etc.).
5. Install Kaspersky Internet Security, if you have not done so already.
6. Update databases and application modules (see Section 5.7 at p. 76). If
possible, download the updates off the Internet from a different
uninfected computer, for instance at a friend’s, an Internet café, or work.
It is better to use a different computer since, when you connect an
infected computer to the Internet, there is a chance that the virus will
send important information to hackers or spread the virus to the
addresses in your address book. That is why if you suspect that your
computer has a virus, you should immediately disconnect from the