Virus, malware & pop-ups
Cleaned up, with your files intact
Pop-ups, browser hijacks, fake warnings and machines that have slowed to a crawl. Removed properly — and then hardened so it doesn't happen again.
There are two ways to deal with an infected computer. One is to wipe it and start over, which is fast for the technician and expensive for you in lost setup and lost files. The other is to actually remove what's there and verify it's gone.
I do the second one wherever it's possible, and I'm honest with you when it isn't. Some infections — particularly ransomware and deeply embedded rootkits — genuinely warrant a rebuild, and pretending otherwise would just cost you a second visit.
Symptoms
Signs something's wrong
Pop-ups that won't close
Especially a full-screen warning with a phone number. That number is the scam, not the fix.
The browser opens somewhere strange
Search engine changed, new toolbars, a homepage you didn't choose.
It's suddenly very slow
Fans running constantly, everything lagging — often something using your machine for its own purposes.
Security software is switched off
And won't turn back on. Malware disabling defenses is a common first move.
Contacts got email you didn't send
Usually an account compromise rather than the computer itself — different problem, different fix.
You let someone remote in
After a call or pop-up. This needs handling quickly and carefully.
- Protect the data first. Before touching anything, I make sure your files are safe — so a cleanup can't turn into a loss.
- Identify what's actually there. Adware, browser hijacker, remote access tool, spyware or genuine ransomware. These need different responses.
- Full removal. Including startup entries, scheduled tasks, browser extensions and remote access software — the parts that quietly bring it back.
- Browsers reset properly. Hijacked search, injected extensions and altered settings returned to normal, with your bookmarks and passwords preserved.
- Verify it's really gone. A second independent scan and a manual check, because one clean scan isn't proof.
- Harden against a repeat. Built-in protections configured, updates switched on, and the specific gap that let it in closed.
- Account check if needed. If credentials were exposed, we work out what to change and in what order.
What it costs
$100 an hour, flat
Billed for actual time on site. No diagnostic fee, no call-out charge, and quick questions are always free. If the problem comes back, so do I — at no cost.
- Same-day and next-day visits usually available
- No trip charge inside Passaic, Morris or Bergen county
- You get me on the phone, not a call centre
- Remote support by text, phone or video: $25 for up to 20 minutes
- Monthly and annual support memberships available
- Licensed New Jersey LLC, carrying liability insurance
Before you call
Questions about virus & malware cleanup
Will I lose my files?
I called the number on the pop-up. How bad is this?
Is it cheaper to just buy a new computer?
How do I stop this happening again?
Related
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Tell me what's not working.
Call and you'll get me, not a menu. Or send a note and I'll come back to you the same day — usually within a couple of hours.
Request a visit
The more you tell me, the better prepared I'll show up.