Suspicious files are potential threats to your computer’s security and they can even contain malware or harmful content. It is important to handle such infected files with caution and follow proper procedures to ensure the safety of your device.
What are Suspicious Files?
Suspicious files are files that raise concerns due to their unknown origin, unusual behavior, or association with potentially harmful activities. These files may be detected by antivirus software or identified manually based on their filenames, extensions, or locations.
How Do Suspicious Files End up on My Computer?
These files can find their way onto your computer through various means, including:
Downloads from Untrusted Sources: Downloading files from unverified websites or peer to peer networks can expose your system to potential threats.Email Attachments: Opening email attachments from unknown senders can lead to the infiltration of these infected files.Infected External Devices: Connecting infected USB drives or external storage devices can also cause this.
The Challenges of Deleting Suspicious Files
These types of files have different techniques that are implemented by the hacker, which causes challenges while deleting them. Some of these techniques are stated below:
File Locking: One common reason you might face difficulties deleting suspicious files is that they are in use or locked by a running process. Some malware or programs may keep a file locked to prevent their removal.Insufficient Permissions: If you keep encountering the “Access Denied” error while trying to delete these files, it is due to insufficient permissions. Certain infected files may require administrator privileges for deletion.Hidden and System Files: Suspicious files can be hidden or marked as system files, making them harder to locate and delete manually.Self Replicating Malware: In some cases, suspicious files might be part of self replicating malware, making it challenging to eliminate them entirely without proper removal tools.
How to Delete Suspicious Files?
Deleting these files can sometimes become a chore due to the techniques implemented by hackers. However, we have conceived the best solutions and tested them on malware with great success. Here are all the ways to eradicate these files in a matter of minutes:
1. Use an Antivirus Software
2. Boot into Safe Mode
Before proceeding, make sure to save any important work you have open and close all running applications. Booting into Safe Mode will temporarily stop all non essential processes. To access the Advanced Startup options and boot into safe mode, follow these steps: Note: Safe Mode is designed to be a diagnostic environment, so some features and drivers will not be available. Use Safe Mode only when necessary for troubleshooting purposes, and exercise caution while deleting files to avoid accidental deletion of important data.
3. Take Ownership of the File
4. Use Command Prompt
Note: Exercise caution and ensure that you are deleting the correct file to avoid unintended consequences. If you are uncertain about the file’s legitimacy, perform a thorough scan with an antivirus software before proceeding with the deletion.
5. Reinstall Windows
If nothing seems to be working for you, reinstalling Windows might be the only way to get rid of these Suspicious files. This approach will essentially wipe your system clean and reinstall the operating system, remove all files and programs, including the infected ones. But before proceeding with this fix, make sure to back up your important data, as reinstalling Windows will result in the loss of all data and installed applications. Luckily, we have a well detailed guide on How to Reinstall Windows on our website, so you can follow that along and do it.
Precautions you can take to Prevent Infection in the Future
Since these attacks have become common nowadays, you should be catious about them. These are the precautions you should take to prevent from further attacks in the future by these suspicious files:
