Can antivirus software slow down your internet connection ?

 

Even with antivirus software installed on our computer, there's always a small chance that, if we're not careful, we could still end up infected with a virus. And that's when the real headache begins. Modern viruses have self-replication mechanisms that allow them to reappear even after being deleted. So, how can we properly remove a virus from our computer?

The most straightforward solution is to format the device. Restoring a computer to factory settings essentially means wiping the hard drive completely—removing all partitions—and reinstalling the operating system from scratch, in this case, Windows. This ensures a clean installation, free of any lingering viruses. However, viruses can still hide on external drives or other hard disks, so caution is necessary.

That said, not everyone has the technical know-how to format their PC, reinstall Windows, and set everything up from scratch. To simplify this, Microsoft introduced the "Reset this PC" feature in Windows, allowing users to restore their computer to its factory state effortlessly. It even provides an option to keep personal files if there's no alternative storage available.

But does resetting a PC completely remove all viruses?

A system reset eliminates almost all viruses. By wiping out everything that doesn’t come pre-installed with Windows, most malware disappears—whether it's embedded as a DLL file, driver, application, background process, or service. Only highly advanced threats—which are rarely encountered—may survive.

One exception is Android malware, which can embed itself in the system partition with root permissions. However, on Windows, such deep infections are nearly impossible.

Why is my PC still infected even after formatting?

If a virus persists after a factory reset, it’s not because the reset failed—rather, something is reintroducing the malware into the system. Common reasons include:

• Reinstalling a malicious program unknowingly.
• Restoring an infected backup, bringing the virus back.
• Malware lurking in another partition, external hard drive, or USB stick that was reconnected to the system.
• A compromised device on the same network—if an infected PC is connected to your Wi-Fi, it could spread the virus to your computer via network-based malware.
• Firmware-level infections like BIOS/UEFI rootkits, which are more advanced and difficult to remove.

When you reset your PC, Windows removes all drivers, programs, services, and files before reinstalling the system. You can also choose to download a fresh Windows ISO from Microsoft’s servers for a cleaner installation.

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