Secure your system from common risks.
Secure your system from common risks.
I’m not sure what to do next. I hope you can offer some advice. A bit of history about me — my grandma is quite tech-savvy compared to other seniors I know, but she keeps getting viruses. We’re about 1500 miles apart, and I usually manage her issues remotely. This time it’s been really tough. She often downloads “cutting” files for tools like Silhouette and Cricut. I think she might be clicking on the download button by accident and exposing her system to malware or ransomware. Her emails also have attachments that could be risky. Every six months I have to run a full scan with Kaspersky, SAS, and Malwarebytes, but this one was different. The computer freezes often when not in safe mode, and all my cleaning attempts didn’t work. I’m pretty sure it’s not hardware-related—it was built about 15 months ago. I’ve tried everything I can think of to clean her PC, but it still doesn’t seem to fix itself. Now she’s planning to send the computer to someone else because shipping it is cheaper than sending it to a repair shop.
Do you have any suggestions on how to protect her system without relying solely on those antivirus programs? I want to keep her safe while still letting her enjoy her creative projects. Thanks for your help!
It seems like you're sharing some advice and encouragement. The message conveys support for your upcoming challenges while wishing you success.
I face the same challenge with half my elderly relatives who use computers. When they mention having a virus or malware, I connect remotely, transfer my disinfection tools, clean their system, remove my software afterward, and close the remote session. If the cleanup takes time, I end the session while the work proceeds and ask them to wait until it's finished. Once done, I follow the usual steps. If their computer is severely damaged, I revert to traditional methods.
I’d set up a normal user account for her instead of giving her admin privileges. Create an admin account you can access, and let her reach out only when she wants to install something so you can check it. After everything’s installed, she shouldn’t require many additional apps.
I tried several tools—SAS, Malwarebytes, Adwcleaner, roguekiller, and MRT—but everything came back clean except for cookies.
I use two ad blockers for Chrome since no single one is flawless. They might offer strong defense if ads are actually being clicked. It’s similar to what Numlock21 mentioned—it could stem from hardware issues or software glitches.