Virus removal and a tune-up for slow, pop-up-filled computers.

Signs you need this repair

Sound familiar? The diagnosis is always free.

• Pop-ups and ads, even with the browser closed
• Browser homepage or search engine changed by itself
• Warnings telling you to call a support number
• Toolbars, extensions or programs you didn't install
• Slow startup, freezing, or the fan running hard at idle
• Antivirus turned off and won't turn back on
• Files renamed or locked with a ransom note

If you think you've been scammed

Many infections start with a pop-up that says your computer is infected and tells you to call a number. If you called, let someone connect to your computer, or paid them, do this now:

• Disconnect the computer from the internet: unplug the network cable or turn off Wi-Fi.
• From a different device, call your bank or card company if you paid anything or entered banking details.
• From a different device, change the passwords for your email, banking and anything you signed in to while they were connected. Turn on two-step sign-in where you can.
• Don't let them reconnect, even if they call back offering a refund. A refund call is a common second stage of the same scam.

Then bring or send the computer to us. Scammers often leave remote access software behind so they can come back, and we check for it and remove it.

What virus removal includes

Virus removal and tune-up starts from $79 and covers:

• Scans with more than one tool, including scans run outside Windows where possible, so malware can't hide from them.
• Removing adware, unwanted programs, malicious browser extensions and any remote access tools you didn't set up.
• Resetting browser homepages and search settings, and checking startup items and scheduled tasks for anything that reinstalls the infection.
• Getting Windows Security or your existing antivirus working again, and installing pending Windows updates.
• A tune-up: trimming startup programs, removing preinstalled software you don't use, and checking free space and drive health.

When it's done, we tell you what we found and anything you should do next, such as changing a password that may have been exposed.

Clean-up or a fresh install of Windows?

Most infections can be removed while keeping your programs and settings. Sometimes a clean reinstall is the more reliable fix: when the infection runs deep, when system files are damaged, or when years of clutter have built up and you want the computer fast again. We back up your files first, ask before reinstalling, then put your files back.

We reinstall using your existing Windows license where possible. Most computers that came with Windows 10 or 11 reactivate automatically after a reinstall on the same hardware. A license isn't included in the price, and if yours won't reactivate, we tell you before going further. You'll need to reinstall your own programs afterwards, so have the sign-ins for things like Microsoft 365 ready.

Ransomware: what can be done

If your files have strange new names and there's a note demanding payment, that's ransomware. Disconnect the computer from the internet and unplug any external drives. Don't connect your backup drive to it, or that can be encrypted too.

We can remove the ransomware and get the computer working again. Encrypted files can only come back from a backup, from version history in cloud storage like OneDrive or Google Drive, or with a free decryption tool when one exists for that strain. We check for all three. We can't promise to unlock encrypted files, and we don't recommend paying the ransom.

Slow computer, but no virus?

Plenty of slow computers aren't infected at all. During a tune-up we check for the usual causes and tell you which apply:

• An old spinning hard drive. An SSD upgrade makes the biggest difference on older PCs.
• Too little memory for how you use it, often with lots of browser tabs open.
• Dozens of programs that start with Windows.
• A drive that's almost full.
• Overheating, which makes the processor slow itself down. See overheating and fan repair.

Before you hand it over

• Write down the programs you rely on, so nothing you use gets removed as clutter.
• If your computer has a password, you can set up a temporary account for us instead of sharing yours. We never need passwords for your email, bank or other online accounts.
• Don't run more cleaner tools you found online. Many fake cleaners are malware themselves.
• Include the charger with a laptop.

Mail it in from anywhere in the US

No repair store near you? Book online and we'll email a free, prepaid, insured shipping label. We diagnose it within 24h of arrival, repair it once you approve the price, and ship it back insured. How mail-in works.

Questions

Written and checked by the repair team at Charlotte Tech Repair, repairing devices in Charlotte since 2013. Updated November 2026.