Chromebooks have become one of the most popular computing devices, deployed by millions due to their reliability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. Still, just like any computing device, Chromebooks can be exposed to viruses and malware, which might require cleaning. To clean your Chromebook from viruses without exposing it to future threats, uninstall suspicious apps or extensions, update the OS of the device, scan for malware, restore the browser settings, use safe browsing, do Powerwash, which is a device reset, and restart the Chromebook.
Methods To Clean Your Chromebook from Viruses
Chromebooks can easily become infected with viruses and malware, which can threaten your private information and safety on the Internet. Understanding how to clean Chromebooks from viruses and malware is important to keeping you and your device safe while browsing.
Remove Suspicious Apps or Extensions
Malware typically presents itself as malicious extensions or apps. Clean up your Chromebook by checking and removing any unfamiliar or suspicious extensions and apps.
Check Installed Extensions:
- Open Chrome and click on the three-dot menu located at the top right.
- Go to More Tools > Extensions.
- Look through the list of installed extensions. If you see an unknown or unwanted extension, you will see a Remove button to its left. Click on it.
Review Installed Apps to Prevent Viruses from Attacking Chromebooks:
- Press the Search key on your keyboard or click the circle in the bottom-left corner.
- Tap the Up Arrow to see all installed apps.
- If you encounter any unfamiliar or suspicious apps, right-click them and select Uninstall or Remove from Chrome.
Update Your Chromebook
Staying your Chromebook up to date is vital for keeping you secure and maintaining performance. Google regularly releases updates that patch security vulnerabilities.
Update Chrome OS:
- Click the time in the bottom-right corner and click on the gear icon in Settings.
- Scroll down to the About Chrome OS section.
- Click on Check for Updates.
- Your device will automatically download an update to remove viruses from attacking Chromebooks if an update is available.
- After the update, the device should restart to register all your changes.
Scan for Malware
While a Chromebook does not have a portable antivirus application like a Windows-based PC, tools and extensions are available in the browser.
Use Chrome Cleanup Tool:
- Although this is just for Chrome, it can find all that nasty software.
- Open the Settings on your Chrome, then go to reset and clean up > clean up the computer.
- Click Find to start scanning your computer for malicious software.
Third-Party Antivirus Extensions:
- You can get antivirus extensions from the Chrome Web Store, install them on your Chromebook, and enable them to clean viruses from attacking Chromebooks.
- Install the extension and, based on the software’s instructions, continue to scan your Chromebook for malware threats.
Reset Browser Settings
Resetting your Chrome browser settings to their default values may help delete malicious changes due to malware or adware.
Reset Chrome Settings:
- Open Chrome and click on the three-dot menu, then > Settings.
- Scroll down and click Advanced.
- Under the Reset and Clean Up section, click Restore Settings to Their Original Defaults.
- Confirm the action by clicking Reset Settings.
Use Safe Browsing
Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature helps you protect yourself from malware. It alerts you to risky sites and downloads to prevent viruses from attacking Chromebooks.
Enable Safe Browsing:
- Go to Chrome’s Settings > Privacy and Security.
- Click on Security and ensure that Safe Browsing is on.
- There are several security levels (Standard or Enhanced). Choose what will work best for you.
Perform a Powerwash (Factory Reset)
If you want to remove persistent malware, completely power wash your Chromebook to erase all its apps, extensions, and data. This will reset your Chromebook to its factory settings and remove all malware.
Perform a Powerwash:
- Click the time on the bottom right of your laptop, then Settings cog.
- Scroll and click Advanced.
- Under Reset Settings, click Powerwash > Restart to clean your Chromebook from viruses.
- Continue with the following instructions that appear on the screen to confirm Powerwash.
Backup Your Data:
Take all files you wish to preserve to Google Drive or an external drive as a power wash, which will completely clear all local data.
Restart Your Chromebook in Safe Mode
To clean your Chromebook of viruses, restart it in safe mode. This will eliminate malware in the background, leaving you with a clean slate.
- Your Chrome book Power button
- Press your Chrome book’s Power button and turn it off.
- Press it again when you want to reboot it.
- During your Chrome book’s booting process, keep pressing esc until you get the recovery screen.
- Press the arrow key to select “Safe Mode,” then press Enter.
How Do You Clean Viruses from the Chromebook?
To clean your Chromebook from viruses, reboot in safe mode, run a virus scan with Chrome Cleanup, deactivate any suspicious extensions, clear the browser data, and restore the system, if necessary.
Is Your Chromebook Safe from Viruses?
A Chromebook is virus-free because of the built-in features of Verified Boot and because Chrome OS runs in a sandboxed environment. However, like all others, a Chromebook can suffer malware and phishing attacks if the user is not careful.
How Do You Check If Your Chromebook Has a Virus?
Check whether viruses have attacked your Chromebook since it can run slowly, crash more often, or provide random pop-ups. You can check on your device’s extensions and find malware warnings.
Conclusion
Cleaning viruses from your Chromebook requires technical knowledge and attention to detail. Chromebook users can remove suspicious apps or extensions, update the device, scan for malware, reset the browser settings, enable safe browsing, power wash the device (factory reset), and restart the Chromebook safely by cleaning it of viruses. You can contact professionals like Tech City to learn more about removing viruses.
