A user reports that their desktop is acting strangely: random pop-ups appear and applications open slowly. The help-desk technician suspects the system is infected with malware. According to CompTIA A+ malware-removal best-practice steps, which action should the technician take FIRST to prevent the threat from spreading to other computers on the network?
Boot the PC into Safe Mode and run a full antivirus scan
Disconnect the network cable or disable Wi-Fi to quarantine the PC
Use System Restore to roll the system back to an earlier date
Reinstall the operating system from known-good media
The first containment action in the CompTIA malware-removal sequence is to quarantine the infected system-usually by unplugging the network cable, disabling the Wi-Fi adapter, and isolating any removable media. This stops the malware from communicating with or copying itself to other devices. Booting into Safe Mode and scanning, reinstalling the OS, or using System Restore are remediation steps that occur later in the process.
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What is Safe Mode and how does it help with virus removal?
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Why is it not recommended to run a full antivirus scan in normal operational mode first?
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What are the risks associated with reinstalling the operating system as a virus removal method?