Hardwired IT removes viruses and malware on-site across Ottawa, sending a certified technician to your home to clear pop-ups, browser redirects, ransomware, and spyware, then secure the system so it doesn't happen again. The technician diagnoses the infection at your location and gives you an exact quote before any work begins, usually the same day.
A customer in Nepean called because her HP laptop was throwing full-screen "Microsoft security alert" pop-ups with a phone number to call, and the browser kept redirecting her away from her bank. She was afraid her accounts were already drained. The diagnosis showed it wasn't a true virus but an aggressive adware bundle and a hijacked browser profile, picked up from a fake Flash-update prompt - disruptive, but no banking trojan present. We booted into a clean environment, ran offline scans, removed the adware and reset the browser profile, then secured her settings; the whole visit took about 90 minutes.
On arrival, we boot into a clean environment and run offline scans before touching the live Windows session. This matters - running antivirus from inside an active infection gives malware the chance to hide or fight back. The offline approach catches things the standard Windows Defender scan misses.
In roughly 80% of cases, files are fully intact after removal. In cases where the infection is too deep and a clean reinstall is the right call, we always recover files and data first, then reinstall with the customer's data already backed up to an external drive they keep. We don't leave until we've verified the machine is clean, the browser is secured, and basic protective habits are in place.
A certified Ottawa technician is ready. Book now - takes 60 seconds.
Call (613) 416-9482, email info@hardwiredit.ca, or use the form for a free quote.
Turn the computer off. Hold the power button or unplug it. Don't interact with the ransom message. Every minute it runs, more files get locked. Power down immediately - you haven't lost anything yet by turning it off.
While the computer is off, avoid these common mistakes:
There are legitimate, free resources - the No More Ransom project (a law-enforcement and security-industry initiative) catalogues free decryptors for many known strains. Identifying your variant correctly is the first step, and it's exactly what a technician does before attempting recovery.
“My computer was infected with malware and nothing was working properly. I called Stephane and he responded right away and showed up within the hour. He managed to identify several additional issues and resolved all of them, very quickly.”
“Was very satisfied with Stephane and the results of all the work done. Did malware remediation, account security audit upgraded laptop with SSD and new battery, fix plug in port.”
“Stefan is an extremely bright and knowledgeable tech expert who is current and very helpful. He fixed my screen, as my system was severely hacked and made several improvements to my settings, including my printer. I would highly recommend him for any and all technical issues, a very nice way about him.”
“I was not receiving any incoming emails after my system had been compromised. Stephane helped to restore my account, which allowed me to receive emails from my loved ones.”
Common signs include sudden slowdowns, pop-ups, a browser homepage you didn't set, programs you didn't install, and overheating. We run a full diagnostic on-site to confirm what's really going on.
Yes - Hardwired IT is a mobile service. A certified technician comes to your home or office anywhere in Ottawa or Gatineau, usually the same day, and cleans the system on the spot.
You get a free, upfront flat-rate quote before any work begins, and our no-fix-no-fee guarantee means you only pay if we resolve it. Every repair is backed by a 90-day warranty.
Most virus and malware removal jobs take 1.5–3 hours on-site. Severe infections or ransomware recovery may take longer. We stay until the job is done.
In the vast majority of cases, no. We target only malicious software and leave your files, photos, and documents intact. In rare cases where the infection is too deep, we recover your data first before a clean reinstall.
Yes - malware removal is one of our most common same-day calls. We serve all of Ottawa and Gatineau, 8am–10pm every day.
We'll install a reputable antivirus, review your browser settings, and walk you through safe computing habits before we leave - it's part of the service.