Which of the following is NOT a symptom that might indicate a malware infection?

• A. System's files are erased with no warning.
• B. Several system programs launch automatically at start-up.
• C. Excessive pop-up windows appear without cause.
• D. Unexplained changes to memory occur.

Answer: (B)

Signs of malware infection come from data loss, disruptive behavior, and unusual system activity. Having several programs launch automatically at startup can be normal, since the OS and many legitimate applications configure startup items to run on boot. That alone isn’t a definite indicator of infection. In contrast, erasing system files without warning shows data tampering, excessive pop-up windows point to adware or malware, and unexplained changes to memory suggest malicious processes affecting how the system uses memory. Because startup behavior can be legitimate, it isn’t by itself a clear malware symptom, making it the best choice for what is NOT a malware sign.