How can I turn on my laptop without accessing wifi (for fear of downloading malware)?

[mutterphore]

I recently had a horrendous 7 hours trying to get VirginMedia to reconnect me to email and then to broadband after they'd cut off my account due to malware. As I need internet and email 24/7 for work and family, I am desperate not to let this happen again.

I think it happened because my old laptop antiviral software was well out of date and must have downloaded a virus. I now daren't switch on my laptop at all for fear that it'll immediately trigger the same malware/ virus to the email programme as it automatically accesses the internet. There is no way I can risk losing email and broadband access again and I can rely on my up to date desktop in any case.

However, I want to access some documents that are only on my laptop. Is it possible to turn my laptop on without it connecting to the internet at all, even for a second?

I also can't turn on my laptop to upload a new antiviral software package as in the process of switching it on, it'll trigger another alert with Virgin.

VirginMedia have warned me that they automatically cut off accounts if a virus/malware is downloaded to email. For longer term, what's the best way to access the internet if your main IP cuts off your account?

It's a Catch-22 situation with VirginMedia, as there's no available telephone helpline for help with email accounts. The only way to get technical support is through LiveChat but you need internet access for that. Even if you get internet access, you then may need to wait for several hours to get a proper response to a query and go through the entire issue several times with several different people who promise help but don't deliver. A complete nightmare! I'd happily pay a premium to access instant and effective help but this doesn't seem to exist!

Any advice would be much appreciated.

However, I want to access some documents that are only on my laptop. Is it possible to turn my laptop on without it connecting to the internet at all, even for a second?

Turn off your wifi router before you boot the laptop and there will be no wifi to connect to.

I would take it to a computer repair shop and have them scan it for malware, clean it as needed and install new security software. I use Norton 360 and it's very good.

Yep, turn off your WiFi would be the easiest!

Turn of the router, or if other devices need to stay online, you could take the laptop to someone else's house, as long as you've never used their WiFi your laptop won't have the passwords saved. Alternatively you could change your WiFi password, but that might be faffy, as you will need to reconnect all your other devices.

Thanks very much for that good advice! Ordinarily, I'd happily switch off the router/wifi and expect it to reconnect again no problem when I switch it back on but the last time I did this, in the midst of this whole saga of trying to get back internet access, at first it didn't switch back on and then when it did, the email programme I use didn't work. It was all fine in the end but the stress involved was/is awful! I just daren't run the risk of losing internet access.

I may well try to get my laptop to a computer repair shop and see what they can do.

BTW, what's the easiest way of accessing internet on a desktop, in an emergency if your IP cuts you off? I've heard about using a mobile phone (mine's pay as you go) or something called a 'dongle' but how would you connect it to the desktop if using either and which, if either, would be best?

If you don’t want to turn your WiFi off could you take your laptop out - get in the car, drive far enough away from your house that it won’t connect, sort out your documents, turn it off and head home.
Then get wood with a different company - sounds like virgin are crap!

*get wood 😬 obviously meant WiFi 🤣

I have iPhone. I’ve used my iPhone mobile data to use wifi on my laptop.
On iPhone look for ‘settings-mobile data-hotspot and turn that on. It gives you a code which you can type in on your laptop for wifi. Mobile data so expensive.
I’ve also - many years ago - used dongle. Got it from my mobile provider. Usb which plugs into laptop and provides wifi. I used Payg which could be topped up when needed. There also a monthly rate option.

Then get wood with a different company