Non-resident virus
Updated: 04/26/2017 by Computer Hope
A non-resident virus is a computer virus that doesn't stay in memory or on a storage device. Instead, it infects files as they are opened or executed, and keeps itself from the computer's memory. Non-resident viruses usually have a smaller file size than resident viruses and more difficult to detect and remove with no traces in the computer's memory. An executable virus is an example of a non-resident virus.
Tip
As non-resident viruses are executable, unless they are set to run on startup, shutting down or restarting your computer stops them.