Has My PC Got a Virus ?

What is a virus? The term broadly describes any program that tries to hide a malicious function or spread copies of itself on to as many computers as possible.

Believe it or not most viruses are benign, displaying a message or picture at a specific time. There are some malignant viruses that can cause damage to your files and programs. Most viruses in circulation fall into six key classifications:

1. Worm - a self contained program that can spread functional copies of itself to other computer systems.

2. File Infector - attaches itself to ordinary program files, it usually ends in exe or com.

3. Trojan Horse - Noramlly a non-replicating program, designed to perform malicious damage, such as destroying all word processing documents.

4. Boot Sector Infectors - These attach themselves to the boot sector of a disk, either on your hard drive or on any floppy disk that you insert into your floppy drive.

5. Master Boot Record Infectors - Infect the master boot program preventing it from starting in the usual way, for example constantly restarting.

6. Multi-partite viruses - this can infect both the master boot records, or files and disk boot sectors.

How does your PC pick up a virus? They don't just occur, they are introduced to your PC by an outside party and can be avoided if you take appropriate precautions.

Downloading files from the internet or receiving e-mail can put you at risk of virus infection. Contrary to popular opinion it's not generally possible to contract a virus by simply reading an e-mail message. The damage is done by executing files that are attached to your message without first checking for viruses. This could also occur by importing information from floppy disk files that were created on an infected PC.

How do I know if I have a virus? Generally, some of the symptoms might be a discrepancy in the amount of memory you have, running out of hard drive space unexpectedly, programs running or loading slowly, unidentified files appearing, and unexpected crashes or failure to load. These symptoms could also be due to a number of common technical problems, don't automatically assume that you have a virus the moment anything looks out of the ordinary or slows down.

The best way to ensure protection from viruses is to install a specialised piece of software often referred to as anti-virus software or a virus checker. This continually scans for possible problems and alerts you before they can inflict any damage.

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Best Anti Spyware Support Software Selection

Spyware are a whole lot different from viruses and they cannot be clubbed together in the same category since they are completely apart from each other. These are software which leak into a computer system without the user's knowledge and then it starts taking total control of the PC. It can hack into a computer and steal all the personal information of a user including login username, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account numbers etc..

In order to get rid of all these anomalies and complications, a user can always get a software. Almost all computers are infected with some spyware or the other. A lot of anti spyware downloads have been developed by companies and they are available to users everywhere. But the task here now is to select the best anti spyware software. There are a lot of anti spyware support available online especially if one Googles it online. A user can choose the best option available for their PC to by keeping in mind a few relevant things.

One of the most important things to consider while getting an anti spyware software is to choose one with an easy to use interface. If a product, no matter how efficient it is, is difficult to run and install then there is no point in getting one.

One should go for which gives real time protection. Some software removes spyware only after a manual scan without proactive protection. A good spyware should not only remove but also block malicious elements trying to get into the computer system.

A user should also go for a support software which gives them the option to update database definitions regularly. Since fresh spyware are coded regularly, anti spyware companies should regularly update these definitions. Without the updates, the spyware software is obsolete and not usable.

The user should also look for a comprehensive signature database in order to fend off and confront spyware attacks while choosing a software. It should have a strong database.

It should have the versatility of scheduling the scans regularly as well. The customizable scan feature will by itself scan your PC for spyware and adware infections.

System performance backed by good customer support should also be considered while going for a good anti spyware support software. One should also look out for something which gives a good money back guarantee. It should enable a risk free guarantee and should give the user at least to a 30 day trial with a cent per cent monet back guarantee policy.

All these points are most relevant in order to enable a user to choose the best anti spyware software available at hand.

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The Best Ways to Protect Your Computer Against Viruses

Computer viruses are deceptively small, and though they seem benign, they can cause immense damage. Viruses can have an effect that ranges everywhere from deleting your hard drive, hijacking your web browser and stealing your personal information. A large percentage of computer viruses travel as email attachments. They are often disguised as a funny picture or some other seemingly safe type of file. However, once the attached file is opened the virus can infect your system.

The other most common way for viruses to spread are in simple executable files (.exe for pc's and.app or.dmg for macs), often disguised as part of other programs and that get installed when you run them. These types of viruses, often known as trojans for the stealthy way they get on your computer are harder to diagnose and solve. It is imperative that you never click on, open or run a file or program unless you are sure the author can be trusted.

There are several things you can do to help protect your computer from viruses and malware. The first step is to understand whether or not your computer is already infected. There are a number of symptoms which are emblematic of virus infection.

* Slow Speed - if your computer is 'taking a long time to think about things' such as loading programs or saving data, then your computer may be infected.
* Lost Drives - If you are unable to access certain drives, like disk drives or partitions, you need to run some malware removal.
* No Response - This can be the result of a virus, although that is not always the case as software incompatibilities or hardware configurations can have the same effect.
* Crashes/Reboots - it stands to reason that if your computer starts shutting down and starting itself back up you have a serious virus on your hands.

You can do a number of things to help protect your computer from virus attacks. Many of these are simple or easy, but they should not be ignored just the same. Always remember to:

* Shut Your Computer Down - If you are sure your computer is off then you never have to worry about what it is doing when you aren't using it.
* Disconnect from the internet - Now that no one uses dialup anymore, connecting to the internet hardly takes any time. Best to leave your computer disconnected whenever you can.
* Untrustworthy Programs/Files - If you didn't download it, ask for it or anticipate opening it, then don't open it. If you aren't sure who sent you a file or why you are being asked to download something delete or abort it.

If you do happen to contact a computer virus, which happens to most of us despite our efforts, you need to consult a malware removal specialist. This can come in the form of anti-virus programs and security suites, or tech support specialists highly trained in virus removal. Anti-virus programs can detect and delete many types of malware that could harm your computer, whereas a removal specialist can help you troubleshoot the viruses that can hide from security software. Don't forget to always keep your firewall up and your anti-virus software constantly updated, especially if you spend a lot of time on the internet.

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Is Antivirus Software an Absolute Must For You ?

If you have recently purchased a PC or planning to buy the same, one of the most important considerations should be quality Antivirus software. Many hardware vendors will bundle an anti software package along with a brand new PC as part of the deal. However, if it is not the case, it is an absolute must that you have a quality antivirus software package installed onto your laptop or desktop.

What is antivirus software? Antivirus helps you to protect your PC from the computer viruses floating around through the net as well as hidden in the email attachments and documents. Computer viruses come in the form of Trojans, Key loggers, malicious code, and Worms. Good antivirus software can understand and identify the virus patterns and can eliminate them.

Typically the antivirus software comes with a Scanning Engine and the information about various viruses and its remedies in the form of a database. The scanner utilize the information containing in its database to pin point the computer virus which is hiding in your system by comparing the obvious virus patterns. Antivirus software should be updated on a regular basis to make sure that it is equipped with the latest virus definition files. There is no point in having an out dated antivirus program in your pc as it will be useless in destroying the latest viruses.

Almost all of the antivirus programs offer regular updates to their virus definition files and most of them offer automatic updates. In the case of Automatic update antivirus programs you need not worry as it will get updated as soon as you connected to the Internet. But some programs offer manual updates only which requires user intervention. So if you are planning to buy an antivirus package, make sure to have the one which offers an Automatic update option.

Some of the reputed antivirus software manufacturers are Symantec Corporation, McAfee and Trend Micro. All these software vendors have an exhaustive knowledge base articles and a dedicated research team working to identify the new threats which comes to the Net on a daily basis. Also, all of them have a dedicated team of Technical Support folks ready to answer your queries related to the product.

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