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ANTIVIRUS FAQ

> What is Virus?
> What is SPYWARE?
> What is Phishing?
> What is SPAM?
> What is a Firewall?
> How to Keep your pc virus free?
> What to do if ur PC has a virus?
> Simple Steps to protect ur PC
> 10 tips to keep your computer Virus free

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Protect your PC today..!

When you turn on your computer one fine day, and it is not running the way it used to. Perhaps you noticed a severe deterioration in performance from in past few days. There is a chance that your computer is infected with a virus. In this article, we will point out the typical signs of a virus-infected PC as well as go over the basic steps you can take to eradicate it and minimize damage.

It is important to take the time to determine whether your PC is indeed infected. And the sooner you check, the less damage the virus will inflict in the long run. Viruses can destroy your computer files, automatically forward themselves to every e-mail address in your system, and even render your PC totally useless. The consequences are not pretty.

No one is immune to Viruses

If you think your PC is immune, think again. If you surf the Internet, and send or receive any e-mail at all, the computer likely will take on some kind of computer virus. The only way to guarantee your PC will not acquire a virus is to never access the Internet, use e-mail or insert disks in your PC that have been used in others.

Even if you have an anti-virus program on your PC, you are still at risk. Anti-virus software is not full proof. Hackers create new viruses and other security threats faster than even the savviest computer users can track and neutralize. Large corporations have teams of information technology professionals charged with keeping PCs and networks secure and virus-free, and these folks still have difficulty keeping the computers clean.

Signs That a Virus has Infiltrated

In general, any strange behaviour by your PC or software applications should be a warning of potential virus infection. However, here are a few telltale symptoms that indicate a computer has become host to a bug:

•  Unknown programs automatically load upon booting up

•  Unfamiliar or unusual error messages

•  Sluggish performance

•  Frequent frozen screens

•  System does not boot completely

•  Lost files

•  Some programs will not launch

•  PC seems to persistently run low on memory or hard drive space

Step 1: Scan for Viruses

The first and best move to make is to scan your PC for viruses. Many companies develop and offer scanning software or services. We have listed some of the best Anti-virus Programs offering protection to your personal computers and priceless data. The program loads the latest anti-virus software to your PC and automatically keeps it updated to ward off the newest virus threats. To begin with, you may also use Internet based free scan offered by most of these companies.

Step 2: Delete Saved E-mails

If your system has been infected, scanned and cleaned of viruses, keep in mind that a few may still linger.

Virus scanning software does not always scan all the e-mail messages stored on a PC. There is a chance that infected files may remain in some e-mail folders. To be sure that you and the software do a complete job, delete all unnecessary e-mails on your system.

Re-install System and Other Software

Virus infections can leave Windows and other installed software damaged and unusable. In many cases, reinstalling the software will repair the application. But if the virus caused extensive damage, a fresh install of Windows and other software is best. This is the only way to ensure viruses are not ensconced in e-mail or other programs.

The drawback to a fresh install of Windows is that custom settings, or preferences, are lost. Before you begin re-installing software, make sure you have the software's original CD-ROMs with corresponding licenses and serial numbers.

You can re-install the operating system and other software without touching your data and files by performing a fresh install of Windows into a new folder. (Lots of free hard drive space is required for this.) Once Windows and other applications are reinstalled, your personal files will be right where you left them.

Add Virus to Database

If you think you have spotted a new virus, you can add it to Virus Database of the companies. This shall help them bring more effective protection against the Virus threat.

Hindsight

Simply loading anti-virus software and forgetting it will not protect against viruses. Although, Anti-virus applications typically alert users when software updates are available. However, if you do not regularly update your anti-virus software, your PC and data are susceptible.

If you do not have an anti-virus program and suspect a virus, you probably wish you did. Allowing a virus to run free on your PC can cost a lot more than a software application. Investing a little money in an anti-virus program can make the job of fighting off viruses much easier. The alternative can surely be very grim.