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Home arrow What Computer Virus's are and How to Avoid Them
What Computer Virus's are and How to Avoid Them PDF Print E-mail
One of the most disconcerting things that can go wrong with using a computer is a virus.  From losing all the programs and files you have on your hard drive, to slowing down your computer, to making annoying graphics pop-up on your screen, a virus takes many forms.  A virus can also be confused with odd computer errors that really have nothing to do with having a virus, sometimes it's hard to tell what the problem really is.

A Computer Virus by definition of the webopedia(http://www.webopedia.com ) is:
 
"A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are man-made. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems."

Generally computer virus's attach themselves to files already on your computer and attempt to escape detection.  Another type of virus is called a "worm".  Worms do not attach themselves to files, but replicate themselves over networks(any computer attached to another) and usually have malicious actions like using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting down the computer.

Now that we're finished with that warm-up to viruses, let's see what the best method of avoiding viruses is.

First of all, you need a virus scanner.  With the advent of viruses, came anti-virus software.  During this time of technological enhancements, there have become several companies dedicated to the removal of viruses.  AVG Antivirus is one of the leaders in the field.  Find it at http://www.grisoft.com

Once you have your virus scanner, you need to make sure you set it up to scan your computer on a regular basis.  Most of the new software will install and then run itself in the background, scanning your computer periodically for infection.  As well your email can be scanned and any files that you download should be scanned before you open them.

Another thing to note is that anti-virus programs become outdated and must be updated regularly as well.  Most programs allow you to setup your scanner to check automaticly for updates whenever you connect to the internet.  This should be done to make sure any new threats are caught.

In closing, you should have a good idea on what a virus is now, and how you can make sure you don't get one.
 
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