What exactly is a Virus ?
A Virus is a Computer Program, that makes your Computer do something, that you don’t want it to do. It can be fairly safe like just displaying a Picture on your Screen, but it can also be much more worrying by deleting Files for example.
How do we get Viruses ?
- By Downloading Software that contains a Virus.
- If you have Spyware on your Computer this can lead to more Viruses.
- Through E-mail.
- Searching on the Internet.
So how do we get rid of Viruses, well we Scan for them. You should Scan your Computer for Viruses on a regular basis. Scanning simply means that the Program searches on your Hard Drive, to identify any Programs that could potentially be Viruses.
The Internet has made Viruses much more of an issue, previously before the Internet, the spread of Viruses was very slow and limited.
Viruses could only spread if you swapped Media with other people, or if it already came on the Hardware that you installed.
Viruses could only spread within the Network, but now almost every Computer is connected in one huge Network, which is known as the Internet. The Internet makes it extremely easy for Viruses to be transmitted. One Virus can spread to affect thousands of Computers in a relatively short time.
So now Virus Scanning is more important than ever, before only Businesses were really interested in it.
Every Computer nowadays should have some form of Virus Scanner installed, especially if it is connected to the Internet. You don’t have to spend any money to get your hands on a Virus Scanner, there are Freeware alternatives available. You don’t even have to Download Software, you can just Scan for Viruses Online.
If you do not have a Virus Scanner then you should seriously consider Downloading one. The Virus Scanners that you pay for are often updated on a more regular basis, and so can detect more Viruses. Make sure you update your Virus Scanner on a regular basis.
Many people put off Scanning their Computer, because it’s very time consuming, you can’t really do anything else on your Computer while a Scan is running, because it uses so much of the CPU Power.
You can actually schedule your Virus Scanner to run a Scan at midnight, or any time you want. If your Computer supports it, you can set a time for it to turn itself on, and you can even get your Virus Scanner to switch your Computer off for you, when it’s finished.
To Scan your Computer for Viruses make sure you follow our simple Guide:
- Download a Virus Scanner.
- Update the Virus Definitions File.
- Run a full System Scan, and try to refrain from using your Computer while this is running.
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Your Computer was quite a large investment, and we are sure you rely on it everyday. So why let your investment be at more Risk than it has to be, install a Virus Scanner and start Scanning your Computer for Viruses today.
Also take a look on our Software Reviews, about some of the Best Computer Protection Software on the market -
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