Virus Prevention and Removal

Getting a computer virus is no fun and can not only make using your computer very difficult. It can also present a very large security risk, as not only can some computer viruses steal your personal information, they can also use your computer to submit spam or preform other malicious attacks.

Prevent computer viruses is essential not only to maintaining a healthy computer system, but also protecting your identity and personal information.

One of the most important steps in preventing malicious software from taking over your computer is to use an anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is designed to scan your computer, as well as new files and files that are in your computer's memory, for threats. When they are detected, the virus is removed from the system. Microsoft Security Essentials is one option and stacks up very well against other free anti-virus software.

While using an anti-virus software, like Microsoft Security Essentials, is important, it is only one part of the process. There are still threats that can bypass anti-virus software and no software is 100% effective at preventing computer viruses, nor is any software 100% effective at computer virus removal.

So, while it is very important to have anti-virus software installed and regularly scan your computer for threats, it is only one part of preventing viruses.

A big part of preventing viruses comes down to being smart about how you use your computer. For example, ensuring Windows Update is setup correctly is very important. This will make sure your operating system is patched to prevent security holes and exploits.

For a regular user, it is usually a good idea to make sure automatic updates is enabled, because many people forget or do not know to manually update their computer.

In Windows XP, you can check the Automatic Update Settings by right clicking on "My Computer" and selecting Properties. Then, goto the "Automatic Update" tab and select the desired settings.

In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can right click on Computer and select "Windows Updates" in the bottom left corner. Then manually select updates or click on "Change Settings" to setup automatic updates.

It is also important to update your individual programs, like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

Often when you catch a virus, you will notice right away a change. It is common for the viruses to disable portions of your desktop, as well as create popups that state your computer is infected and that you need to purchase the full software to remove it. Do not be fooled, this is actually a virus.

If you notice any sort of changes, immediately stop what you are doing and attempt to run a virus scan or use software like Malwarebytes or Spybot Search and Destroy to attempt to remove the virus. If you can not remove it your self, contact a local virus removal company, like Knightdale Computer Repair, which serves Knightdale North Carolina and the surrounding area.

It is also a good idea to change any passwords after an infection, because there is a risk that it has been compromised.

It is also very important to be careful opening email and visiting websites. Many viruses are installed by the user, because they open a file from an email or install software from a website they visit.

You should be very careful whenever you receive an email, especially if it includes a zip file or an exe file. Many will use scams, like saying it is from UPS and you have a package that could not be delivered.

It is possible to forge email addresses very easily, so do not rely on the email address to validate an email.

When browsing if you see a popup or image that says you have a virus or your computer is infected, it is likely that this is a scam. Be very wary of these sorts of warnings and when in doubt, close out of all windows without clicking on anything!