Software
Electronics
Mobile
Web Services
Appliances
Entertainment
Small Business
Auto Tech
More »
Science Tech
Careers
Video
Software
»
Security & Privacy
»
Best AntiVirus Software Review
» Learning Center
Share this
[X]
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! My Web
Facebook
Google Bookmarks
ma.gnolia
Newsvine
reddit
Windows Live
Best AntiVirus Software Review Learning Center
How to Remove/Prevent Viruses
Virus Protection can sometimes be more than just installing a program. We cover some basics on what to do if you obtain a virus.
If you think your computer has a virus there are a few steps to follow. First of all don't panic, people get computer viruses every day. Many people over react and simply reformat their entire hard drive. This results in the loss of irreplaceable data like pictures, documents and program settings on their computer that they may not be able to recover. Reformatting your hard drive is an extreme step and only should be taken when all other options have failed. Second, disconnect yourself from the internet and from any local area network you may be connected to. This will prevent the virus from spreading to other computers you are connected to. It will also prevent the virus from communicating with its creator and help your computer from being infected further. Third reboot your computer in safe mode. Operating in this mode allows you navigate your computer without being hindered by any extraneous programs or processes. If you cannot boot up your computer from its own hard drive, you may need to use the windows rescue disk that came with your computer. Fourth, once you are operating in safe mode, back up all your critical data to an external drive. Like a flash drive, CD or external drive. You will need to make sure that these files are not infected with the virus before you restore them. Fifth, Install antivirus software if you don't already have it on your computer. If you don't have any antivirus software you can buy a package from almost any retail store that sells computer components. You can download antivirus directly from the internet, however, if you are already infected reconnecting to the internet could be dangerous. But if you have no other options to get antivirus software, reconnect to the internet, download the software and disconnect from the internet as quickly as possible. Sixth, one you have antivirus software on your computer run a full system scan. Some programs call this a 'deep system scan' or a 'through scan'. This will check every file on your computer and identify the virus on your computer and most other spyware and malware. When the scans are done quarantine or clean all the infected files off your computer. Then reboot your system, and then use the antivirus program to scan the files you backed up in step four. And lastly, run routine virus scans on your system. This will help prevent any further infection of your computer. I would recommend running a virus scan every day as a cautionary measure. This may seem like a chore, but you can schedule an automatic scan to happen when your computer is not in use. Now you have a clean and sanitized system.
TopTen Product List
1
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
2
Kaspersky Anti-Virus
3
Panda Antivirus Pro
4
F-Secure Anti-Virus
5
AVG Anti-Virus
6
Avast! Pro Antivirus
7
G Data AntiVirus
8
BullGuard Antivirus
9
Avira AntiVir Premium
10
ESET NOD32 Antivirus
See All AntiVirus Software (25) »