How To Deal With PC With Virus

Whether you suspect that a virus is causing your PC to behave oddly or your antivirus software finds a bug lurking on your computer, it’s hard to think about anything else until you’ve removed the virus. Because your computer isn’t healthy, your valuable documents, music and video files, and email are at risk.

In theory, removing a virus should be easy: Run your antivirus software’s virus scanner until it locates the bug and then zap it. Although antivirus programs can indeed catch and kill many of the viruses that find their way to your PC from the Web, there are plenty of elusive bugs that can evade your antivirus software for one reason or another. We’ll show you how to use two popular antivirus applications to catch and kill viruses, and we’ll also provide tips for removing the bugs that refuse to budge.

Step 1Back Up,

Back Up, Back Up

If your PC has any files you don’t want to lose, resist the temptation to hunt for that virus right away. Although your antivirus software may be able to remove the problem without disturbing your OS (operating system), you can’t predict the sorts of trouble you may run into. This is an especially important step if you haven’t yet installed antivirus software. Although most program installations go smoothly, we’ve experienced more than our fair share of software and hardware installations that crippled our test PCs’ operating systems. Back up your files to a CD, DVD, or other removable media—not to another PC. Some viruses infect documents and other popular file types, which means that your own files may carry the virus to the removable media. You’ll need to scan your backup media with an antivirus program before you return the files to your computer or move them to another PC.

Step 2Update Your Virus

Definitions

Antivirus software publishers create massive databases of virus definitions that help your software identify the bugs. Because malicious users regularly create new viruses (and publishers regularly create new virus definitions to catch them), your antivirus software is out of date as soon as you install it. You’ll need to download the latest definitions from the software publisher before you run your antivirus scan—otherwise, the program may miss a new virus. Many antivirus applications include a 12-month subscription to the publisher’s antivirus definitions; if your subscription has expired, the software may instruct you to pay for a new subscription.

Step 3Scan Your Computer

When you run a virus scan, your antivirus software scours your computer in search of files that match its virus definitions. You don’t need to sit by your computer as it scans: It will identify viruses and display a report once it completes the scan.

Step 4Remove The Virus

Today’s software makes removing most threats a breeze. Many applications can automatically remove minor threats or suggest removal actions.

Online Resources

Don’t panic if you think you have a virus but don’t already have antivirus software. Some antivirus software publishers offer free online scanning tools that can search your computer in minutes. McAfee, for example, offers McAfee FreeScan (us.mcafee.com

/root/mfs/default.asp) and Symantec also has a Spyware & Viruses scan (www.symantec.com/home_home office/support/index_virus.jsp). You can also use these tools if you think your existing antivirus software hasn’t caught a virus on your PC.

Some lesser-known publishers also offer online scanners. If you choose to use a scanner you don’t recognize, search the Web for other users’ opinions.

Malicious users can create legitimate- looking security programs that “find” phantom viruses and ask you to pay for the software to remove it.

Once you know the name of your PC’s virus, you can search for information about removing it. Some software publishers offer special, downloadable tools for nasty viruses. In some cases, you’ll need to install a full antivirus program to destroy the virus.

Viruses vs. Adware & Spyware

Many antivirus applications don’t search for adware and spyware. If you’ve run antivirus scanners without any luck, the program that’s causing your computer to behave oddly may fall into the adware or spyware category. Several security publishers offer free antispyware/ adware programs such as Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware SE Personal (www.lavasoft

usa.com) and Grisoft’s AVG Anti-Virus Free (free.grisoft.com).If your antivirus and other apps fail to remove your PC of its malady, it may be time to wipe the system clean and reinstall your OS. Be sure that once your fresh OS is installed, you update

Windows completely and install your antivirus software before you reintroduce your backed up files to your PC. After all, they may still carry viruses.