Virus Check: Is my PC Infected?Do a virus check. Do not guess, and don't be alarmed. If you suspect you have a virus (your PC, that is), get a good antivirus software such as Norton anti virus or the very cool Panda Antivirus software. Some people wait until they hear that a virus is circulating before they install an updated virus check program. Are You Protected?You should check before you see any signs of abnormal behavior with your machine or hear news about a new virus. Why? When your computer starts to respond slowly, when you have lost your important documents, or when your programs stop running... ...it is already too late to prevent a virus infection. Scan for viruses regularlyYou should let your software do regular automated scans. It may be convenient to set this process to run when the computer is not in use. If you do un-attended virus checks, make sure you indicate, by options selection, what should be done with any viruses found - i.e. delete or fix the infected file(s) or quarantine. Note that if you have the habit of turning off your computer every time it is not in use, you will need to remember to do manual virus checks on a regular basis. Do a virus check online!There is a website that will allow you to get a free virus check online. It's pretty cool. Although I have three different antivirus software programs installed on my computers, I still try the online scan sometimes - and it works great! When you click on the following link a new window opens - you won't miss the 'Free ActiveScan' logo at the Panda website. However, you need more than just a virus check. You need a long term solution that is also preventive. You must be able to stop the virus attack before damage is done to your computer. Prevention is better than any cure. The big question is this:
Will You Be Protected Against the Next Big Computer Virus??? For me, and the many thousands of users who have Panda software installed, we get the comforting reminder each time we boot our computers. You can see the cute little panda head at the bottom right hand corner of your screen even before Windows™ loads fully. This tells you that you are protected against a virus attack. Hey, I even love the voice that says, "Welcome to Panda Antivirus" whenever you manually run the program - an audio reminder as well. Originally, I got the Panda software in a package with the superb hard drive recovery program. I have learned a lot since then. Panda software has antivirus software solutions for personal, small business, and enterprise business needs. What about 'new' viruses?How can you prevent attack from new viruses against which there are no cure? Here are a few steps you can take to thwart new virus attacks.
These are just a few of the safe preventative measures you can take to prevent viruses from crippling your computer. I have been using Norton anti virus software to protect one of my computers since 1997. This is a popular product that is highly recommended. Bottom-line: Do a regular virus check. There is hardly any reason for your computer to be crippled by a virus because you do not have a good antivirus program installed.
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Computer Security |
Catch E-Mail Worms Email worms like the Nimda are known to spread from one computer to another by sending messages to addresses it finds in your address book. A neat little trick that actually worked for me is this: Create a dummy contact address in your address book that has an invalid email address format. This will cause the email client software to 'cry foul' - it will throw an error message. This alerts you that the some program is trying to send email. The catch is to use a name that will put the dummy address at the top of the list alphabetically. For example, in MS Outlook Express: • Open MS Outlook Express Address Book. • Click "New Contact". (File->New->Contact) or (Tools->Address Book, to get to the address book). • Make
the following entry: • Click OK. If the invalid address message pops up, click OK to save it anyway.
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