Getting rid of a virus is one thing; being scared to death of computer viruses is another. The mythology surrounding computer viruses is almost as expansive as Greek and Roman mythology combined. The truth is, there isn’t much of a reason to be scared of viruses, so long as you have all of your sensitive data backed up, and you have an effective firewall and antivirus setup. Windows has you covered with the firewall, USB drives are perfect for data backup, and software companies like Symantec are waiting with open cash registers for your patronage. I went for a year without antivirus software installed without running into any problems, but I’m a careful web surfer, I know what to avoid (like websites based in the Netherlands, P2P filesharing networks, and illegal software), but there are times when safe surfing, antivirus software and firewalls can’t save you—often times because a particularly clever hacker has created a monster like the worms we heard so much about a few years ago.
Have you noticed your computer starting to get bogged down? Are files you just saved showing up corrupted or missing the next day? Have you defragmented your hard drive only to find that your system is still performing sluggishly? Well, here are some suggestions I have for you:
Virus Removal
If you think your computer has a virus, and you don’t have anti virus software then you should run a free online scan (select one from the sidebar to the left). Chances are, one of these free online scanners will find whatever is ailing your PC and either clean it up for you or provide you with instructions on how to get rid of that computer virus. Once the threat is taken care of, it would be wise to install an antivirus program to prevent further infections.
If you do have antivirus software, and it’s not working or not updating properly, the chances that the virus has locked you out of your antivirus software are high—they may even prevent you from accessing online virus scans by modifying your hosts file. If this is the case, then you should see the section in the left sidebar entitled “Can't Connect to Antivirus Websites?” There you will find instructions on how to reset your hosts file.
If you have antivirus software and you still need to get rid of a virus, make sure that your antivirus software is properly updated. If your antivirus software isn’t updating online, but you still have access to the internet, then go your vendor’s website, download the latest update manually (most antivirus software companies offer one online), and install the update manually using the instructions given to you by the antivirus company.
If your system is still running slowly even though you’ve scanned and cleaned your computer of viruses, then you may want to consider changing antivirus programs. A lot of times, I’ve noticed that Norton Antivirus bogs my computer down more than any virus or worm has. I switched to a free antivirus program called Avast! (see right sidebar), and I couldn’t be happier. It’s less invasive, and rarely bothers me during my daily routine.
If your problem isn’t a virus, then it may in fact be a problem with spyware, adware, malware, or some other resident problem you’ve willingly installed. Want to get rid of it? Lavasoft makes a really good program called Ad-Aware SE Personal. It’s fast, efficient, up-to-date, and free! Yeah. You can’t beat the best adware/spyware protection for free.
Anti Virus Software (Antivirus)
As I’ve noted above, there are certain degrees of protection available in both retail and free antivirus software suites. The thing to realize is that the virus war online is being fought by two sides, not just one. Symantec does their best to keep updating their software, and they control a very large segment of the antivirus market. Well, that’s great, Norton Antivirus is a good product—which makes it an even better target. A lot of times hackers will create a virus specifically designed to disable the most common antivirus software suites (ie. McAfee, Norton, and TrendMicro). So what does this mean? You may want to think about investing in a less expensive, less visible antivirus software like Panda Antivirus, Kaspersky—or even free antivirus software programs like AVG and Avast!
Now, the question is, how much protection do you really need? A lot of the larger security software vendors provide more sophisticated security features like firewalls, automatic updates, and other useful features—but you’re going to pay out the ass for it. Do you really need a firewall when your internet service provider may already have one implemented, or you already have one built into your computer with Windows XP? Do your research before picking an antivirus program. There are plenty of antivirus software review sites out there that will help you pick the antivirus program that’s right for you.
