subject: What Is A Computer Virus? - An Explanation And Tips On Prevention, Plus Computer Maintenance [print this page] A computer virus is a software program that can reproduce itself and infect a computer. It can lay dormant for a specific period of time or it can become active creating real damage to a computer.
What is the typical way a virus infects a computer?
A virus is spread in many ways including:
- Attachments in email or instant messaging messages
- Introduction via external media such as CDs, Diskettes, or USB Flash drives
- Files downloaded from the Internet
A computer virus replicates itself by first locating a legitimate program (eg. Word.Exe)and then splicing or attaching a copy of themselves into it. The virus's code (i.e. Instructions) becomes a part of the legitimate program. When the legitimate program is opened (i.e. placed in RAM) the virus may activate itself then or at a programmed time.
What are some symptoms of a virus on a computer?
When a computer virus installs itself on a computer, the problems it will cause are varied from interrupting the operations of a computer to changing files to completely emptying or formatting your hard drive. Some software viruses may give you instructions to perform certain actions such as downloading a program to fix a problem. These are really dangerous as they will do more damage to your computer than the initial virus itself. If unsure do a search on the software being offered and contact your computer support person for confirmation as to what action you should take.
Some of the more common problems is slowing the computer, not being able to save a document, critical files may be deleted periodically or it may happen all at once. In some instances the operation of hardware is affected with not being able to open the CD drive or it may open without direction from the user. There may be unusual sounds playing randomly and programs may start without direction from the user. Emails may also be affected with some not being sent or attachments being lost. Pop-up ads may display and there may be strange messages when starting the computer.
Viruses can duplicate files filling up the hard disk which may be a cause for the slow operation of the computer. Early location or detection of the virus is really important otherwise the computer may fill up and an antivirus program may not fit on the computer. Another insidious problem that may occur especially in this situation is the virus may block the user from accessing an antivirus software company for downloads so the virus can be eliminated. So early detection is vital!
Prevention is really important in protecting your computer. There are many software companies that provide access to antivirus free software giving you a free trial such as AVG and Norton. Most new computers now come bundled or packaged with antivirus software which are already loaded onto the computer. Others provide the software and it is up to the owner to load it.
Updates for Antivirus Software
Antivirus companies are continually striving to improve their services by providing improvements and seeking out new viruses. Once found they develop a solution and send out alerts and offer an update. So it is important for computers to firstly have antivirus protection and they be programmed to receive updates as and when they become available.
Prevention
As a virus can attach itself to an email and often in attachments it is a good idea not to open any attachment unless you know the sender. Even then it is a good idea to save the file and then do a scan on it. Do not open an email if it has one or two words or looks a little strange. Just opening this email may cause problems. A good idea is to add it to the blocked list in the Junk Mail and then delete it. Alternatively pressing Shift/Delete will delete the email immediately. Be careful with instructions to be carried out such as Your PayPal or bank account is due to expire, check your details now. These are a real trap and quite often people follow these instructions and their logon and password are stolen with dire consequences.
Keep your computer clean
Computers are being used for a wide variety of reasons but it is safe to say one of the major uses of a computer today is to search the internet. However while searching, sites visited often put cookies (a piece of text stored by a user's web browser) onto computers. These sometimes have an expiration date however they can also be used as spyware and may cause other issues such as privacy concern. While they are there for a reason it is a good idea to clean your computer regularly. This can be done through Internet Explorer's System Tool on Accessories however two excellent programs are CCleaner and CleanUp from Piriform or Filehippo. Both of these small software programs are free however to help with further development they ask for a donation which is optional. When your computer starts to slow down close everything and run these two programs and restart your computer and it will run like a new computer. To read more about this and other health related topics go to http://masteryourlifepower.com/
