subject: Is Your PC Driving You Mad? Is It Infected? [print this page] Computers have become an essential part of our life, whether we use them for work, leisure, entertainment or education, most of us regularly interact with a PC. But they can also be a cause of frustration as our pace of life has increased we have little patience when they go wrong. If a computer is running slowly, a virus is most likely to be the cause.
Servicing your PC once a year is advisable. If your computer is not protected then it is likely to pick up viruses. Whilst surfing the net, your hard drive could be picking up unwanted cookies, minute pieces of data, that allows companies to create trend patterns of your movements, such as where you have shopped and which sites you have visited. More often than not visiting other websites, using a network or simply downloading a file from a CD, can lead to a virus making its way on your PC.
So what is a virus? A virus is basically a form of unwanted software which has found its way onto your computer and won't go away by itself!
Levels of confidence vary amongst people when it comes to removing viruses and downloading software on their PC. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, seek the expertise of an IT specialist.
Removing a virus from your PC is not necessarily a quick and easy task, it can take hours to sort out. You may even need to start from scratch and clean up your PC completely.
If you are confident in your computer skills, then do plenty of research before you decide which anti-virus software to use on your PC. Otherwise, call an expert. There is good help out there!
