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Humans catch colds. Sometimes through no fault of our own a nasty virus bug can hit, but sometimes – like when we go running in the rain or opt for a night out in December in just a T-shirt -we only have ourselves to blame.
The same is true for computers, sometimes you can catch a virus, while at other times we leave our defences wide open and only have ourselves to blame for catching a virus.
We use our computers almost every day and often store a lot of personal information and data on them. Without any protect you expose yourself to the risk of catching a virus which can corrupt and destroy your computer. Not only could you lose sensitive information but music, games, video and photographs could all be damaged and destroyed with no chance of recovery.
We are always downloading and online sharing, streaming, opening attachments that could all be potentially dangerous and harmful to our computers. Even messages from friends that have been passed around could be containing more that a joke – all things that might not leave you laughing.
Here are some useful tips on how to protect your computer from a virus.
A computer virus usually occurs when you have run a program that has a hidden attachment to it. The hard drive on your computer system will then attach copies of the attachment on your hard drive. These nasty bugs can start destroying your system or your files immediately. Your infected computer breaks down and much like a biological virus copy and duplicate.
Preventions and cures come in the form of Antivirus software. Antivirus programs are vital if you want to protect your computer. No matter what work you do or how often you go on the internet anti-virus software. You can get several different types of anti-virus software from simple packages that involve installing a single programme. Or you can opt instead for premium anti-virus packages or free antivirus trials and solutions.
You should never open an email attachment if you don’t know who it’s from or why you have it. It could contain a virus. However, word files, (DOC), spreadsheets (.XLS) and images (.GIF) are data files which can do no damage to your computer.
Files that appear as COM, VBS or EXE is the ones to watch out for. They can seriously harm your computer.
Make sure you install only one practical and effective anti-virus program onto your machine otherwise you will have conflicting software that will impair your system. For added security consider buying a security programme that includes firewall software and spam filtering protection.
You can purchase anti-virus software online which usually has an annual subscription. This allows you to update your software and detect the latest threats.
Regularly scan your computer for bugs and viruses. Most full scans can take an hour or more soyou may want to set your computer to scan on your lunch break, or even in the evening when you are not using the computer immediately. Finally, set up Windows Update to automatic mode so it can frequently scan to keep your computer up to date.