Viruses, malware, Trojans, worms—no matter what you call these things, they remain the bane of all computer owners and users. In case your system gets infected with one, you do not know where the destruction will end. Will the virus simply slow down your computer, send people in your address book copies of itself, or will it crash your hard disk drive in due time or in no time at all? It is because of this reason that having an antivirus program on your computer is an absolute necessity for anyone who gets online. However, if you do not have one, or if your computer has become infected in spite of the software program, then some quick steps that you can take to salvage your computer are:
- 1. Run A Free Online Scan: A lot of sites offer free online scans for your computer. You can go to any of these sites to get your computer scanned. These scans are a good option for those with a high speed internet connection but low disk space or RAM. Apart from being free, the benefit of going for online scans is that they generally carry the software to combat the latest virus threats. If you are already infected, then it is a good idea to run more than just one scan. Some of the best online virus scans that you can check out are :
- HouseCall by TrendMicro – www.housecall.trendmicro.com
- The Norton Security Scan— www.security.symantec.com
- BitDefender Online Scanner –www.bitdefender.com/scanner/online/free
These programs will scan and remove threats from your computer for free. Not all free online anti virus programs do this, some will just scan and detect threats; but it is always better to go for one that will remove the malware as well.
- 2. Install An Anti Virus Program On Your Computer: Not all antivirus programs cost the earth, and almost all good ones offer at least a free or trial version that you can use. If you feel that you are infected, then you should download a free antivirus software and run it on your computer. The top three free anti virus programs that I like are:
- Microsoft Security Essentials– www.microsoft.com/security_essentials
- 2. AVG –www.free.avg.com
- 3. Kaspersky— www.kaspersky.com
It is best to download these programs from the links provided here, because even though a lot of other sites will offer you the same downloads, you might even end up downloading more malware onto your computer if you do not download the antivirus right from source.
These are the instant steps that you should take in order to get rid of viruses on your system. In case there are other programs that are better than the ones I’ve listed, then please do tell.
