In order to remove a virus, you must first perform a virus scan in order to tell which virus you have been infected with. Even if a virus is cleaned and removed by your antivirus software, it is a good idea to treat your system as still being infected and going through the following steps.
You should first go to a reputable source to find information on the virus that you have been infected with. Search for a write up on your particular virus. In the write up you will be told what the virus may have added or changed on your computer, and it will give you instructions on how to manually remove the virus, and it will tell you how to set your files back to normal. Follow all of the instructions exactly. If you miss one step, the virus might still be infecting your system.
Most of the virus write ups will have you do a full system virus scan. Before doing this you should update your virus definitions through your antivirus software so that your protection is up to date. Some viruses will require you to do this scan in safe mode which is accomplished by pressing the F8 key while booting up your system and choosing the SAFE MODE option.
Once the virus is clean, you should empty your temporary internet files which is where most of today's viruses hide in waiting for you to accidentally activate the virus. Then you should go through the RUN and RUNONCE keys in the system registry and delete any items that should not be there. Next you should delete any items that should not be in the STARTUP directory.
How To Scan Individual Files For Viruses
If you are using Norton Antivirus, you can right click the file, folder, or drive letter to scan what you would like to scan. If the file is an email attachment, you should save the attachment to your hard drive first, and then you can right click the saved file and choose "Scan With Norton Antivirus".
Safe Practices To Try To Avoid Getting Viruses
Always have an Anti-Virus software installed and running
Never open email from people that you don't know and trust
Never open an email attachment without scanning it for viruses first
Never open a file that you have downloaded without scanning it first
Just remember that no matter how much you try and prevent yourself from getting viruses, chances are that you are going to receive a virus in one form or another. Knowing how to get rid of viruses if you are infected is the best line of defense in trying to break the cycle and not pass these viruses on to your friends, family, and co-workers. Being safe with email, internet browsing, and file downloading will ensure that your computing experience is very enjoyable, as it should be.
» left by Danny from Houston, TX (3 years 153 days ago.)
Very easy to understand and implement. Respond to this comment
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Sunday, April 24, 2005 View other articles written by SOS Computer Help(117)
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