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Do you suspect your computer is plagued with viruses and spyware?

Read below for ways to eliminate these pests and take control of your computer.

What is a Virus?

A virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other executable code or documents and behaves in a way similar to a biological virus. The insertion of the virus into a program is termed infection, and the infected file is called a host. Most viruses are merely annoying and can interrupt computer usage, however some take deadlier forms, such as worms.

What is a Worm?

A worm is similar to a computer virus; however, a worm is self-contained and does not need to be part of another program to propagate itself. They are often designed to exploit the file transmission capabilities found on many computers. The main difference between a computer virus and a worm is that a virus cannot propagate by itself whereas worms can.*

What is Spyware?

Spyware consists of computer software that gathers and reports information about a computer user without the user's knowledge or consent. More broadly, the term spyware can refer to a wide range of related "malware" products which fall outside the strict definition of spyware. These products perform many different functions, including the delivery of unrequested advertising (pop-up ads in particular), harvesting private information, re-routing page requests to illegally claimed commercial site referral fees, and installing stealth phone dialers.*

Why are there viruses and spyware?

Viruses are created by people for several reasons. Some see it as a new age of graffiti, some do it for the thrill seeing something "explode", others do it for bragging rights or out of pure malice. Whatever the reason may be, the damage can result in a loss of millions of dollars and personal data. Spyware usually is created to gain access to someone's browsing habits, and are usually spawned by commercial entities.

How do I rid my computer of viruses?

Thankfully there are many anti-virus and anti-spyware programs out there. Most users typically use programs such as Norton or McAfee, which are two of the biggest virus scan programs available for both PC and Mac, but are not free, demand a large portion of your computer's resources, and require yearly payments to keep them up to date. However, there are several free virus scan options that have appeared. The one that we recommend is Grisoft's AVG Antivirus which is available to PC users free of charge. Mac users are generally safer when it comes to viruses and spyware, but that is quickly changing. For those of you using a Mac, we have located the free antivirus tool ClamXav.

How do I rid my computer of spyware?

There are many spyware removal programs available today. Some are free, some are not. The two that we've had the best results with is the free program Spybot-Search & Destroy and Ad Aware SE Personal. Both are free of advertising, and are both very effective. In fact, we recommend using both for extra protection. At this time these programs are only available for PC users. If you find your spyware woes still persist after using this tool, click here to fill out a service request and we will be there to help you.

What if I try to rid my computer of viruses and it's still not working?

Chances are you have a particularly difficult virus or spyware program that is resistant to most scanning programs, but don't give up hope. Give us a call at 763-360-9203 or send a service request, and we will contact you within 24 hours to assist you with your problem. If you would like access to more programs and info, please visit our downloads and links sections.

*definitions derived from Wikipedia entries (@ www.wikipedia.org)