As I have recently worked on two computers with multiple viruses (one literally reported 177 viruses found, the other only a mere 14), I wanted to make a note about Anti-Virus software. These two different relatives of mine both had computers that were  un-usable, and asked for help to make it so their computers did not run so slow when they tried to use them. Were they ever suprised by the amount of viruses I found!

My antivirus software program of choice is AVG Free Anti-Virus. Mostly because while it is FREE, it is still very good. I used Symantec Anti-Virus (Version 10) for long period of time but had real problems with its sluggishness and responsiveness on my computer. It was OK (not great) when my laptop was XP, but then when I switched to Vista, it was a resource hog that noticeably slowed my computer down.

I think of AVG Free like I do Google Chrome. Fast, efficient, and loads quickly. I find those things important.

At any rate, if you do not have an anti-virus program on your computer right now, at least download AVG FREE and do a computer scan. You might be surprised by what you find.

What to do if you find out you have a virus:

1. This may be a given, especially if you already know you have a virus, but make sure you have UP TO DATE ANTI-VIRUS software running on your PC. A lot of users think they have up to date anti-virus software, but really they only have the 6 month trial version of Symantec or McAfee, which while it runs after the 6 month period, offers you zero protection.
2. Make sure to change all passwords you use on the web (of course only after the virus is removed). A common virus users have is a Trojan Horse which can log what passwords you enter and where you entered them and send that information back to a hacker.
3. Make sure Windows has all of the latest updates. Go to http://update.microsoft.com/ (in Internet Explorer only unfortunately) until it tells you that you have no more updates to download and install. You should also set up Windows to update nightly on its own. That can be done with the Microsoft Security Center. While you are there, make sure the Windows Firewall is turned on (if you are not using a commercial firewall product).Make sure other programs you use, such as your web browser, email client (if not using web mail), etc are also up to date. Many viruses exploit flaws in web browsers and email clients as those are typically much easier to break than Windows itself.
4. Stop doing things that help cause viruses, such as going to shady internet sites, opening email attachments from unknown sources, or downloading files. If you are using a program like Limewire or Bearshare… STOP. Not only are you probably downloading illegal files with those programs; programs like Limewire load tons of adware on your PC, not to mention the likely hood that files you download could have viruses in them. Oh, and the possibility of six figure fines, but I digress.
5. Other than that… don’t panic. You can get a virus by just being connected to the internet. The most important thing to do is keep your computer up to date and protected. Happy internet-ing!