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Almost all programs have "Bugs" of some sort. Some of these can be unintentionally destructive, but in most cases they only affect the program they're in or lock up your computer, forcing you to restart your system. Any data not saved will be lost, but the program itself will not be damaged. An example would be writing a letter in a word processor. The program freezes and you have restart (reboot) your computer. You can open your word processor, and the letter (up to the last time you saved it) will be there. If you failed to save any of it, it will be gone and you'd have to retype it.
If you have a problem with your system or it starts to run erratically, think about what the cause could be. More problems occur due to bugs, improper system settings, hardware failure/settings and Ad/Spy Ware than to viruses. Most times, shutting down and restarting will solve the problem. If the problem persists you should quarantine the system immediately and then troubleshoot it to determine the cause. The implementation of safeguards should be put into effect, especially important is the use of anti-virus software before you get a virus.
Removal
If you think your computer is infected with a virus DON'T PANIC! Sometimes a badly thought out attempt to remove a virus will do much more damage than the virus could have done.
Quarantine the computer and any disks, such as the backup disks, until they've been checked.
- Ensure that your anti-virus program is up to date and then scan to verify that you have a virus, what type it is and what programs are infected. If your sure you have a virus and your anti-virus program can't find it, try another program. When in doubt run another anti-virus program anyway.
- If no viruses are found run some anti-spyware programs. Some Ad/Spy Ware and Hijackers are almost virus like in the way that they take control of your computer.
- If a virus is found DO NOT delete or quarantine any infected files. Find out the proper method of removal, or if a removal tool is available first.
- Correctly remove the virus and infected files from your hard drive and don't forget to check your floppy disks. You don't want to accidentally reinfect your computer. Rerun your anti-virus program verify that you have removed the virus.
- If required repair any damage by replacing the damaged files from your back-ups after they've been checked.
- If you've shared disks or files with someone, notify them. You may prevent the spread of the virus to other computers.
If you are not sure what to do,
leave your computer turned off until you find someone to remove the virus for you.
For further information or inquires, contact The Computer Doctor by
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