Antivirus are software that can scan your PC for infected files. Though there are obvious advantages to using antivirus software, there are certain tips you should follow to make scanning more effective on your system.
Selecting an Antivirus
- Read reviews of antiviruses at about.com, cnet.com, pcworld.com.
- Select an antivirus which is effective but whose normal running doesn’t slow down your system considerably
- Choose a time when your computer is idle or least used
- Close all running applications so that no application on task bar is running
- Run a thorough scan on all hard drives/partitions
- Go to item 9 below
- Run a scan once a week
- Must scan “Windows”, “Program files” and “Document and Settings” folders
- If any infected files are found, carefully read the paths where they exist.
- If the paths refer to any program that you use, uninstall the program properly. Run periodic scan again
- If paths refer to a temporary folder, or a location like root drive, simply delete the file or ask the antivirus to delete it
If Scanning for the First Time
If Scanning Periodically
After Running the Scan
- Take an image of the now clean OS. E.g. you can use tools like Acronis.
- If you are copying a file from outside your computer, always right click on it and scan it first
- If you surf web frequently, use a firewall like ZoneAlarm so all access to your computer is safe
- Install a good antispyware software e.g. Spybot to keep a check on any spywares.
- Keep your antivirus and antispyware updated once a week
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