What is a computer virus?

The computer virus might seem like a relatively new nuisance for all of us, but in fact the first computer virus was detected in the early 1970’s.  You can imagine with technology and intelligence developing at the rate that it has within the last 30 years the sophistication of the computer virus has evolved as well.

The term “computer virus” is associated with several other nuisances you might have heard of including adware and spyware, which are more like the flu than a virus.  These programs are more of an irritation or a mess that needs to be cleaned up rather than something needing a more serious treatment, as a virus.  A computer virus is duplicated from computer to computer similarly to how a human virus duplicates itself from person to person.  Similarly, the virus wreaks havoc on our systems and gets worse with time if it goes untreated.  Of course, it is much easier to defend our computers against a virus than it is to defend our bodies against one.

There are several types of malicious programs we can contract that can seem like a virus but really something more or less serious, just as a cough or a sniffle could be the flu, allergies, or the warning sign of something much worse.  Do you know the difference between adware and spyware?  What is a worm?  Is a virus worse than a Trojan horse?  Can you tell the difference between bronchitis, early stages of pneumonia, something viral, or sinus infection?  We label the possibilities of the ailment as a virus but in order to really be able to diagnose the issue, it is always best to seek out the professional opinion of an expert.

A computer virus duplicates itself within your computer and infects your files.  If your computer is the “host”, meaning the computer that has actually contracted the virus, is on a network, the files of the other computers on your network could also become infected.  Similarly, if a member of your family contracts a virus, you are bound to contract it as well.  You can also pass the virus through use of a CD, DVD or USB drive, just as you can take your body’s virus to the office and infect all your co-workers.  How many times has this happened to you?

Another way we contract and pass along the virus is by an executable code or .exe file being installed into our computer.  You can download a completely legitimate file that has been infected by a virus.  As soon as you download the file, the infection process begins and installs itself into your system.  So don’t download strange files from people you don’t know, right?  Not so fast.  We can contract a computer virus from something as seemingly safe as a .pdf file or a Microsoft Office document that contains a macro, which is a series of commands that you “record” so that you can “playback” at a later time, such as a signature block or other text you wish to save to insert into other documents.

How do I get rid of a computer virus? (link to next article – Getting rid of a computer virus.  Next article: How do I protect myself from a computer virus intrusion? )

How do I get rid of a computer virus?

There are several types of computer viruses that cause different types of damage to your system.  Most are fairly easy to eradicate, but others require a bit more attention and possibly expert advisement.  Of course, it is always best to get rid of your computer virus as soon as you become aware of it before your computer either infects other computers, seems to comes to a screeching halt or you are unable to access your documents.  If you discover that you do have a virus and are connected to a network, now would be a good time for you to disconnect yourself from the network to prevent infection of other’s on your network.  Also, do not send any emails as you can special delivery a nice little surprise to your friends and co-workers into their email and infect them as well.

If you have discovered that you have a virus and do not have valid virus protection software on your computer, all is not lost although you might feel like throwing your computer into the trash.  You can visit a virus detection software website and download the latest version or purchase software at your local retailer.  Be sure to check for any updates as new viruses seem to come out every day.  Usually, you are able to install, detect and get rid of your virus using this software, but not always.   There are some viruses that won’t allow you to install antivirus and some that will turn off your antivirus and not allow you to turn it back on.  How does this happen?  If you don’t frequently download the updates to your anti-virus software this can happen.  You can seek out a professional at this point or try to keep matters in your own hands.  Beware, this can be tricky and time intensive if you aren’t sure what you are looking for or the best way to handle the situation.

To eliminate the virus on your own, takes some doing and some good knowledge of your computer and its system.  Terms such as; system restore, booting in safe mode, executable files, .ini files, etc. come into play.  You can find the virus and get rid of it by going through some steps of searching but this can be very time intensive and how can you be certain what you are looking for?  So many files, so many programs, so little time!  Some have names that seem like they’d be harmful, yet are files you need.  There some programs that you can download for free, like Spybot, which could assist you in locating the virus (assuming your virus will allow you to download it).  You can also go to your task manager and look for anything that looks suspicious, but how do you know what’s not suspicious?  If you aren’t used to this sort of thing, you could probably make a weekend project out of this.  I don’t know about you, but this doesn’t sound like a very good way to spend a weekend.

The bottom line is to make sure you have a reputable virus protection program installed and running in the background at all times.  Make sure you pay attention to regularly downloading updates and do not let it lapse.  This will decrease your chances of contracting a virus to almost zero and give you some peace of mind, which you can’t put a price on.  But if you should contract a virus, just as with yourself, you can only self-medicate so much until you need to see the doctor.

(Next article: How do I protect myself from a computer virus intrusion? )