Buy antivirus software and keep it updated. Remember, antivirus software can only detect and stop viruses that it knows about (for the most part - most anti virus packages are able to detect virus like activity even if they don't have the actual virus in their database), it is absolutely crucial to keep your virus patterns up-to-date. Most antivirus packages have a live update feature that will allow you to set up the frequency of antivirus updates.  Update your virus patterns at least daily. Programs like ZoneAlarm Security Suite , Panda Antivirus, and Kaspersky Anti-Virus even have products that combine firewall and antivirus into one package.  ZoneAlarm Pro 5.0 also includes e-mail security, which quarantines dangerous attachments and prevents worms from sending mass mailings from your machine. Most antivirus packages cost between $30 and $50, and combination internet security tools range from $60 - $80.  As a free alternative, Antivir Personal Edition does a good job of protecting Windows machines, but seems to lack the scheduled automatic updates feature which is a critical feature.

Virus Removal Tips

You have a virus and now what do you do?

Removing viruses from your machine can range from easy to difficult. It can get messy and complicated. The hope is that your antivirus software will catch the virus and automatically clean the virus for you. You can use one of the Online scanning services above to remove the virus from your machine. Unfortunately some viruses will take a bit more work to remove. You will need to visit your antivirus website and find the directions for removing the virus from your machine.

You will need to know the full name of the VIRUS infecting your machine.

Antivirus companies have "removal tools" that you can download and run on your computer to remove particular viruses. You can find these tools on your software's website. In order to know which removal tool to download, you will need to know which VIRUS is on your machine. Your antivirus software will alert you to the name of the virus infecting your machine. Look for this name and write it down. Each virus has its own personality and does different things to your computer, requiring differing removal techniques. Some very new viruses will require manual removal and the instructions for manual removal will be available.

Virus Symptoms

Symptoms of Virus Infection:
- Your system slows down,  files disappear; you cannot open certain files.
- Programs that cease to work correctly.
- Continuous system crashes.
- People e-mail you saying they received a virus from you.
- An unusual increase in the size of files of an unusual or impossible date or time.
- Duplicated files.
- On-screen messages.
- Upon booting the system, the screen displays an unexpected graphic such as a famous
  person or a holiday symbol you did not create.

Important Windows ME/XP Cleaning Instructions

Windows Millennium Edition (ME) and Windows XP have a feature known as System Restore, which creates backups of certain files in the _Restore folder. The System Restore feature usually backs up files with EXE or COM extensions, which may include infected files and malware programs. Files in the _Restore folder are protected and can only be accessed using System Restore. This feature must be disabled first before an antivirus program can access and clean these files.

The following procedure disables the System Restore feature:

Windows ME
Right-click the My Computer icon on the Desktop and click Properties.
Click the Performance tab.
Click the File System button.
Click the Troubleshooting tab.
Select Disable System Restore.
Click Apply > Close > Close.
When prompted to restart, click Yes.
Press F8 while the system restarts.
Choose Safe Mode then hit the Enter key.
After your system has restarted, continue with the scan/clean process. Files under the _Restore folder can now be deleted.
Re-enable System Restore by clearing Disable System Restore and restarting your system normally

Windows XP
Log on as Administrator.
Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop and click Properties.
Click the System Restore tab.
Select Turn off System Restore.
Click Apply > Yes > OK.
Continue with the scan/clean process. Files under the _Restore folder can now be deleted.
Re-enable System Restore by clearing Turn off System Restore.

Once you've installed your personal firewall, please visit one of the sites below to make sure you are properly secured:

• Steve Gibson's Shields Up Scanner
• Sygate's Online Security Service
• Hacker Whacker