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Tips, Tricks & Tutorials

WINDOWS 7
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The best way to avoid a virus is to behave safely:

  • Use a firewall. Windows comes with one. Click Start > Control Panel > Security > Windows Firewall. If you're using another firewall (i.e. - Norton Internet Security), Windows firewall will be turned off. More than one firewall on at the same time can cause conflicts.
  • Consider using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.
  • Delete executable or risky email attachments
  • Use an agressive spam filter
  • Use a standard (not Administrator) account for everyday use
    • Control Panel > Add or remove user accounts (the blue link)  > Create a new account > Standard user option
  • Learn to recognize untrustworthy websites and email. Before you visit a suspect website, check www.siteadvisor.com or www.stopbadware.org
  • Windows does not come with antivirus software. Software recommendations:
    • Free antivirus software (including protection from spyware, so you won't need Windows Defender) from Microsoft.
    • Here's another one:  AVG free software.
    • The best antivirus software for 2012, by PCmag.
    • When installing antivirus software, be sure any other antivirus software is removed from your computer. More than one antivurs software running on a PC can cause conflicts or degrade performance.

      Norton and McAfee products usually come preinstalled on new PCs and are difficult to remove. Using the Control Panel to remove the programs usually doesn't uninstall them completely. Use the publishers' own free removal tools: Norton or McAfee. The URLs to removal tools change often. If these links do not work, google to find them.
    • If you think you have a virus already, try the following to eradicate it:
  • Spyware:
    • You're most likely to pick up spyware when you download file file-sharing (peer-to-peer), screen savers, toolbars, etc. Avoid these!
    • Windows does come with spyware protection: Windows Defender. By default it is on. Choose Start and type defender in the search box.
    • No spyware cleaner can detect every spyware program. Try Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition from www.lavasoftusa.com and Spybot Search & Destroy from www.safer-networking.org (click the links to go directly to the download page to obtain the free spyware protection only - not the antivirus part of the program. If you want the antivirus too, type the web site address above into your browser).