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A few years ago, my PC became infected with a computer virus. All of a sudden my computer seemed to develop a mind of its own, rebooting constantly or freezing to a "black screen of death". Also my operating system, which at the time was Windows ME, slowed to a crawl. Oddly enough my anti-virus program mysteriously turned itself off as well. Finally, I reinstalled my antivirus software, discovering that my computer had been infected with a nasty virus. Unfortunately, I cannot remember what virus my PC was infected with, but I ended up having to reformat my hard drive.
What are these viruses that can wreak so much havoc you ask. Well, glad that you asked! Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are human-made software programs created specifically to wreak havoc on personal computers and networks. Just like human viruses computer viruses range from a mere annoyance to downright destructive. For the latest information and alerts on specific viruses visit Symantec Security Response - Search and Latest Virus Threats page. How Do Computers Become Infected With VirusesComputers become infected with viruses through several ways. This includes:
Usually basic viruses require the computer user to unintentionally share or send them. More sophisticated viruses, such as worms, can replicate and send themselves to other computers by taking control of other software programs, such as an email sharing application. That's how they can send the virus to everyone in the computer users address book. A great way to make the computer user popular with the people in his address book! Worse yet, certain viruses called Trojan Horses, can falsely appear as a beneficial program to coax users into downloading them, such as a game or picture. Some Trojan Horses can even provide expected results while quietly damaging your system or other networked computers at the same time. Computer Viruses: Free Anti-virus Info, Tips, Tools, & Software
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