Virus can create havoc in your computer. It can at the very least cause nuisance to your computer, to as bad as making your computer a useless junk. Here we list 9 steps you can take to protect your computer from being infected by viruses.

1. Install antivirus software, and get a high quality one. You can find many different anti-virus computers programs on the market, and some of them are just better than others. Do your research from reputable computer magazines or websites for ratings and reviews to help you find the one that fits your requirements.

2. Keep your antivirus software up to date. When you buy antivirus software it is very likely that you are subscribed for one-year updates. Most of them provide daily updates. Make sure you update you antivirus programs or database whenever an update is available.

3. Keep your anti-virus software active all the time. Make sure your anti-virus software is set to scan incoming and outgoing email messages, downloads, and any software programs you run.

4. Keep your computer's operating system up to date. Check for updates periodically to make sure you are running stable, updated versions of your software. The updates may address some security fault that may put your computer at risk to virus attacks.

5. If you use floppy disks or USB drives on public computers like your school computer lab make sure you scan them for viruses when you get home or back in your office. You don't want to be infected by viruses that may be present in those public computers.

6. Be careful with email attachments. Treat any email attachment as potential hazard. Never open attachments from senders you don't recognize, or even from senders you know but look suspicious. Some computer viruses disguise themselves as someone you know by reading addresses from the contacts in your email program.

7. Be cautious of links in instant messaging software. Don't accept invitations or click a link from people you don't know or trust. The link can easily redirect you to another website that will try to install a virus on your computer.

8. If you need to download software try downloading them from popular sites that have good reputation that scan software before they are uploaded. To make sure you are doubly safe scan the software for viruses with your antivirus software before installing it.

9. Lastly, make backups of your data regularly. Perform weekly or monthly backups to CD or USB drives. If you lose your data on the hard drive due to virus attacks, you still can fall back to your backups.

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About the Author

Pauzi Said is the owner of More On Virus that discusses virus and antivirus. For more info on virus and antivirus visit More On Virus.