What to Do If You Think You've Been InfectedHaving antivirus software installed and operating (including at least weekly signature updates) should keep you free of viruses the vast majority of the time. However, occasionally you might be one of the first to come across a new virus and can still become infected. Chapter 1 contains some tips for recognizing malicious processes and blocking their access to the Internet. In addition, you might be able to detect the virus with an online scanning tool. Both McAfee and Symantec offer an online security scan. The websites are here:
Figure 3-21 shows the Symantec online scan main dialog. Figure 3-21. Using Symantec Online Security ScanIf either the online scan or normal antivirus scanning detects a virus and does not automatically remove it, there is information on all the major antivirus vendors' websites about how to remedy severe infections. Some infections may be so severe that irreversible damage is done to the operating system. This severity might require reloading the operating system from scratch. If you encounter a severe infection that the antivirus software cannot automatically repair, and you are not comfortable repairing it yourself, get help from someone who knows what he is doing. Symantec offers virus-removal tools here:
Figure 3-22 shows the directory of the Symantec virus-removal tools. To use one, match the virus name identified by the online or antivirus scan to the removal tool. Then download and run it on your computer. Figure 3-22. Virus-Removal ToolsIf at all possible, back up your files prior to running any virus-removal tools, in case the removal process causes the computer operating system to become unstable. |