Specifications

Troubleshooting
8 - 4 Viruses
8
Viruses
• Install an Anti-Virus program and keep the definitions file (the file which tells your program which viruses
to look for) up to date. New computer viruses are discovered daily, and some of them may seriously harm
your computer and cause you to lose data. Anti-Virus programs are commercially available and the defini-
tions file updates are usually downloadable directly from the internet.
• Be careful when opening e-mail from sources you don’t know. Viruses are often triggered from within e-
mail attachments so take care when opening any attached file. You can configure most Anti-Virus pro-
grams to check all e-mail attachments. Note: You should also beware of files from people you know as the
virus may have infected an address book and been automatically forwarded without the person’s knowl-
edge.
• Keep a “Bootable CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/USB storage device” (this CD/DVD/USB device provides basic
information which allows you to startup your computer) handy. You may refer to your OS’s documentation
for instructions on how to make one, and many Anti-Virus programs will also provide such a disk (or at
least instructions on how to make one).