Development
5 Helpful Tips To Keep Your PC Virus Free
If you are working online as a freelancer, one of your major concerns is how to protect your computer from viruses, Malware or Trojans that could possibly bring your whole system in total breakdown. What could be alarming and worst is the reality of having to reformat everything in your computer from the start and losing all your files in just one snap without any warning.
This whole scenario could be very daunting and really stressful, especially if you are not accustomed to saving your documents or files in another hard disk and you have a deadline to finish. Recovering all your files isn’t 100% sure and requires a longer process.
Well, how do you keep your computer at bay with all these harmful viruses that may thrive from all those sites you visit or documents you received from your emails without your knowledge? They are called “silent killers” as what the other victims kept telling when I also had experienced a major breakdown recently and had to reformat my computer. The only good thing is that I kept a back-up for all the important documents needed for my work.
Here are 5 helpful tips to protect your PC from viruses:
1. Keep your software updated. See to it that your PC has its regular maintenance and updates.
2. Make sure to install a credible anti-virus software protection and don’t forget to check its warranty and update it for better performance.
3. Don’t be a victim of any free downloadable materials that are considered scams and culprits of major viruses and computer breakdown. Be doubtful when the software is being offered as free download when in normal circumstances it is availed only with payments.
4. Protect your computer with the use of a firewall. This is a necessity if you want to be assured that your PC is safe from viruses. You can either use the Windows Firewall or the FreeZoneAlarm Firewall.
5. Be cautious when opening any emails with attachments. Always remember that some viruses come from emails of unknown sender and if you are not sure about email you received, ignore or delete it before it’s too late. Emails in plain text format are considered to be safer to open than those emails with colorful fonts.
These are just some of the common preventive measures one can observe to ensure better protection for your PC. Of course with our day to day dealings online, one cannot help it if in some way we are vulnerable to any of these viruses like: by just visiting a website or downloading a program could already lead to a computer virus. One safety tip I can guarantee that will help you face the worst scenario is preparedness. Always make it a habit to make a back-up for all your files and save them in another hard disk. Be safe and be extra vigilant.
Tagged AntiVirus, Computer virus, Malicious Software, Malware, Security, Virus, Viruses, Windows Firewall
VellaApril 23, 2012 at 2:05 pm
Thank you for the info. I have a BRAND NEW computer that I am starting to feel is going through a bit of hiccups. I have the Kasdusky anti virus that can with the computer, but I decided not to use that and went with the Norton. I think that was a big mistake. And I have no firewall at the moment as well. I really want to get my computer in shape so that it won’t fall apart on me when I start working from home.
LauraJuly 21, 2012 at 5:54 am
It’s surprising, I have Norton and it’s really good. I didn’t like Kasdusky, so I changed for Norton too and never had any problem
cheaSeptember 10, 2012 at 11:06 am
I agree, Norton is great. I have never had any problems with it. I use that and a registry cleaning tool and my system is fine.
TashWordApril 23, 2012 at 3:35 pm
You can’t really have too many back ups – and ideally have one copy off site incase of theft or fire. Remember to back up email files as well as many people ignore them to their sorrow.
TashWord recently posted..Blog policies
angeldrbApril 23, 2012 at 10:15 pm
I’m now very cautious when it comes to my laptop’s security because I already experienced having a total system breakdown and I had to reformat it. I had to rewrite my whole thesis in just one night. Ugh. Tough times.
angeldrb recently posted..May Isang Babae
Aidan BradleyApril 24, 2012 at 7:43 am
I use cloud storage a lot now for backing up. It also affords me the flexibility to work from wherever I like
Aidan Bradley recently posted..3 Important Areas Ideal For Promotional Campaigns
VellaMay 11, 2012 at 11:39 am
Thank you for this article. But I don’t know how I feel about ZA. I used to have them last year and I kept getting alerts every 5 minutes. I don’t like that kind of stuff.
wameyoMay 15, 2012 at 12:45 am
I had once had my computer crush completely just because I had not installed any antivirus in it. All of my favorite documents and bookmarked pages were gone, not to mention the cost of repairing the computer again. Thanks for the useful tips.
theaaaJuly 17, 2012 at 10:27 am
Thank you. Ever since my last laptop’s memory got wiped out by a virus, I’ve been very wary of updating my antivirus and firewalls. I guess now I just need to learn to back up my files before I lose them again.
ollierexxJuly 18, 2012 at 7:35 am
Yea, most of the main Antivirus’s are crap (like Norton and McAfee). I personally use avast free and i am pretty happy with it – it does its do and not 95% of the files are false positives like Norton.
LauraJuly 19, 2012 at 8:17 pm
It’s crazy but even today, some people don’t have a anti virus. I mean, with all the free antivirus you can have, why take the risk? Some people will never stop surprise me, and then they cry when their computer is infected
MoniqueSeibelJuly 21, 2012 at 11:39 am
I use Kasperky Pure, it was recommended by the employee who I purchased my computer from at Best Buy. It seems to be quite efficient for the most part. I thought Norton was pretty useless.
MoniqueSeibel recently posted..Make Money Online – Proof Legerweb Pays
FlipKupJuly 26, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Thanks for the word of advice, this should keep the viruses at bay! Personally, I don’t like Norton, and don’t even think they should come as the default on my PC. The alternatives are definitely better and more reliable, I myself use the Avast Antivirus, and have never been infected with a bug in all three years of using it.
layzorJuly 26, 2012 at 2:47 pm
I highly recommend installing Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware and Windows Defender. Those programs will keep you safe 90% of the time. The other 10% is just knowing what sites not to go to and what not to download.
Magic PixelJuly 31, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Good tips. All practicable and useful. I like Norton. But secure surfing is also about not making downloads from dubious places also, like layzor has said.
Magic Pixel recently posted..Niko Kranjcar photos
jaruriAugust 1, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Great article, my family aren’t very good with computers, so they end up with viruses all the time and I have to help troubleshoot/solve the issue. Hopefully showing them this article will decrease how often their computers get infected.
ohiotom76August 7, 2012 at 9:00 am
Speaking of back ups, I’ve had two 3 external hard drives fail me in the past couple years. They just stop working altogether and I cannot get anything off of them. I’m tempted to start only exclusively using solid state drives and/or copying to memory sticks.
Joe WellsAugust 10, 2012 at 11:37 pm
Good info. There is nothing like being prepared for a disaster from your computer. Taking those steps like having a good anti virus software and firewall is absolutely necessary. And having a good backup solution in place is also really important. The hard drive in my mother’s laptop got fried in a lightning strike. No backups. So she is having to recreate a lot of the things she had on it. I am now helping her come up with a backup solution.
Joe Wells recently posted..Starting a Home Based Business.
omgomgomgAugust 13, 2012 at 4:27 am
I have been using Dropbox as a backup for the past few months. While I have never had a problem with viruses on my computer losing all my files is one of my biggest fears as a freelancer. It would put me months behind and would most likely cost me thousands of dollars.
dhintakaAugust 28, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Good article and very practical. I have gone through this whole turmoil of my PC crashing down with all my assignments vanishing instantly. The experience was very dreadful & ever since I have been very very conscious about the anti-viruses. I also use Dropbox as my back up. I would only suggest that we must go for backups as sometimes even if we have done every possible thing but still something or the other can crash our PC/Laptop.
ohiotom76September 9, 2012 at 12:24 pm
I always like to get into the habit of manually scanning files before I open them. Many antivirus apps will insert a right click menu option to do this, so all you have to do is just right click on the file and choose scan now.
PaladinSeptember 26, 2012 at 11:18 am
Thank you. Ever since my last laptop’s memory got wiped out by a virus, I’ve been very wary of updating my antivirus and firewalls. I guess now I just need to learn to back up my files before I lose them again.
Paladin recently posted..Re: Make Money From Jokeroo
vida_llevaresOctober 1, 2012 at 1:20 am
I am not a computer or techie person. But I acknowledge the importance of having a strong anti-virus system. Whether you are working freelance or working on-site, your computer’s anti-virus system should never be taken for granted. Though a strong anti-virus system may require a significant amount of monetary investment, it will definitely pay off.
MouseOctober 1, 2012 at 1:34 am
Lots of people rely on their computer and connection to the internet to earn their living, but a freelancer can have a different, maybe even more precarious situation. Losing files and access to the internet is disastrous when they are your sole means of income. Therefore, protection of your equipment from infection should be one of your major concerns.
Working for yourself means you don’t have the company ‘IT guy’ to help you out, plus your computing equipment is your own and not supplied by an employer. In a regular job people are often paid just for turning up, but as a freelancer you won’t get paid if you can’t do the work. This means you have to protect your computer in order to protect your income.
So, to all the freelancers out there – install some software to block all the nasties out there! There are free options and these days it’s pretty easy to set it up. Most will update automatically and scan your computer regularly without any effort on your part whatsoever. So beyond using your common sense when using the internet, there is little else you will need to do.
Making regular back-ups is a good idea too, you can use a memory stick/flash drive/thumb drive or portable hard drives of various capacities are available pretty cheap these days. If you have two copies of an important file, that should half your chances of losing it if the villains do manage to get by your defences. I think there is probably software available that will automatically back up files regularly as you work too.
It’s worth taking the time to protect your computer. The time and effort it takes is much, much better than the stress it will cause if things go wrong.
PaladinOctober 3, 2012 at 5:40 am
Good info. There is nothing like being prepared for a disaster from your computer. Taking those steps like having a good anti virus software and firewall is absolutely necessary. And having a good backup solution in place is also really important. The hard drive in my mother’s laptop got fried in a lightning strike. No backups. So she is having to recreate a lot of the things she had on it. I am now helping her come up with a backup solution.
Paladin recently posted..Donator Usergroup Added!