Tutorials - Windows.qxd
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TUTORIAL 14
WORKING WITH ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
One of the most important actions you can take to protect your computer and
your data is to install and update reliable antivirus software. Popular antivirus programs include Norton Antivirus, McAfee VirusScan, InoculateIT, and PC-illin.
Antivirus software contains a list of virus definitions that describe the identifying characteristics of various viruses and provide program instructions for removing them and fixing the damage they cause (when possible). New computer viruses
are created daily, so it is important to update your antivirus software definitions at
least once a week. Most antivirus programs automatically check for updates and
install them for you.
Because antivirus software is only as good as the most recent update, companies
that manufacture this software sell the product on a subscription basis. When you
buy the software you pay for a certain amount of time during which you will
receive updates (usually 12 months); after that time, you must pay again.
Installing Antivirus Software
Antivirus software installs like any other software (refer to Tutorial 10). It can be
installed from CD or from an Internet download. Many antivirus applications
offer free limited-time trials, so you can experiment with several different programs
before you decide which one works best for your needs. (You should have only one
installed at a time, however; uninstall one before installing another.)
The most popular antivirus software is Symantec’s Norton Antivirus. Go to
www.symantec.com to request a free trial.
Using Antivirus
Software
Antivirus software runs
itself. It starts automatically when you start
Windows, and it monitors all activity and
reports any viruses it
finds. It even schedules
its own full system scans
to occur at periodic intervals (such as weekly). You
can make changes to its
configuration settings if
desired, but the default
settings are usually
acceptable.
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You can tell that the antivirus software is running because an icon for it will
appear in the notification area (next to the clock in the bottom right corner). You
can double-click the icon to open its configuration window.
Updating Virus Definitions
It is absolutely essential to update virus definitions regularly, but most antivirus
programs update themselves automatically every week. You can also specifically
request an update—for example, if you read in the news about a new virus threat
but your update is not scheduled for several days. For Norton Antivirus, the
LiveUpdate utility updates the virus definitions; you can access it by clicking
LiveUpdate in the application’s configuration box shown above. Other utilities
have different update procedures.
Temporarily Disabling Virus Protection
Sometimes antivirus software interferes with the installation of other software
because it thinks that the new software is a system threat. If you encounter this
problem, you can temporarily disable the antivirus program. To do so, right-click
its icon in the notification area and choose Disable, Exit, or whatever command
seems as if it would close, pause, or otherwise disable the antivirus software. The
exact command depends on the application. As shown in the figure below, you
could select Enable File System Realtime Protection to remove the checkmark next
to it, temporarily disabling it. After the new software has been installed, you can
then re-enable the antivirus software.
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