Recognizing anti-virus software

Most active anti-virus processes work quietly in the background and are not about to get in your face unless they find a virus. Some programs have options which control whether or not the user is alerted to a virus threat and what actions are automatically taken upon encountering an infected file.

If the computer has anti-virus software loaded which is configured for silent running, how does the computer user know this? A clue may present itself in the form of a small icon on the right side of the toolbar on the bottom of the screen. The icon is of course a proprietory image created by the software owners to indicate whether a process is running or not. Normally, just pointing at the icon with your mouse reveals something of the function of the control applets loaded there. If none of the icons subtly indicate "anti-virus activity" or if some are a mystery, try <right clicking> the icon for more information. Cancel inappropriate menu calls by clicking off the menu.

Checking the <All Programs> listing under the start menu will also help sleuthing a program if the software title is aptly named. A list of popular anti-virus software vendors can be found by searching the pages of an appropriate search engine. If anti-virus software is not present on your home machine, consider installing a program a.s.a.p.. Go through the list of vendors, get recommendations from trusted sources and follow the instructions provided by the vedors for installing the software.

Beware! A computer connected to the internet without protection of any kind is an easy target for a host of annoying contrivances. Notwithstanding viruses, worms and Trojan horse infections, the miriad of unsolicited pop-up windows, shaddy dial-up installers, browser toolbar thiefs and unsolicited additions to your favourites folders are sure to reduce your computers operating speed and your productivity levels if you choose not to install security software.

Freebyte is a website listing anti-virus and security software available for free. Find a version suitable for your computer's operating system, read the specifications carefully and if you are satisfied with the description, try it out.

Warning!

Providing the link to Freebyte is only a convenience to you as a source of free software and in no way endorses their products reliability or servicability. Support for the software must come from the software owners.