how to address computer program issues

Computer virus issues for brand new users

1. what's a computer program ?
A pc battery virus may be a program designed to unfold itself by 1st infecting
executable files or the system areas of laborious and floppy disks and then
making copies of itself. Viruses typically operate while not the information or
desire of the pc user.



2. What reasonably files will unfold viruses?
Viruses have the potential to infect any style of executable code, not just
the files that are commonly referred to as ‘program files’. for instance, some
viruses infect executable code within the boot sector of floppy disks or in
system areas of laborious drives. Another style of virus, called a ‘macro’
virus, will infect word processing and spreadsheet documents that use
macros. And it’s doable for HTML documents containing JavaScript or alternative
types of executable code to unfold viruses or alternative malicious code.
Since virus code should be executed to own any impact, files that the
HP pavilion dv9000 laptop battery treats as pure information are safe. This includes graphics and sound
files like .gif, .jpg, .mp3, .wav, etc., likewise as plain text in .txt
files. for instance, simply viewing image files won’t infect your pc
with an outbreak. The virus code should be in an exceedingly kind, such as an .exe program
file or a Word .doc file, that the Dell laptop batteries can truly try and execute.

3. How do viruses spread?
When you execute program code that’s infected by an outbreak, the virus code
will also run and take a look at to infect alternative programs, either on identical pc
or on alternative computers connected to it over a network . and therefore the newly
infected programs can try and infect however a lot of programs.
When you share a duplicate of an infected file with alternative pc users,
running the file may additionally infect their computers; and files from those
computers might unfold the infection to however a lot of HP laptop batteries .
If your pc is infected with a boot sector virus, the virus tries to
write copies of itself to the system areas of floppy disks and laborious disks.
Then the infected floppy disks might infect alternative computers that boot from
them, and therefore the virus copy on the laborious disk can try and infect still a lot of
floppies.
Some viruses, called ‘multipartite’ viruses, will unfold each by infecting
files and by infecting the boot areas of floppy disks.

4. What do viruses do to computers?
Viruses are software programs, and that they will do identical things as the other
programs running on a pc. specific} impact of any particular virus
depends on how it had been programmed by the one that wrote the virus.
Some viruses are deliberately designed to break files or otherwise
interfere along with your computer’s operation, whereas others don’t do something however
try to unfold themselves around. however even those that simply unfold
themselves are harmful, since they harm files and will cause alternative issues
in the method of spreading.
Note that viruses can’t do any harm to hardware: they won’t soften down your
CPU, burn out your laborious drive, cause your monitor to explode, etc. Warnings
about viruses which will physically destroy your IBM laptop batteries are typically hoaxes,
not legitimate virus warnings.

5. what's a computer program program?
A type of program that's typically confused with viruses may be a ‘Trojan horse’
program. this can be not an outbreak, however merely a program (often harmful) that
pretends to be one thing else.
For example, you may download what you think that may be a new game; however once you
run it, it deletes files on your laborious drive. Or the third time you begin
the game, the program E-mails your saved passwords to a different person.
Note: merely downloading a file to your pc won’t activate an outbreak or
Trojan horse; you've got to execute the code within the file to trigger it. This
could mean running a program file, or gap a Word/Excel document in an exceedingly
program (such as Word or Excel) that may execute any macros within the document.

6. What’s the story on viruses and E-mail?
You can’t get an outbreak simply by reading a plain-text E-mail message or Usenet
post. What you've got to look at out for are encoded messages containing
embedded executable code (i.e., JavaScript in an HTML message) or messages
that embody an executable file attachment (i.e., an encoded program file or
a Word document containing macros)
In order to activate an outbreak or computer program program, your pc should
execute some style of code. this might be a program connected to an E-mail, a
Word document you downloaded from the web, or one thing received on a
floppy disk. There’s no special hazard in files connected to Usenet posts or
E-mail messages: they’re no a lot of dangerous than the other file.

7. What am i able to do to cut back the possibility of obtaining viruses from E-mail?
Treat any file attachments which may contain executable code as fastidiously
as you'd the other new files: save the attachment to disk and then check
it with an up-to-date virus scanner before gap the file.
If your E-mail or news software has the flexibility to automatically execute
JavaScript, Word macros, or alternative executable code contained in or connected
to a message, I strongly advocate that you simply disable this feature.
My personal feeling is that if an executable file shows up unexpectedly
attached to an E-mail, you must delete it unless you'll be able to completely
verify what it's, who it came from, and why it had been sent to you.
The recent outbreak of the Melissa virus was a vivid demonstration of the
need to be very careful once you receive E-mail with connected files or
documents. simply because an E-mail seems to return from somebody you trust,
this doesn't mean the file is safe or that the supposed sender had something
to do with it.