Computer viruses are small programs that hide inside of your computer and then replicate themselves in some fashion in order to spread to other computers. With the internet connecting so many computers to one another, and our propensity to share many of our files with other people, we unknowingly transmit to other computers viruses that have infected our own files. For more detail go to: www.divorce-rebuild-your-life-.com. Depending on the design of the virus, once it reaches a computer, it can do almost anything from deleting and corrupting your files, to disabling your computers security measures to make it more vulnerable to a hacker. Types of Viruses

Computer Viruses can be divided into many different categories; here are the more common, as well as a brief explanation of each one.

Resident Viruses This is a type of virus that hides in your computer's RAM memory, controlling and intercepting operations carried out by the system; these are often used to capture passwords and credit card numbers and can corrupt files and programs.

Direct Action Viruses the main objective of these viruses is to replicate themselves and take a particular action when they are run. When a pre-defined condition is met, the virus will spring into action and replicate itself. These viruses normally attach themselves to other files on your computer, so when the file is run – the virus is activated. Files infected with this type of virus can usually be fixed using anti-virus software. Overwrite Viruses When this type of virus infects a file; it deletes all of the information contained within that file and then copies itself into it. In other words, these will gut your files and then wear their clothes. Files infected with this type of virus become useless and can't be recovered without restoring a previous backup.

Boot Viruses this type of virus infects the boot sector of your disk drives. The boot sector is a part of the disk that stores basic system information and is used to start your computer. These viruses are then loaded on boot-up. Please note that this kind of virus does not affect files. The best way to avoid boot viruses is to write-protect your floppy disks and never start your computer with an unknown floppy disk in the drive. Most antivirus programs can detect and remove these.

Macro Viruses Certain programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint have the ability to use small ‘helper' programs to extend their functionality and automate repetitive tasks. These ‘helper' programs are known as macros and scripts and are stored in the document files instead of the main program. A macro virus is simply a virus that hides out in these files and waits for you to open them with their respective programs – which then run the virus.

File Infectors this type of virus infects programs and/or executable files. for more detail go to: www.be-a-stargazer.com.Each time one of these programs runs, the virus is activated; the majority of existing viruses belongs to this category, and are classified depending on the actions that they carry out. Think of these viruses as stowaways on your computer's files. Choosing an Antivirus Software