Viruses can infect computers and play havoc with files on the computer. They can destroy and cause irreparable crashes. Computers can be protected from virus by installing anti virus systems. The internet being an information highway has in depth articles on antivirus systems and how a computer user can choose an appropriate system and what the latest anti virus software are. You must always choose antivirus products that are certified by either Checkmark, ICSALabs, or VB100%. Choose an antivirus system that has passed the rigorous tests conducted by AV-Test org.

What an anti virus system does is it scans the computer files for any known viruses matching definitions in the virus dictionary. It will also identify suspicious behavior for existing computer programs that is indicative of infections. Antivirus systems act by:

•Repairing infected files by removing the virus from the file.

•Quarantine the virus infected file so that it does not spread.

•Delete the infected file.

•Choose antivirus software that is simple to use and suits your particular computer system.

•Determine whether you will require an antivirus and anti-spyware scanner. Very often antivirus systems like McAfee have spyware protection as well as anti virus protection in one system.

•According to experts you must only have one kind of antivirus system running on your computer. Or if you do need two separate systems then one must be enabled for real time scanning while the other can be used manually to scan selected files.

•Before installing new antivirus software you need to remove old antivirus software, reboot the computer and then proceed with the installation of the new antivirus system.

•Always choose an antivirus system that is recommended by experts. Read ZDnet or PC magazine online and find out what their editors recommend. Popular choices are BitDefender, McAfee, and Kaspersky Lab, these are suitable for both known and unknown malware.

Computer experts recommend that the computer should be scanned regularly to detect infections. There are antivirus packages that permit automatic scans, this will scan specified files or directories automatically and warn you of any infections.

To protect your system completely it is important to scan files before opening them. Always scan email attachments and web downloads before opening the files in your system. Always scan DVDs and CDs for viruses before opening any files.

Keep the antivirus system updated and read reviews as well as blogs written by experts on anti virus software systems. Visit sites like http://csrc.nist.gov/virus/ for the latest updates on computer viruses.

The World Wide Web has several online resources where you will find valuable information on antivirus systems for your computer. Popular sources are: http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1874,4796,00.asp and http://reviews.cnet.com/Software/2001-3513_7-0.html .

If you keep your computer protected from viruses you will never have to worry about loosing valuable data.