The win32/adware.virtumonde virus is a Trojan horse virus which is annoying and generally a nightmare to get rid of. Most people will experience a virus at some point in their life but this one, I have to say, is one of the worst there is. I say that because of its annoyance rather than it completely destroying your computer.

What is it?

win32/adware.virtumonde virus (or Vundo) is a Trojan horse virus which is said to infect your system by going through Java. For those of you who don't know much about computers, don't worry it's not Java that is the problem, so don't get carried away with yourself and delete Java! The virus usually attaches to the system using bogus Browser Helper Objects (BHO) and DLL files attached to Winlogon and Explorer.exe. This can cause a great deal of trouble and is rather frustrating. After you review the material presented below, follow up on my advice to ensure your computer's safety.

Have I got it?

Most computer viruses act just as human viruses hat can make you sick. It first starts off with symptoms and the symptoms for the Vundo virus are multiple pop ups. When you have Vundo, it causes the infected computer to use the web browser to trigger pop up advertisements You will quickly be able to recognize them because they usually claim to have software which will detect viruses on your computer and will “fix” your computer – when obviously they won't. This is a scheme to either get you to buy their software, or a way for you to activate more viruses.

You also may notice pop ups on your computer when you start windows, usually saying something about DLL files (with bizarre names) you will notice that these files are in the Windows/System32 directory and pop up when your computer starts, after you log on.

How to get rid of it?

Like most viruses, fortunately there is a way to get rid of it. Obviously, having a good anti-virus program will eliminate the need to even ask this question but if you are unaware of the best packages then I suggest, AVG (which is a free tool to get rid of spyware and viruses), Norton Anti-Virus and MacAfee. All these software packages are available in the shops and on the web. AVG is only available on the web but is easy to find – simply “Google” AVG and it should be available for download from somewhere.

If this doesn't immediately work then you may need to restart your computer in safe mode and run the virus scan again. Sometimes these viruses hide quite well. Once you're all sorted make sure you run your virus protection regularly and if you have a software package which has real time protection – use it. There are many types of viruses around at the moment and it is easy to get one when you are not protected. Using anti-virus software with regular updates and online real time protection is the best way to stay safe online in today's world.