Protect Your Computer From Viruses

Here are a few tried and tested tips that you can try out.

3 System Protected Folders to watch out:

Antivirus program’s can’t do anything to the infected files detected inside these folders as they do not have permissions to alter them (delete, alter or quarantine).

• Temporary Internet Files Folder - anything you see in a website (images, text, scripts etc.) get saved in this folder if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer. The purpose is actually beneficial because it will speed up your browsing by loading the static contents (images etc.) off your hard drive instead of fetching them from the web server. Unfortunately, it is subject for exploitation. Use Mozilla Firefox instead. Firefox does not use the Temporary Internet Files Folder and has it’s own which Antivirus programs have access to.
• Recycle Bin - always empty the bin, it is useless if the virus hides inside. Set the Recycle Bin’s size to a minimal.
• System Restore Point - again, useless if the virus hides inside this folder. If you try to use this feature, you’ll get instant infection. Using this feature will only restore Microsoft Windows but not your installed programs and their setting and will behave or function abnormally, hence you will have to re-install them. This folder is a special one because even you, the user with Administrative rights on the computer can’t even access the contents. Turn it off, been running Microsoft Windows XP without it for years.

Browser Helper Objects (BHO’S):

The main avenue for malwares to get inside your computer. These are the toolbars that get installed in your browser. The only toolbar I trust is Google Toolbar. Uninstall these toolbars since you don’t need them to browse the Internet.

Disk Cleanup:

Comes free with Microsoft Windows. It provides the option to delete temporary and unnecessary files in your computer specially those inside the Temp folder (used by Microsoft Windows for installations and other what-not’s), the Temporary Internet Files Folder and the Recycle Bin.


I’ll add more in the future, most probably after Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft’s “Morro” is available (the stand-alone download that offers no-cost malware protection for the Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems.