How to Scan Your Windows PC for Viruses and Other Malware
Malware is any type of software that attempts to cause harm to your or the computer. Variants include viruses, trojans, keyloggers and more. To ensure that your computer is safe you need to employ an anti-malware solution like Microsoft’s free Security Essentials application (the software is free for users that have a genuine and validated copy of Windows Vista and 7). Although you should be scheduling Security Essentials to regularly scan your PC, you should run a manual scan whenever you suspect that something’s wrong with your PC. Sudden sluggishness, strange activity, and random files are good indicators. The key to keeping your computer secure and healthy is always to have the latest virus definitions for whatever antivirus application you are using and to perform virus scans regularly. The next thing you will notice is a reasonably large Scan now button and to the right, a set of options that will determine the type of scan. The possibilities are as follows:
Quick - This scan will be fast, and on the surface, so you may not be able to find those viruses or other malware lurking deep in the file structure. Full - The Full scan is the best option if you have not scanned your Windows computer for viruses in a while. Custom - This option allows you to set specific parameters like where you want to scan and the level of the scan. Itis an excellent option if you have an external hard drive or a memory key you wish to scan along with any other drives attached to the computer.
