There are a lot of icky things that can be picked up on the internet these days. Some stuff can be picked up as easily as visiting the wrong website. Sometimes letting someone who has a computer infected with a virus use their thumb drive on your computer is enough to infect it.

Some things to keep in mind if you think you might have a virus. Spyware is different from what is generally considered to be a 'virus'. There are several different types of 'viruses' also. MOST of what you pick up out there is relatively harmless, and won't do much damage other than slowing your computer down. There are exceptions however, so be careful.

Some of these bad programs are easy to remove, but some of these things can be pretty sticky too. They can be incredibly hard to get rid of. Many times, when you take your computer in to be cleaned, the 'experts' will recommend a hard drive format and windows re-install; unfortunately this results in the loss of all personal data you might have had on your hard drive, which can be infuriating sometimes.

NEWS FLASH: A hard drive format is almost NEVER required to get rid of malware! In the very rare cases that it might be necessary to format the hard drive, data recovery is generally not difficult if the technician you choose is simply willing to take the time to do it.

If you don't much care about all this stuff, you think your computer is infected with a virus and just want help, as always simply click on the 'Need Help Now' link and give us a call.

There is a lot of general information I'll be adding to this section, for the people that want to read it. If you're interested in this type of thing, watch for a 'more' link at the end of this article. I'm also considering offering some free courses in the different types of malware that's out there, what they do, why they can be dangerous, and what all the hype is about. If you would be interested in attending such a thing, please send a note through the 'Contact Us' link.