Some people say that the computer is one of the most important inventions of all time. Computers really make our life easier. Not only can it serve as personal entertainment, it also works as powerful work station all in one. Viruses and spyware are a common threat that prevents a computer system to work at its full potential. How does a virus and spyware enter your computer? How can we prevent our precious system from getting infected, and doing manual virus removal?

A virus can enter in your system when:

When you open an infected email attachment.

When you use an infected USB storage device.

Downloading a file with infection from the internet.

A spyware can get in your system when:

You click OK on pop up messages without reading it thoroughly to find out what is it all about.

You go to adult sites or port sites.

You install a program without reading what the free programs that installs with it are.

First line of protection against infection will be anti-virus and anti-spyware program. This will automatically scan information going into your computer while surfing the internet or while you transfer files using USB storage device or optical media. It will warn you if there is a possible threat being detected. It is also critical for you to do a virus or spyware scan twice a week, in order to detect possible infections that are lurking in your system. Another way to prevent a virus is Windows firewall or hardware firewall. It should always be present and constantly turned on, in order to prevent hackers from accessing you computer remotely to steal credit card or bank information. Most of the routers today not only share internet connections, but also serve as a firewall.

Following these steps should help you avoid having to perform manual virus or spyware removal however, there are occasions that your computer will become infected, even with this protection in place. Most of the time if the infection went through the spyware or virus protection that you have, doing a scan will not help anymore. This means that your protection program is oblivious of the pending danger. In this case you only have two options. Backup your files and reformat or erase everything in your computer and start with a clean slate or seek immediate online computer help to do a manual virus and spyware removal.