How to Scan for Computer Viruses
Part of the Computer Viruses For Dummies Cheat Sheet
Your computer consists of thousands of files, and your antivirus software is meticulous when it comes to examining everything. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to tell your antivirus software to do this. Follow these steps to scan your entire computer for viruses:
Double-click or right-click the Antivirus System Tray icon; navigate to scan, and go!
In Windows Explorer, right-click a file or directory and select Scan.
To be certain your computer is virus-free you need to regularly run the following antivirus chores:
Check every day to make sure your antivirus program is running by checking the system tray for the antivirus program icon.
Scan your entire computer weekly for viruses, and confirm that the scan has completed. Check the status to see if any infected files were found. If you're running scans automatically, check to make sure it actually ran.
Make sure that your virus signature files have been updated.