Run a Virus Scan on your Computer

You’ve installed your Anti-Virus software, run regular updates to keep your software updated, scheduled those weekly scans to occur, say every Friday - you've safeguarded yourself. But it is always a good habit to spring an occasional surprise scan on your system to catch those viruses that may have gone unnoticed by your Anti-Virus during a regular scan. Or if you suspect anything going on with your system that you can’t account for, you’d like to run a scan to see for yourself, here’s how.

If you want to run a quick scan on only a particular file or folder, just Right-click on the folder and select the option of scanning with your anti-virus software. If on the other hand you want to scan an entire drive or the entire computer itself:
Remember scanning your entire system is time consuming, so be patient with it.

• Click on Start and go to All Programs. Open your Anti-virus program.
• Select the Scan for Viruses option. Select what you want scanned as in your entire computer or just the removable disks or any particular drive or folder, from the list that appears. Click on Scan.
• Once your anti-virus performs the scan, you will see a summary of the Scan, show up.
• If your program detects a virus in any file, it is recommended that you put that file under Quarantine. You are doing just what this medical term suggests. You are putting the file away from the rest of your data, to be fixed by the anti-virus.
• Once you’ve dealt with your virus, click on Finished.