Let’s Talk about Computer Viruses.

. 3 min read

Since the world has been talking about the Covid-19 pandemic for a year now, it can be easy to forget there are other viruses out there. Like computer viruses. If you’ve ever set up your internet browser only to find you can’t get online, and opened files to discover you actually can’t get anything to work on the computer, then you know the frustration of dealing with a computer virus.

So what are these viruses and how do they work? There are three major types of viruses. The experts at Austin Mobile Computer Repair have categorized the three types as follows: 

- “Macro viruses – These are the largest of the three virus types. They use built-in programming scripts in such applications as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word to automate the tasks. When an unsuspecting user opens a document infected by a macro virus, they give it the green light to make copies of itself in other documents and multiply.

- Boot record infectors – These viruses are known also as boot viruses or system viruses. They attack programs stored on bootable floppy or hard disks. Every time a user boots up, the virus-infected code automatically runs as well. This gives hackers full control of an entire system and lets them do exactly what they want with it. Boot record infectors can be spread from one infected bootable disk to another.

- File infectors – These viruses target .EXE or .COM files and changes them. File infectors get activated every time users run a compromised program. What makes this type of virus especially insidious is that it can simply stay inactive in the memory until it gets a cue to infect other program files. These viruses can get transmitted over networks, the Internet or by using infected disks.”

If you’re like most people these days, a huge portion of your life – work files, personal photos, your favorite music playlists – is on your computer. Because of this, it’s a good idea to review some of the options out there for anti-virus software. There are both free and paid options available. It’s worth doing some research to determine the best option for your situation.