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It is a well known fact that one should use an antivirus program to be able to guard his or her computer against viruses and other such attacks that may harm a computer. A great number of people already use antivirus tools for this purpose; however, many of them still suffer from data loss thanks to virus attacks.

So, why does this happen? Why does an antivirus program fail to perform its duty? The main reason for this is the fact that many people do not really know how to properly use such a program. There are several best practices in this regard that need to be followed so that all the benefits from an antivirus program are derived.

Some such best practices include:

Have it Active All the Time

Many a times people end up deactivating their antivirus programs, albeit temporarily, and end up getting infected. One main reason for this is that several programs and applications request antivirus to be disabled before they begin.

In order to get the application rolling, many users end up disabling the software opening their computer to risks. This is a move that should never be attempted as it may end up causing big damage. The best practice is to keep the software activated at all times, even if disabling it is suggested by other applications.

Scan Your Computer Regularly

Most software have an auto scan feature that can be set to scan the computer or specific drives/files automatically. This feature is of much help as using this you can easily automatically find and quarantine viruses in your computer.

However, if you do not like the auto scan feature, make sure you manually scan your computer for viruses. This is very important in order to identify and remove viruses because they may spread and cause irreversible damage.

Update the Software Time to Time

One of the biggest dangers a computer faces is the release of new and improved viruses. Many antivirus programs do not have the right tools to fight against new viruses; hence, they fail to keep the computer guarded. Nevertheless, the good news is that updates are regularly released for antivirus tools that are prepared to keep computers guarded against new and expected attacks.

This is why it is important that you update your software regularly. Most antivirus tools have an auto update option that allows the software to automatically connect to the internet and download the update patches when they release. It is recommended that you have this option enabled so that you do not have to worry about manually updating the software.

Do Not Neglect Warnings

It is important not to neglect the warnings your antivirus gives you. These applications are programmed to quarantine most files; however, at times they fail to remove certain viruses. In such cases they often give warnings about an infected file.

It is important to pay attention to such warnings and to stay away from infected files as opening an infected file may end up infecting the whole computer. In such a scenario one should look for tools or updates that can quarantine such files or delete them altogether.

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