About Online Virus Scanners
New viruses crop up nearly every day on the Internet. It's critical to protect your computer, and online virus scanners can be an important tool in your defensive arsenal, especially if you don't have resident virus protection.
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Function
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An online virus scan performs a scan of your computer's hard drive to check it for virus infections. If your computer is infected, it may also be able to remove the virus. Unlike anti-virus programs that reside on your computer's hard drive and run automatically, an online virus scan is done on demand. It doesn't offer ongoing protection.
Benefits
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If you are not currently running virus protection software, an online virus scan gives you a "check-up" to make sure you don't have an infection. However, they do not take the place of running resident virus protection software on your computer. After you run an online scan, it is highly recommended that you purchase permanent virus protection or download a free program from a legitimate company.
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Considerations
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An online virus scan, like any other type of scan, can take a long time. Depending on the size of your hard drive and the number of files on your computer, this can mean an hour or two or possibly even longer. Don't start an online virus scan unless you have enough time to let it run through to the end. An incomplete scan means that an infection or threat might have gone undetected.
Misconceptions
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While online virus scanners can help you to identify infections on your computer, they are not foolproof. It's a common misconception that if your computer passes a scan with no signs of infection, that means that it's clean. New viruses and updated versions of old ones constantly crop up on the Internet. Another misconception is that a virus scan will catch any kind of problem. You may need to run other software to detect other types of problems, such as spyware or adware.
Warning
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Never do a free virus scan at a website that looks suspicious. Often you may see a pop-up or another type of ad for an online virus scan. Some of these ads may even claim that they're already detected an infection. Never, ever do an online virus scan by clicking through an ad. These ads can lead you to sites that install viruses, adware or malware on your computer. Even if the ad looks like it leads to a legitimate company, do not respond. Scammers can disguise the link so it looks legitimate, but it may really lead to a malicious site. Only run an online virus scanner from a site that you have chosen to visit yourself, and only choose scans offered by reputable companies.
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