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This page is of basic “Janet and John” instructions for the common free security programs.
They are not full comprehensive instructions. All the programs have help files which go into much greater depth. But people don’t seem to read help files....!
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.5
AdAware SE Build 1.06r1
Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.3
Windows Defender
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AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 7.5
Download it from here.
Every time that you download an e-mail or open a file AVG checks it for viruses.
It updates itself and does a scan of your whole system automatically in line with a schedule.
But if your computer is switched off or you are not on line when the scheduled update or scan is due it might not do it.
You will know if AVG needs an update because the coloured flag icon in the Notification Area (bottom right hand corner) will change to black and white. And you will get messages from AVG to remind you.
So this is the procedure to follow regularly:
Update
Connect to the internet in the normal way.
Left Double-Click the "AVG" Icon.
AVG Control Centre will open.
Left Click "Check for Updates" button.
The "Update" box will open.
The program will connect to the server and download the update.
(If there is more than one update available, click "OK" to download the "Priority" update)
The program will run the update - you may have to left click the "OK" button.
Sometimes the AVG server is busy and you can't get the update. Don't worry, try later.
When you get back to the AVG Control Centre screen you can disconnect from the internet.
Close down AVG
Scan
Left Double-Click the "AVG" Icon.
Left Click "Test Center".
Left Click "Scan Computer".
The "Scanning..." box will come up and the scan will run for several minutes.
If the program finds viruses it will offer to deal with them - just agree to the actions it suggests.
Otherwise the test will finish and say that no virus infection was found.
Left Click the "Close" button.
Close down AVG
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AdAware SE Build 1.06r1
Update
Connect to the internet in the normal way.
Left Double Click the "AdAware SE Personal" Icon.
Left Click "Check for updates now".
Left Click "Connect" button.
The program will connect to its server.
If it says "New definitions file available!" and gives the Build and Date and "Download and install this file?" then left click the "OK" button.
The "Performing WebUpdate" box will open.
When it has finished downloading, the "Cancel" button will change to a "Finish" button
Left Click the "Finish" button.
Scan
Left Click the "Start" button (in the AdAware box).
Left Click "Next" button.
"Performing System Scan" will come up and the scan will run for several minutes.
When it finishes scanning the "Cancel" button will change into a "Next" button.
Left Click "Next" button.
Scanning Results will be displayed
If there are entries under "Target families detected on this system"
Left Click in each of the boxes
Left Click "Next" button.
It will tell you how many objects will be removed and ask "Continue?"
Left Click "OK" button.
When it has finished, left click "X" in top right hand corner of AdAware box.
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Spybot - Search & Destroy 1.3
Update
Connect to the internet in the normal way.
Left Double Click the "Spybot - Search & Destroy" Icon.
Left Click "Search for Updates".
The program will check for updates on the internet.
If it finds that there are updates available, left click to select the box next to each update, then left click the "Download Updates" button.
Wait for the program to download the updates.
Scan
When it has finished downloading, click the "Search & Destroy" button at the top left hand side.
Left Click the "Check for problems" button.
"Running bot-check" will come up at the bottom left of the screen and the scan will run for several minutes.
When it has finished and if the program finds any problems, left click "Fix selected problems".
Left Click "Yes" in response to "You are about to remove these entries, do you wish to continue?"
Wait for the confirmation box to say that the problems have been fixed.
Left Click "OK" button.
Left Click "X" in top right hand corner of Spybot - Search & Destroy box.
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Windows Defender
This is the latest version and new name for Microsoft AntiSpyware. (Which itself was an updated version of Giant AntiSpyware). It’s free from the www.microsoft.com download page.
The download is only available to computers running a genuine copy of Windows XP - this will be checked before the download occurs.
If you are running Windows Vista then you already have Windows Defender - it comes as part of Vista.
The program updates itself and does a scan of your whole system automatically in line with a schedule.
But by default the scan is scheduled to run daily at 2.00 am (and if your computer is switched off when the scheduled scan is due it will do it as soon as you switch on again). Presumably most Americans leave their PCs on line all night!
You can change this annoying schedule by going into: Start,
All Programs,
Windows Defender
and clicking on:
Tools
Options
Change the Frequency from Daily to one of the days of the week and change the Approximate time to something more suitable.
Save
Now you will not get a daily scan, but you will get a weekly scan on your chosen day and time.
You can always do a scan more frequently at a time convenient to you by opening the program and clicking Scan.
That’s all you have to do - it just sits in the background defending you, normally without even an icon to tell you that it is running.
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