Norton Antivirus 2007, or shortly NAV 2k7, is the latest product to come from Symantec, the industry leader in the field of security software. Norton Antivirus is well known to pc users around the world and it's designed to protect computers against spyware, adware, worms, viruses and other related risks. According to Symantec, there are two major improvements in their latest development which include security technology and performance.

Stats show that there are about 53,000 computer viruses in existence and a new is being created on every 18 seconds! A virus can do anything from showing ads, deleting system files to stealing your personal and credit card information. Most users get infected by an email attachment or by downloading a pirated software, or any other type of software that has a virus attached to it. There are some facts that one must be aware of, but at the end of the day, having an anti-virus installed is an absolute must. First of all, you shouldn't open any attachments send from a person that you don't know or you are not sure about. That's how the majority of computers get infected. And even if you do have a virus scanner, keep your eyes open all the time.

According to the definition given by Wikipedia.org, a computer virus is a 'program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission or knowledge of the user.' This self-reproduction is now made even easier with the popularity of the Internet, because a virus can spread easily across the network - by email or file sharing. Some viruses can damage programs that you already have installed, delete files or even format your entire hard drive. Regardless the type of virus, it will slow down your system and cause system crashes and data loss.

1. Installing Norton Antivirus

The system requirements that your computer must meet to support Norton Antivirus 2007 are:

-Windows® XP Home Edition/Professional

-300 MHz or higher processor

-256MB RAM

-150MB of available hard disk space

Although the installation is quite straight forward, there are some facts that you should have in mind. Symantec strongly advices that you don't have any other anti-virus applications installed. If you do, go into the Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs and Uninstall them. During the installation process itself, it's also a good idea to close as many programs as you can, in order to keep the system load at minimum.
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Did you know that most anti virus software actually slows down your PC by as much as 50%? It's true - it's always sitting in the background scanning all the things you're doing on your PC, which is using up precious system resources every time you use your machine. And you know, the best of it is that these tools don't actually combat errors in any way. They just find viruses and spy ware which are probably causing pop ups or something....

The fact is that computer errors are simply a warning that something is wrong somewhere in your system. These problems could literally mean anything from a damaged driver to missing system files. How you deal with this problem is all about how you make the most of the problem and how you go about fixing it.

You see, there's actually a tool you can use which fixes about 90% of most computer errors. It's called a "registry cleaner" and works by sitting on your PC and scanning all the troublesome areas of your PC. Such areas include the system registry (the Windows central database), your Internet downloads folder and even your computer's "Recycle Bin". The software tool basically scans these sensitive areas and then fixes or removes the files which might be causing errors.

All you need to do is to install the registry cleaner (which is very easy) and then let it scan your system. After it's finished scanning, you should be free of all the errors that were plaguing you to start with.

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Basic Computer Security Tips

Protect Your Computer with Your Own User Account
Files and content on your PC are your private data and information. If you are the sole user of the PC, you know you are the only person who can view those files. But in case of a single PC and multiple users, like in a household where kids and parents use the same machine, you can protect your data by setting up user accounts. Setting up a separate account for each user shows only that individual's data to them and not what is present on the entire system. Such accounts are also useful for specifying privileges, like what files can be modified or deleted and what software can be installed. Imagine if your child manages to access important files that you have created and deletes them by mistake. By setting up a user account for him/her, he/she can only view files, not modify them and cannot install any programs. By setting yourself as the administrator, all computer settings and user accounts can be modified by you alone. And for guest or non-family member users, like your kids friends, you can keep a guest user account.

Secure Your Wireless Network

With wired Internet access, there' little risk of someone encroaching on your network. But wireless networks do have holes in their security, so as the owner you need to be vigilant. Setting up a password and securing your wireless network is the first step. Use the latest security encryption methods like WPA or WPA2 key. If you have shared the password with a neighbor or someone outside, for one-time use, change the password the next time you log on your machine. Saying that an anti-virus software is necessary seems stupid, as this is one of the most basic computer security guidelines. But you need an anti-virus program and it should be regularly updated. Schedule auto system scans, carry out scanning of downloads and new added devices, periodic quick scans and once in a while, carry out a complete system scan.

Be Careful with Websites and Email

The land of the Internet is vast and filled with numerous and convenient places to hide. No one ever reveals their true identity and details and you should do the same. Social networking sites are fun online places to socialize but they are also preying grounds for the depraved. For parents, installing parental control softwares is useful for monitoring and filtering what their children can get up to online.

You can even change your web browser's security settings to block certain sites and filter out objectionable content. Such settings are not as powerful as parental control softwares but it helps to be extra secure. You can find this feature in the Tools option of most browsers. With search engines like Google, you can fiddle with search preferences settings.

Email is another online threat. Log in data and information should be kept very very secure and should be updated regularly. Change your email password once every 2 weeks. Use a spam blocker or filter. Malicious Internet users can send anything in emails, so do not open unknown sender's emails. Most email clients like Hotmail, will warn you of suspicious content or dangerous mails from an unknown user. Before downloading any email attachments, use the virus scan first. After checking your email, it's best to run a quick virus scan of your system, to ensure nothing has seeped into your computer.

Use Passwords

Since nearly all programs have passwords and are encrypted, it pays to be a bit cautious about those little strings of computer security authentication. Passwords are supposed to keep your individual settings and data safe, so you need to keep their value or the actual password safe. This includes not writing down all your passwords on a piece of paper and keeping it in the car or say a common location. With numerous passwords, it's understandable that remembering them all is difficult. So you can write them down but the place where you store this written down info, should be secure.

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A new version of Antivirus rogue antispyware program has been recently noticed spreading on the Internet. Antivirus is known as a fake security tool which only imitates the functions of virus removal tool but in fact is an infection itself. The main goal of it is to convince computer users into purchasing a fake tool describing it as the best antispyware product in the entire world.

The program is mainly pushed to computer systems through porno websites, where you must download video codec in order to watch the videos. In this way you actually install Antivirus to your system or, to be more precise, it's trial version. Once it's there, the program is configured to start automatically with each computer reboot. Usually one of the very first actions you notice is a scanner of Antivirus. It is run for a while (but for a shorter period of time than most of legitimate antispyware programs) and then you receive a list of infections supposedly detected on your system. They are recommended to be removed by purchasing a full version of a program, as the trial version is told to be able only to detect infections but not to get rid of them.

However, this information is fake. Antivirus has neither trial nor full version. It's simply a rogue program that only seeks to gain your money. Additionally to fake scanners, the program displays fake pop up ads and security notifications which are not only extremely annoying but also provides with fake information. Basically, they report about some spyware infections detected and warn that your private information might be at risk. Most importantly, they promote Antivirus as a legitimate security tool which fixes all existing security problems.

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A standard operating procedure when you are using the Internet is to be a smart and safe user. One hallmark of such a smart user is that her or his computer never runs without the best antivirus firewall software to protect it from malware.

There are times, however, when even the best antivirus firewall software can blink and skip a virus or two. What other recourse do you have when that happens? One way to pinpoint the intruder is to use an online antivirus scanner. Most antivirus developers also provide online versions of their products, so you may want to check out your antivirus program's official website and see if such a facility exists.

When you opt to use online antivirus scanners, be sure it's from a reliable source. Check for testimonials or ask a friend who might have used the same online antivirus scanner. To be safe, use the scanners that you are already familiar with. Take time to get to know and criticize your online antivirus scanners so that you would not jeopardize your computer. There are also reviews of online antivirus scanners done by professionals or firms that you can access for free.

Once you have already chosen one, put your computer on freeze. It is like freezing you current computer or system set-up and putting it in a safe mode. In this way, even if you have used a faulty online antivirus scanner and acquire some worms from the Internet, your system or unit would not be affected and you could avoid losing important files along the way.

Be careful of hoaxes. There are clues to check whether the online antivirus scanner is a hoax. First, if it takes forever to do the scanning, it probably is a hoax--or you probably just have too many viruses on your computer. If the approximate scanning time takes weeks to finish, raise the red warning flag. You're probably dealing with a fake online antivirus scanner. The second clue is that hoax scanners often take you to other sites after trying the online antivirus software. Its purpose probably is not to scan your computer but to give you more worms. If this happens, exit the application and choose another one.

If you have fortunately landed on a good one, test if it suits your needs. If it is not that efficient for your standards, try looking for another one. Make sure that you still go on a safe search this time around. If it's already good enough for you, try using complement products (e.g., firewall software) so that your online antivirus scanner will be more effective and efficient.

Remember, your purpose for using online antivirus scanners is to protect your computer or system and keep it safe for a long time. Besides finding the best antivirus program with online scanning ability, it is also up to you to help your scanner function properly. How? Be a smart Internet user and follow safety rules.

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