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Viruses, worms, and trojan horses are all different types of harmful programs that are sometimes collectively referred to as "malware" (malicious software). If they get onto your computer and “infect” it, they can cause a variety of problems such as the loss of your data or files and the corruption of your installed software programs so they do not work properly anymore.

Viruses hide themselves in other files, which often makes them impossible to detect just by looking at the file itself. Because of this, you need anti-virus software to detect viruses (see "What is Anti-Virus Software?" section).

Two of the most common ways viruses and worms get onto your computer are when files are copied to your computer from e-mail attachments and peer-to-peer file sharing networks or when a worm exploits a vulnerability in your operating system because it is not updated with the latest Windows Update patches.

How Do I Know if My Computer is Infected with a Virus/Worm?

The symptoms of viruses/worms are not consistent so it can be hard to tell if you are infected. Some of the following symptoms may (but do not always) indicate you have a virus:

Click here for more information on updating your anti-virus program.

What is Anti-Virus Software?

Anti-virus software is a program that runs on your system that looks for viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. It can prevent them from getting onto your computer, and it can also remove them if they are already there. Anti-virus programs use lists of known viruses to find them on your system. Since new viruses are found daily, it is very important that the anti-virus software has its virus list updated frequently so it can detect the latest viruses. Most anti-virus programs require you to subscribe to receive their up-to-date virus lists. If you have an anti-virus program installed but it is not up-to-date, your system is vulnerable to all new viruses that are in the wild.

Click here to find out if you have an anti-virus program installed on your computer.

Click here if you have an anti-virus program on your system and would like instructions on how to scan your computer

What Can I Do to Prevent Viruses/Worms from Infecting My System?

The best way to prevent viruses is to have up-to-date anti-virus software installed on your system. The anti-virus software can automatically detect the virus and delete it if you have allowed the anti-virus software to run in auto-protect mode. This means that the anti-virus software will automatically scan when you download, open, or install files. In addition to having updated anti-virus software, you can also prevent viruses from infecting your computer by using caution when viewing e-mail attachments or downloading files from the Internet. Only view attachments from people you trust and only download programs from reputable sources.

What Should I Do if My Computer has a Virus or Worm?

Anti-virus software will also assist you in the removal of the virus from your system. In the case of a bad infection, you may need to download a special removal tool that is usually provided by your anti-virus software provider.

How Do I Know if I Have an Anti-virus Solution Installed on My Computer?

1. First, check to see if you already have an anti-virus application on your computer. Help Me Check

Click here for additional help finding anti-virus software installed on your computer.

Click here for help finding installed anti-virus software that did not come with your Dell computer.

2. If you do not have a subscription to a McAfee, Symantec, or Trend Micro anti-virus application, or you are running a limited time trial anti-virus application, your best option is to upgrade your current security software. Dell recommends the following applications:

McAfee

Symantec (Norton)

Trend Micro PC-cillin

3. If you are running an anti-virus application other than McAfee, Symantec, or Trend Micro but you do not have a subscription, your best option is to upgrade your current security software by visiting the website of the software manufacturer of the application you're running. If you prefer, you may purchase a security solution from Dell's Electronics & Accessories website. Dell recommends the following applications:

McAfee Upgrade

Symantec (Norton) Upgrade

Trend Micro PC-cillin Upgrade

Note: Do not run more than one anti-virus program at the same time. If you want to try a new anti-virus program, un-install your current program first. Click here for more information on uninstalling software programs.

4. If you do not have an anti-virus solution on your system at all, Dell recommends the following applications:

McAfee - Internet Security Suite

Norton Internet Security

Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security

How Do I Update My Anti-Virus Software?

Running the update service every couple days will ensure that your computer will detect the most recent viruses and install any program updates that may be available.

McAfee

Symantec (Norton)

Trend Micro

How Do I Scan My System for Viruses?

For information on scanning for viruses, click on your specific anti-virus software below.

McAfee

Symantec (Norton)

Trend Micro

Table of Contents:

1. What is Malware and How Do I Know if I My Computer Is Infected?
   
2. Determine if Security Software is on Your Dell Computer and Get Support
   
3. Register Your Dell Factory Installed Security Software
   
   1. Register Norton Internet Security
      
   2. Register McAfee SecurityCenter
      
   3. Register Trend Micro Internet Security
      
4. Run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT)
   
5. Ensure Your Microsoft Security Features Are Enabled
   
6. Install the Latest Anti-Malware Software to Protect Your Computer
   

Determine if you have security software already installed on your computer. If so, refer to your vendor for information on removal of malware. A list of security software vendors' contact information can be found in the Security Software section of the Dell Third-Party Software Contacts page One simple way to determine if you have security software is to check the System Tray in the bottom right corner of your screen for a security icon. Some common icons to look for:

• 
  Check for the McAfee  icon in your system tray (near the system clock).
• 
  Check for one of the Norton AntiVirus ( or ) icons or one of the Norton Internet Security ( or ) icons in your system tray (near system clock).
• 
  Check for the Trend Micro PC-Cillin  icon in your system tray (near system clock).

	Note:
	If you do not have or do not wish to purchase any Internet security software, Microsoft has created free security software built specifically for your operating system. VisitMicrosoft Security Essentials to preview, download and get support.

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To register your McAfee products:

1. Connect to the Internet.
2. Right-click on the M icon by your system clock.
3. Click Product Setup.
   

   	Note:
   	If you do not see Product Setup, then your products have already been registered.

   
   
4. Click Next.
5. Follow the prompts to register your products.
   

   	Note:
   	If you already have a McAfee account, click Current McAfee User Log In and enter your email address and password. Click Log In and follow the prompts.

   
   

If you receive a message "invalid Dell service tag", or "service tag has already been used", and you do not have a McAfee account, please click here .
After completing McAfee Product Setup, your products will update automatically on a regular basis.
Click here  for additional product activation and update help.

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Table of Contents:

1. Most Dell Systems Have AV Software Pre-Installed
   
2. Uninstall McAfee SecurityCenter
   
3. Uninstall Norton Internet Security
   
4. Uninstall Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security
   
5. Restore the Operating System to Factory Settings
   

	Note:
	Before uninstalling SecurityCenter, you must uninstall VirusScan Online, Personal Firewall and Privacy Service.  For information on removing VirusScan Online and Personal Firewall, refer to the following Dell Knowledge Base Articles: "Uninstalling VirusScan Online  Article ID: 120237 "Uninstalling Personal Firewall in Dell Security Center by McAfee®" Article ID: 120336

1. 
   Click the Start button, and then the Run button.
2. 
   Type appwiz.cpl, and click OK.
3. 
   Scroll to McAfee SecurityCenter, and click it.
   McAfee SecurityCenter is highlighted.
4. 
   Click the Uninstall/Remove button.

   	Note:
   	If at any time you are prompted to remove shared files, answer Yes To All. Restart your computer when prompted.

   
   
5. 
   Verify McAfee Security Center is no longer listed and is uninstalled.

Remove McAfee Security Center Files 
If McAfee SecurityCenter is still not uninstalled, perform the following:

1. 
   Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. 
   Double-click the C: drive, where c is the primary hard drive.
3. 
   Double-click the Program Files folder and then the mcafee.com folder.
4. 
   Double-click agent and then app.
5. 
   Right-click any file ending in .adf, and click Delete.
6. 
   Repeat step 6 until all files ending in .adf have been deleted.
7. 
   Close the window.
8. 
   Click the Start button, and then the Run button.
9. 
   Type appwiz.cpl, and click OK.
10. 
    Scroll to McAfee SecurityCenter, and click it.
    McAfee SecurityCenter is highlighted.
11. 
    Click the Uninstall/Remove button.

    	Note:
    	If at any time you are prompted to remove shared files, answer Yes To All. Restart your computer when prompted.

    
    
12. 
    Verify McAfee Security Center is no longer listed and is uninstalled.

	Note:
	You must have Norton Internet Security Supervisor rights to modify these settings.

To uninstall Norton Internet Security 2004 or 2005:

1. Click the Start button, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.

3. Click to select Norton Internet Security from the Currently installed programs and then click Change or Remove. Either option opens the Modify Installation window.

4. Click Remove All to remove Norton Internet Security and all of its components, such as Norton Personal Firewall and Norton AntiVirus. Select the Modify option if you want to leave Norton AntiVirus installed.
   

5. Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the uninstallation process.

	Note:
	For help with uninstallation problems, refer to the following Symantec Knowledge Base articles: "Removing and reinstalling Norton Internet Security, Norton AntiSpam, or Norton Personal Firewall (2006/2005/2004 versions) " "Removing your Norton program using SymNRT"

The information contained in this document consists of excerpts from the Symantec Knowledge Base. For the latest version of the complete article, refer to the Symantec documents listed above.