One of the smartest things you can do as a home PC user is to install and maintain Anti-virus software. There are plenty of anti-virus software packages available. Virus software checks for known viruses by scanning your computer, it can be automatic or done manually, most also check for viruses on incoming email. It is important to keep your software up to date, as new viruses are discovered almost daily. At least once a week you should check to see if there is an update available for your anti virus software. I recommend McAfee virus scan, you can get Virus protection, e-mail protection, and a firewall, depending on what you need and the version you purchase, and all three are easy to install and setup .
Whichever anti-virus programs you select, it must be set to scan incoming email and files, and it must do a full scan of your computer at least once a week. I can not emphasize this point enough. Without anti virus software it’s a certainty that you will encounter problems sooner or later .
Because new viruses are created and distributed every day you must keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. Most anti-virus software is a subscription based license but not all.