Computer viruses are a big problem for Windows users. Every year there are millions of computers that are damaged and destroyed by virus problems. Many are afraid to go to certain places online and download anything for fear that it is a virus. Learn some of the truth behind common virus myths so you can be more informed.

Myth: Something is wrong with the computer. It must be a virus.

Many times when there are problems with the computer, it is a virus. But if you have protected yourself with up-to-date antivirus software, it is most likely something else. If you think everything is a virus, another problem could harm your machine while it is scanning for a virus. Make sure you understand that there may be other problems with your computer as well.

Myth: Viruses cannot physically damage your machine.

One thing that many people don’t know is that a virus can physically destroy your machine. Some are written to break the hardware. Most of the time what is broken is the hard drive. It is important to protect yourself from these problems so that your hardware remains intact.

Myth: If you see a pop-up warning about a virus, you should download the program to fix it.

If you ever see a pop-up window on the Internet telling you that you have a virus problem, don’t download that program. Many of these hijack your computer. This means that you will have to pay a fee to remove the virus that the software wrote for your computer. This is a dirty trick. Unless you know for sure that the popup virus is coming from your antivirus program, don’t touch it.

Hopefully this will help you understand virus issues. Whatever you do, keep your software up to date and don’t download things you’re not sure about.