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unknown source.

Open any folder on your computer, then go to the menu-bar near the top. Select "Tools", then "Folder Options". There's an option called "Hide Extensions For Known File Types". Make sure this is unchecked.

Every file on your computer has an extension that indicates what type of file it is. Files that end in '.jpg' are pictures. Files that end in '.doc' are documents. And files that end in '.exe' or '.msi' are executable- programs that run on your computer. If anyone sends you a file that ends in '.exe', you have to be careful with it- 'camping_pictures.exe' may sound like someone's camping photos, but it's actually, probably, a virus.

Common vectors for these unwanted fidgety-tidgets include e-cards, e-mail attachments, 'cracked' software or games, and software from untrustworthy sources.

The final question is how to recover if you suspect that you might have a virus. If you consider yourself fairly confident with computers, you can scan your computer with a Trend Micro Housecall, HijackThis, RootkitRevealer, any number of handy utilities. With some time and effort you can find out what bug is plaguing you.

If the problem is too far beyond you, you might consider getting a professional to either do a complicated (and often incomplete) scanning and removal job, or just scrub everything on your computer and start again from scratch.

Happy and safe computing!

Learn more about this author, Curtis Lassam.
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