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What Is Antivirus?
Antivirus is a type of computer program that's designed to seek out and remove computer viruses that have infected your computer. They can also block your system from getting infected with new viruses.
There are antivirus programs available for every operating system, including Windows, Mac OS, Android, iPhone, and even Linux.
The word "antivirus" is a misnomer, considering that most of these applications can also clean any form of malware from your system, not only viruses.
The Threat of Malware
The presence of viruses and other malware on the internet is constant and always changing. Hackers are constantly developing new forms of software for any number of purposes.
• Steal personal information from your computer files
• Steal bank or credit count login information use keyboard logger software
• Turn your computer into a "bot" to perform email spamming and Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks
• Randomly pop up ad windows while you're using your computer
• Pop up ransomware threats to get you to send money
Some of these threats are more serious than others, but in almost every case, a virus consumes CPU, memory, and other system resources that reduce your productivity and put your privacy at risk.
What Does Antivirus Software Do?
If you are using an iPhone or a Mac, antivirus software isn't critical. The operating systems sandbox applications, and if you only run approved software, the odds of infection are almost nonexistant.
However, if you're using a Windows computer or an Android device, using Antivirus software is critical.
When you install and run antivirus software, it'll protect you in many ways.
• It regularly scans on a schedule that you set, scanning all of the directories and files on your system to spot known signatures that identify malware threats. Once identified, the antivirus software will isolate those files from your system and delete them.
• You can run a manual scan any time you suspect that your system may be infected with malware of any kind.
• Some antivirus companies also offer browser extensions that protect you where most virus infections take place, while you're browsing the internet. It'll warn you when you're visiting a dangerous website, and many extensions even alert you to all privacy issues, such as whether the site includes tracking cookies.
• Most antivirus programs also monitor all of your network traffic to and from your computer. It'll recognize when new, suspicious software is communicating over an unauthorized port on your system and will alert you to the activity. On many corporate networks, the IT department needs to add special "exceptions" to allow business software to communicate between computers and servers on specific ports.
All of these features work together to ensure that your computer is safeguarded against malware that may be running on your system, even if you're unaware of it.
Do I Need Antivirus Software?
For the most part, even if you're using an Android or a Windows computer, modern systems are already fairly well protected. For example Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender, which includes a firewall and an antivirus component. However, Windows Defender isn't a perfect solution.
The following actions on your part can still put your computer at risk if you don't install antivirus software:
• Clicking on email phishing links.
• Downloading free software from unknown sources.
• Using peer-to-peer file sharing software.
• Clicking on malicious social media links.
There are two main functions of antivirus software, blocking viruses from infecting your computer from the internet, but also protecting your computer from your own mistakes.
All you need to do is choose from any of the top free antivirus apps available for Windows 10. If you're using an Android device, there are plenty of great free antivirus apps for Android as well.
These antivirus apps protect you from every source of malware. Everything from Trojan viruses and zero day exploits to computer worms and ransomware. Install one immediately and make sure to schedule a scan regularly.
How do you uninstall antivirus software?
In Windows, open the Control Panel > go to Uninstall a Program and select the antivirus software > Uninstall. On a Mac, go to the Dock, select Finder > Applications. If the antivirus software is in a folder, check for an uninstaller and run it. If it's not in a folder and doesn't have an uninstaller, drag the icon to the trash can.
If your antivirus software doesn't detect and remove a virus, what should you try first?
Make sure your antivirus software is updated, then perform a full scan on your system. A program like Malwarebytes can also help detect viruses on your computer.
Install Avast Antivirus Software
If you uninstalled Avast Antivirus so that you can install new antivirus software, there are lots of good, free antivirus software options to choose from.
If you're only uninstalling it to test whether it's interfering with other things you're trying to do with your computer, make sure to download the latest version of Avast Antivirus and reinstall it on your system so that you're fully protected.
How to Uninstall Avast Antivirus ?
Now that Avast Self-Defense is disabled, you're ready to uninstall Avast Antivirus.
1. Select the Start menu and type Control Panel. Select the Control Panel app to open it.
2. In the Control Panel window, select Programs and Features.
3. In the Programs and Features window, scroll down to the Avast Antivirus application and select it. Then, select Uninstall to begin the uninstall process.
4. This will launch Avast's configuration screen where there are several options available to modify the Avast installation. The main options are Update, Repair, or Modify. However, you'll see the Uninstall button at the bottom of this window. Select it to launch the Avast uninstall process.
5. You'll see a confirmation window asking you if you really want to uninstall Avast. Select the Yes button.
6. This will launch the Avast uninstallation process. It may take a few minutes for the progress bar to complete as the uninstallation deletes all of the Avast files distributed throughout your system.
7. When the uninstallation is complete, you'll see a prompt to restart the computer so the uninstallation can complete. Select the Restart computer button to finish.
8. Restarting your computer will complete the uninstallation process. Once this is done, Avast will be completely uninstalled from your system.
How to Disable Avast's Self-Defense Mode ?
To disable self-defense mode in Avast, you'll need to go into a 'hidden' area of the Settings.
1. Open the Avast user interface and click Menu at the top of the user interface.
2. Select Settings from the drop-down menu that appears.
3. This opens a new Settings window. Select General from the left navigation pane, and then select Troubleshooting from the sub-menu.
4. Deselect the checkbox beside Enable Self-Defense to turn Self-Defense mode off.
5. This opens a pop-up window asking you to confirm. Select OK to confirm the change.
6. At this point, Self-Defense mode is turned off and you can close the Settings window as well as the Avast user interface.
