Arghhh, has your computer been infected with the dreaded trojan virus?!? Is this has happened the first thing to do is NOT PANIC. The trojan virus is perhaps one of the most popular forms of malware infecting the internet. Unfortunately in the cyber world having to endure trojan virus attacks are part of the territory. If you discover your computer has been infected it is important that you clean the trojan virus from your computer quickly.

Like viruses that effect human beings, computer viruses are not all that different. Once formed, they spread person to person virally infecting individuals one at a time. And like normal viruses if they are not cured they will simply get worse and worse, spreading through your system and shutting down your ability to perform other functions.

A trojan virus can cause a host of problems once it hits your computer. It can:

Destroy your hard drive and corrupt the registry

Alter system setting and preferences and then block you from changing them back

Steal private information such as bank account and credit card numbers

Snoop on your browsing habits and report findings to others

So by now you are probably wondering “how can I remove a trojan virus from my computer?” Well before we get into that there is something equally as important. You must learn how to prevent trojan viruses from attacking your computer first. This can be done by installing a firewall.

Although versions of Windows Vista and XP (sp2) come with firewalls already installed, these are sometimes not enough. Norton and McAfee are widely considered the top two firewalls available. For FireFox users you can download a plugin called “McAfee Site Advisor” which tells you if any potential website will attempt to infect you with spyware and viruses. Once you turn it on you may be shocked by all the dangerous websites you didn’t know you were visiting. Those of you currently using Internet Explorer I highly recommend switching to FireFox for security purposes.

Now can get to how to clean a trojan virus. This can be done manually, but unless you have a strong understanding of Windows registry files I do not recommend doing it yourself. Fortunately there are a few programs which can remove trojan viruses easily, along with adware, spyware, and other dangerous forms of malware. In just a few short minutes your computer can be trojan virus free!