Should I delete a computer virus or quarantine it?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
August 10, 2007 1:13am CST
Whenever I run my computer anti-virus software, it recommends that I quarantine viruses. But, personally, I don't want them anywhere on my computer! I just want to destroy them and get them as far away from my computer as possible. Is there any harm in deleting a virus or trojan from one's computer? Do viruses always have to be quarantined first?
Awhile back, I was looking around inside of one of my older spyware zapper programs (Spybot) and came across a file filled with hundreds of zipped "viruses". Very spooky indeed! I guess spyware anti-virus programs "zip" the virus or trojan and that is how they quarantine the problem file. But, that doesn't sound very secure to me. What happens if one of those files is mistakenly unzipped by a novice user? Wouldn't that simply release the virus onto the computer again to do more damage? Wouldn't it just be better to delete the virus once and for all, instead of just putting it into quarantine?
2 people like this
14 responses
@jatamogue (367)
• Philippines
10 Aug 07
I would have to say. Quarantined is for cases to isolate the virus when no further action can be taken. Updates of your anti- virus can handle the problem when a solution is found. You have to make sure your anti-virus is up to date. When the program can deal with it, it usually removes the detected virus without further damage. You shpuld avoid downloading from unsecure sites.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
10 Aug 07
Yes, perhaps it is a problem with my software. Maybe it's not up to date. I will remedy that ASAP! Thanks!
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
11 Aug 07
I quarantine them until I see if they are files I need because I have deleted files that my computer has needed before and it messed it up some and started crashing and freezing. So it is best to quarantine till you find out if the file is needed forst then go delete crazy on it.
@754937286506548667 (815)
• Italy
11 Aug 07
erase the virus, use avast antivirus is really good!!!
try it!!!
@gabtielterrazas (7)
• Spain
12 Aug 07
You should ALWAYS delete any kind of virus running in your computer, when a virus gets into quarantined status it can be re-activated by a human mistake. I would recommend everyone to ALWAYS delete computer viruses.
@rjohncam14 (63)
• Philippines
13 Aug 07
i think u better quarantine it because if u delete the virus ur computer is in danger.. u must quarantine it..
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
10 Aug 07
My computer tech has always told me to Quarantine the viruses as he has set on my computer I asked him once wouldn't it be better to dlete it from my computer he said no because they can't always be just deleted as such, it is better to quarantine and then they will be automatically dletd by the program or something like that. too complicated for me....Good luck
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
10 Aug 07
I don't want to know about viruses... and I certainly don't want them left on my computer.
I did setup my anti-virus program (through its settings) to delete automatically any virus it find without asking me permission to do so. It tells me that it did find one and deleted it after it has done it.
In the old days I used to have them quarantine. The idea is that you may want to rescue a certain file. But there are no files important enough to me that I will take the risk to release a virus on my computer. So I would end up deleting the lot manually anyway. Might as well let the program do it for me.
@kowekokng0no (187)
• Indonesia
10 Aug 07
From my experience it is better if you quarantine the infected file because i am sure there will be a antivirus that able to handle it, in Indonesia many of local viruses commonly have the same method of spreading such as manipulate the virus with the file folder, but for the people that have intermediate of computer skill they will not camuflated with this kind of method because they will watch carefully about what happened in front of their computer.
@butterfly39 (3904)
• Philippines
10 Aug 07
All you need to do is put a software for anti virus but they can only detect the virus...I don't have any idea if they can destroy it...Try Norton Anti virus.
