Why Boot Viruses are so common

Years ago file viruses accounted for almost half of the computer viruses nationwide. Today they are on the decrease significantly and boot viruses are marching strong, now accounting for almost all of the computer infections.

This has left quite a puzzle to solve and although many would like to shake the hand of all of the antivirus programs and congratulate them, the truth is simply that they are not responsible. There is no correlation between antivirus programs and the decrease in file viruses in comparison to the rise in boot viruses.

When looking and analyzing the differences in what is so different now than it was before, one can not help but notice that in the past decade or maybe a bit more than that, computers have gone from using DOS to using Windows 3.0 and 3.1. Normally, if a file virus is in the memory of DOS, Windows will never even start up. On the other hand, the behavior when infected with a boot virus reacts totally different. Yet if Windows users get infected with a file virus, the Windows system is completely inoperable which forces the hand of the owner/user to have to act to correct the problem. They have to do this in order to be able to use the computer again.

Boot viruses react differently with Windows and the user may not even notice that anything is wrong. Windows will start and operate just as expected but the boot virus will continue to spread infecting everything that is not write protected. Boot viruses live in a place within the computer that only is read when the computer boots up. That is when it loads itself into the memory of your computer. When you start your computer with a floppy disc that is infected, most systems, including Windows are incapable of detecting it.

The big concern is determining if you indeed have detected a boot virus or not. There is a downloadable program called Bootminder, it is free but does accept donations. The purpose is to remind you that you have left a floppy in the A drive before you shut down. This way, you take the floppy and out and it will not be present when you reboot. Therefore you will not become infected. If the entire disc becomes infected and the MBR was altered the entire disk will be unusable. It is much better to used very well updated virus protection.

The best method is obviously prevention however that is much often easier said than done. Prevention is best learned through education. There are many websites available that will scan your computer for various viruses, worms, Trojans, spy ware, and malware. Which one you select will depend on the system that you use and the knowledge that you have gained. Remember the basics about floppy's and how they are responsible for boot viruses and use always remember to be extra cautious with emails and never open attachments. Finally, always make sure you have the latest and most updated anti virus protection on your computer at all times.