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Spyware, viruses, & security forum: Why are periodic virus scans necessary

by: Paragon388 August 3, 2005 8:10 AM PDT

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Why are periodic virus scans necessary

by Paragon388 - 8/3/05 8:10 AM

In a recent forum, a CNET editor wrote: "Antivirus software runs in the background from the moment you start your computer or from the moment Windows loads, depending on the software. Every time you run a program or open a file, it is scanned by the antivirus app before it is loaded into the memory."
If the antivirus program is a 24/7 gatekeeper, why is a periodic scan necessary? Won't the 24/7 guarding of the computer prevent a virus from getting through (opening email attachments from an unknown sender aside)?


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New Virus Definitions?

by TMB333 - 8/5/05 1:45 PM

In Reply to: Why are periodic virus scans necessary by Paragon388

I've wondered this myself a times.

I'm not saying this is the definitive answer, but it would make sense that if a Virus Scanner updates its Virus definitions, then files that are already on your hardrive have the potential to be infected with a Virus that the scanner only NOW became aware of.

Thus the periodic scan would find those files.


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