Answer: A virus is a program or a group of programs that can reproduce. It can make copies of itself. These days, most virus scanning software also target many other forms of malware including adware and spyware.

Note: The term “virus” is often used incorrectly to include programs that are malicious but are not capable of reproduction.

Bottom line: If you think your computer may be infected with any type of malware, call the help desk. Don’t wait for things to get worse. Many viruses reproduce until they run out of room to do so. At that point your computer might not start.