antivirus Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Is it safe to keep using an antivirus that has expired?

Posted on November 4, 2025

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Question from Jimmy: A few months ago I bought a new laptop that came with McAfee Antivirus pre-installed on it.

I thought it was the real McAfee program but apparently it was just a trial version because this morning I got a notice saying the trial subscription had expired.

I tried to uninstall it so I could install Malwarebytes Premium but I can’t get it to uninstall. It gives me an error every time I try to remove it.

My question is would it be safe for me to keep using the McAfee program that’s installed on my laptop even though it’s expired? [Read more…]

How to fix common malware errors without losing your files

Posted on September 16, 2025

Malware errors literally freeze any computer session out of the blue. One should definitely notice warnings about possible infections or blocked programs, causing immediate worry not just about device security but also the safety of personal files. Photos, documents, and work data; that’s what’s at stake in case malware goes unresolved.

The problem for most users is that solving these problems sometimes feels like having to let the threat win or protect their files. Deleting the wrong item or using the wrong method can mean losing your data permanently, which is why malware errors have to also be attacked with strategies that eliminate threats while keeping the files intact. [Read more…]

How to make sure a downloaded file is safe before opening it (updated)

Posted on September 5, 2025

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Have you ever downloaded a file from the Internet and worried that it might be infected with malware?

That’s a real concern these days with all the malware that’s floating around the web.

It’s getting harder by the day to know exactly which sites to trust since malicious files are even making their way onto legitimate download sites.

Luckily, it’s pretty easy to determine whether any file on your computer is malware-free or not by running a couple of simple scans. [Read more…]

Real-Time vs. On-Demand: Antivirus protection explained

Posted on August 16, 2025

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I’ve been receiving questions from folks who are confused about the terms Real-Time and On-Demand in regards to antivirus protection, so I thought it might be helpful to explain the difference between them here.

Both real-time and on-demand antivirus protection are important for keeping your computer free of viruses and other forms of malware, but while they are closely-related, they operate in very different ways. [Read more…]

Q&A: Why can’t I remove the Antivirus app from my computer?

Posted on July 15, 2025

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Question from Dale: Hi, Rick. I have a problem that I hope you can help me with.

Following your recommendation, I recently bought the Premium version of Malwarebytes for our computers. I read your post about only running one antivirus app at a time and I’m trying to uninstall AVG Antivirus before installing Malwarebytes.

I was able to remove AVG from my wife’s computer with no problems at all, but when I try to uninstall it from my laptop it gives me an error and the uninstall fails.

Can you tell me what I need to do to remove AVG from my computer? [Read more…]