malware Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Is your PC is acting weird? It’s probably malware.

Posted on March 18, 2026

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Has your computer started acting weird all of a sudden? For example…

Do web pages take forever to load?

Are you getting irritating pop-ups on a regular basis?

Does your browser load strange pages that you didn’t intentionally visit?

Has your home page or default search engine been mysteriously changed without your permission?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, your PC is probably infected with malware. [Read more…]

Q&A: Are Chromebooks safer than Windows laptops?

Posted on March 13, 2026

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Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Patsy: My friend just bought a Chromebook after the salesman at the computer store told her they are safer to use than Windows computers.

Among other things, he said it’s impossible for a Chromebook to catch a virus.

I’d just like to know if you agree with him because I’m needing to get a new laptop myself.

So, are Chromebooks really safer than Windows laptops? [Read more…]

Q&A: Can a virus jump from one drive to another?

Posted on March 8, 2026

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Question from Kendra: Hi, Rick. I need to ask you a computer question.

I know this sounds silly, but it’s a serious question and I really need to know the answer.

Can a virus that’s on one drive jump onto another drive? [Read more…]

Q&A: Does Malwarebytes still offer a free version?

Posted on February 2, 2026

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Question from Martha: Hi, Rick. I need your help with the Malwarebytes download.

I tried downloading ‘Malwarebytes Free’ by clicking the Free Antivirus Download button on this page but it installs a 14 day trial version instead.

Am I clicking the wrong thing to download the free Malwarebytes? Or maybe I’m doing something wrong?

[Read more…]

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

Posted on December 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…]