In May there were major stories warning that on July 9 many people would lose use of the internet due to malware and the shutdown of a server run by the FBI. My suggestion is that if you have not updated your anti-virus and anti-spyware software recently, simply do so. If you have not run a full scan, run them now.

Contrary to USA Today, malware can be detected and cleaned without reinstalling Windows. I have cleaned thousands of machines of malware. If a scan by both with updated definitions finds no problems you should be fine Monday. I suggest using anti-virus AVG (free), Norton and Trend Micro. For spyware I suggest superantispyware which is free.

If the program is still on your computer Monday you will not be disconnected from the internet you will just not be able to go to sites you have not been to recently (the addresses still stored in your machine). DNS is the program on the internet that allows us to use words for names of web sites instead of number addresses. DNS looks up the number address for the names.

To go to my web site not using DNS you would have to know and type in a number like 192.168.2.1, using DNS you can just type in dwightwatt.com and DNS figures out it is 192.168.2.1 and goes and gets the page. DNS is what made the internet usable by the masses starting in the early 90s. Prior you had to use numbers and only geeks used it since invention in 1969.

Send your questions to Dwight Watt at dwight@dwightwatt.com. He teaches at a technical college in northwest Georgia and does consulting work for businesses and individuals. His website is dwightwatt.com.