Here are some tips for you:

1. If you have a program installed on your computer and you've been running it for some time without problems - the chances that a particular program is going to suddenly become infected with a Trojan or virus is less than your chances of being a passenger on the first commercial passenger spacecraft to Mars. So, if you get a warning about a program that comes from a reputable site and which has been installed on your computer for some time and suddenly it appears to be infected, don't panic. Use your head. Don't stick in the "vault" - if you do, you're not going to be able to use that program. Immediately think "False Positive"- and ignore the warning from your anti-virus program. Always report the false positive to the maker of the antivirus program right away so they fix it. Avast allows you to report false positives from within the program. The sooner you report it and the more people who report it, the sooner the program will be fixed.

Here's how to report a false positive in Avast -

1. Ignore the warning by clicking that option in the warning window. A new window will open that will allow you to report the false positive and submit a report for further investigation. Use this option carefully - only use it when you're sure that the program is one you're familiar with and one that has been running on your computer for some time without problems. This week's error by Avast caused Avast to identify many legitimate programs as being Trojan-infected. It should have been pretty easy to tell that this was a error in Avast's update, still many people panicked and placed good programs "in the vault" or deleted the program(s) completely. So, next time something like this happens, don't panic - think first. Reporting false positives quickly ensures that the antivirus program will be fixed quickly.

2. If you've had a problem with a false positive, always manually update your antivirus in between automatic updates. There's a good chance a fix will be issued quickly and if it is, manually checking for updates every so often will ensure you get the corrected update right away. If you wait for automatic updates you may go an entire day using the uncorrected virus definition file.

3. Use your head. Don't panic when the virus warning goes off. First think about what is being detected and where it came from. There is absolutely zero chance of Smileycons or Spyware Doctor being Trojans. If you're on a site you've never been on before and you start downloading something from that site and get a warning...heed it. It's probably a valid warning. You can't trust software to protect you 100% of the time. You need to use your common sense and good security software together - in tandem - to be safe on the Internet.

Avast responded quickly to this latest false positive - the corrected file was released just hours after the false positives were discovered. Avast continues to impress us with its great protection and small number of false positives. Be sure to manually check for updates if your using Avast to make sure you have the very latest definition files and program version. To do this, right-click on the Avast icon in your system tray and click "Updating" - choose iAVS update. After completing this step, choose "Program Updates". After you update the program you'll need to reboot.

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