You should make the antivirus scan an essential component of your computer security program.   The scan helps you detect virus attacks and resolve accordingly.  It is a tool that will increase your protection against viruses and prevent attacks before they occur.
As more and more viruses are created minute by minute so is the relevance and importance of antivirus scanners continually increases.  In fact, if you care much about the health of your computer and the protection of your privacy, scanning your computer for viruses should be a routine and mandatory to you.

How to Determine an Effective Virus Scanner
For your computer security and protection, you must download a good virus scanner that can effectively perform an antivirus scan of your computer.   Here are some of the common features of good virus scanners:

Choose What Virus Scan Options Serve Your Needs Best
You have some options in performing an antivirus scan.  You can visit websites that offer free virus scan of your computers.  This is most advantageous when you just want to scan your computer and your risk to virus threats is low.  Just make sure that the websites you visit are legitimate and reliable.

The next option is to download free antivirus software program.  You will be able to scan your computer and detect viruses as well as delete or quarantine the virus found as recommended or necessary.  Free antivirus programs can be as powerful as the full versions and is especially useful for low to medium exposure to security threats.

When you use the internet  and your computer heavily, you will benefit more from the full versions of antivirus software programs.  These programs include added protection that will address issues that may occur to frequent and heavy users of the internet and computer.  When your computer is your life, it is definitely worth upgrading to the full version.

How Your Virus Scanners Eliminate Infection Fast
When you perform the antivirus scan of your computer with a good legitimate virus scanner,  you will be able to detect even the stealth virus in your computer.  Your good antivirus program will then take on the job of treating the infection and eliminating the virus culprit instantly.

Although the antivirus software protection program do almost all of the job of protecting your computer from virus threats, you have some responsibility to fulfill.  You need to ensure that the program you have installed in your computer is legitimate and reliable.  You also have to turn on the automatic update feature of the program to download new virus definitions as necessary and required.
Your computer does much for you.  It is just right to do all things possible to protect it from threats.  A regular antivirus scan of your computer can be your first line of protection against the perils of virus attacks.