What else should I be doing besides install?

Apologies for my stupidness in advance.

I have installed avast home edition several months ago and it works fine. It has successfully warned me about a website I was trying to access and seems to merrily get on with things without my involvement (which is what I want). However my question is…do I need to be doing anything else to ensure I am staying virus free?

I understand that I can scan new files and drives and data CD’s etc if I wish…but aside from that should I be doing anything else. The “Help” screen doesn’t actually say for us complete novices…“install the software and only act when you get an alert…except when you want to scan a specific file for viruses”.

Can someone please advise?
Thanks
Eddie

Security Tips & Tricks

Employ a multi application/level approach to security.
If you haven’t already got this software (freeware), download, install, update and run it, these all work well with avast.

  1. Ewido, a.k.a. avg anti-spyware If using winXP. or a-Squared free if using win98/ME.
  2. Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition
  3. Spybot Search and Destroy
  4. Spywareblaster Don’t install this until you are clean.

I’ve heard this many times and i was wondering why the P.C should be clean before installing spywareblaster?

Whilst I don’t know the exact reason I would guess it is because it isn’t an active/resident or on-demand tool but a preventative tool anything already on your system won’t be prevented and possibly make it harder to deal with it.