It’s easy to get Win32 and W32 muddled up, so let’s take a look at how to distinguish between the two and more importantly, how to deal with the individual problems that apply to both.

Win32 is an interface on the Microsoft Windows operating system. It allows the system to exchange information and transfer files, acting as an infrastructure to link everything together if you will. W32, on the other hand, is the name of a very specific virus which threatens the integrity of a system. It only works on the Microsoft OS and it is more commonly referred to as a worm. Not something that we should desire on our personal desktops, at the very least.

Win32 simply refers to the generation of the platform. For example, on 16-bit versions of Windows in the now distant past, it was known as Win16 instead.

As you begin to use your computer – and in particular, the Internet – you’ll rack up lots of additional Temporary files which will begin to decrease the system performance. The danger of contracting a W32 virus is ever present, making it all the more important to use sufficient anti-Virus protection.

W32 worms are designed to cause chaos on a local system. They can shut down programs, corrupt web browsers and force an almighty meltdown in terms of processing speed. They target the interface of Windows and can be extremely difficult to remove without special software.

There are several free virus removal packages on the Net, but you might want to consider one of the commercial products like Norton if the virus is showing no signs of being easily removable. The way to eliminate them is to target the host files and get to the course of the corruption. This isn’t easy with a sophisticated infection, so you should try your luck with a system cleaning utility.

Of course, once the virus has been dealt with, learn from your lesson and browse safely with an anti-Virus package installed.

As far as specific Win32 errors are concerned, these are usually related to corrupted files in the Windows registry. They’re not always caused by a W32 virus, and in fact, they can spring up quite innocuously through the wear and tear of a system accumulating lots of leftover files.

If you’re being flooded with Win32 errors, consider downloading a free registry cleaning utility. They’re widely available and you can find some very handy little tools which go a long way to cutting down on buggy errors. If a basic clean of the registry doesn’t do the trick, you could be suffering from a W32 virus after all.

It’s a good idea to play the safety game and back up your working registry on a regular basis. It’s easy to do so and you’ll be patting yourself on the back if it saves you the bother of repairing Windows through a re-format.

When you roll back the registry, be warned that it’ll reverse all of the changes that you’ve made since the time of the backup file. And always be careful when doing this. We can’t stress highly enough that one wrong edit in a registry file is capable of making Windows shut itself out. Keep those backups safe and don’t go gung-ho when testing new configurations. The safest way to get rid of Win32 errors is to download a cleaning utility to do the job for you.