To Computer Help Group: Thanks , I have my PC back!

[Smarmie Doofus]

Dropped IE... added Firefox.

Like night and day. Who knew?

IE was mega infected by spyware, adware, every-kind of ware.
Now I seem to have achieved a virginal state... my PC that is.

Any advice on how to keep it that way?

Thanks again.

[hobbit709]

1. Get

antivirus, firewall and spyware blockers. I use Norton Antivirus 2003, Zone Alarm, Spybot Search and Destroy 1.3 and Spyware Blaster. Norton costs money, the others are free. Don't use Outlook for email either.

[SlackJawedYokel]

2. Free anti-virus.

Grisoft AVG 7 is free and very good.
Otherwise, what Hobbit said... get Thunderbird too and ditch Outlook.

Cletus

[Berserker]

3. Here are some links

AVG Free version http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
Spybot search and destroy http://tomcoyote.com/SPYBOT/index1.php
Ad-Aware SE http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/
ThunderBird mail http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbird/
If you use these programs your computer will not only run faster you will actually have control over it again.

[SHRED]

4. Don't forget!

Spyware Blaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

Keeps junk off as a preventative!!!

[Longhorn]

5. Thanks! I finally got around to downloading this!

I have a spyware remover program but it bugged me that unless I run it every few hours, the other programs are making it onto my laptop. So now I have protection! Thanks for the link! :yourock: