<p>Our desktop is experiencing issues lately…today, it is connecting VERY slowly whenever we try to do a web search via google or anything else. Just random problems lately. I think I need to run something on it. I have SpySweeper and have run that.</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend an online decent, safe virus scan??</p>
<p>[AVG</a> Free - Download antivirus and antispyware software for Windows XP and Vista](<a href=“Free Antivirus Download for PC | AVG Virus Protection Software”>http://free.avg.com/)</p>
<p>I was going to suggest AVG also</p>
<p>cnet.com is a good site for reviews of software and also you can download from there.</p>
<p>I’ve been happy with Spyware Terminator, myself.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, what internet browser do you use?</p>
<p>I was also going to suggest AVG.</p>
<p>Not that I have any idea what I’m talking about.
But my “guy” (all of us mere mortals gotta have a tech “guy” imo), recommended it a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>I’ve been using it ever since. No problems. With both Firefox and IE.</p>
<p>Internet Explorer.</p>
<p>Every time we try to do a search, we get the Internet Explorer…serious error type message and then it kicks us off.</p>
<p>I ran my Spy Sweeper and remembered I had Avast also, ran that, nothing showed up, but it’s still doing it…</p>
<p>I think AVG is the best free anti-virus app. Make sure when you install it you set it to “Daily updates” and also set the auto full scan to at least once a week. Easy to do.</p>
<p>
Hehe…not surprised. :]</p>
<p>What does that mean Yawn???</p>
<p>
IE doesn’t exactly have a good reputation among those who are the least bit internet-savvy.</p>
<p>I’m surprised you’ve never heard this before, but I highly suggest getting Firefox. As long as you know how to use the internet (aka, you don’t click any blatantly spurious links) and you use Firefox, you really don’t even need an anti-virus software. With both Firefox AND AVG, you’d literally have to go out of your way to try to get a virus.</p>
<p>I have used Firefox for several years. I was getting so much malware with IE that my computer was freezing up. With Firefox I have much less problems.</p>
<p>But recently I cannot access hotmail on Firefox. No idea why. So I have to use IE to read my email. Other than that I only use Firefox.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, yawn… some people are forced into using IE.</p>
<p>I use Firefox whenever possible. But in my business, several proprietary software programs that I must use are “optimized” for Internet Explorer. Translation: they don’t work at all on any other browser.</p>
<p>Boycott them! Viva la revoluci</p>
<p>MalwareBytes is really useful for removing malware/spyware:</p>
<p>[Malwarebytes</a>’ Anti-Malware - Free software downloads and reviews - CNET Download.com](<a href=“Malwarebytes - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download”>Malwarebytes - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download)</p>
<p>My computer geek son disapproves of Internet Explorer. He considers it a virus magnet. I have to use it for a couple of things (Netflix watch now movies and my local building department’s website among others), but never use it otherwise. He claims that our router and firewall are all we need though has said we could use AVG if it made us feel better. Dh keeps buying Norton, but I have to say, I think it really slows down our computers.</p>
<p>An enthusiastic vote for MalwareBytes here. I haven’t had many virus/spyware/popups problems since I switched to Firefox a couple of years ago, but for the last couple of months, a lot of webpages I tried to go to said “done” but showed only blank space, and every time I did a Google search and tried to go to one of the results, the browser was “hijacked” and redirected to some completely unrelated “looksmart” or “findit” url. Three or four different spyware removal scans that I downloaded, as well as the one my cable company supplies for free with my service, did absolutely nothing to fix the problems. I downloaded MalwareBytes, ran one scan, and the problems were completely fixed immediately; I’ve had no problems since. (The catch is that although the scan itself is free when you download the software, you have to buy a subscription to see the results and fix what it finds. But it was worth it to fix these problems – I was getting so frustrated that I was almost ready to throw my monitor through the window!)</p>
<p>toblin, I just downloaded AVG, selecting a daily update but didn’t see where I could choose a weekly auto full scan. Can you please direct me?</p>
<p>Sure:</p>
<p>Once youve installed AVG right click the AVG icon and select open the AVG interface</p>
<p>Click Computer scanner on the left hand side of the window. </p>
<p>Then in the field labeled Scheduled scans double click scheduled scan</p>
<p>Youll then see the options to pick what day and at what hour you want AVG to scan your computer. Once a week should be fine. A typical scan can take a couple of hours, so I suggest you set it for a time when you wont need your computer. </p>
<p>Let me know how you make out, PM if necessary,
toblin</p>
<p>Got it. Thanks.</p>