Internet protection

[Ibn Pickthall]

Any recommendations for general virus scanning and removal from the OTF tech-cru? We;ve installed a couple of new things recently on the home PC and the anti-virus software is having a fit over it. I started to try and remove the stuff we'd installed but remembered that Vista hated that the last time I did it - Blue Screens Of Death every 20 mins or so.

And now I keep getting something come up from "Security Tool" telling me the pc is infected. I've never heard of this bit of software, never mind downloaded it.

[Ibn Pickthall]

Internet protection

This is like some tech sexual health clinic

"Your PC is still infected, would you like to continue unprotected?"

-->yes

"Are you sure? Your pc will remain unprotected and at risk"

-->yes

2 mins later:

"Your PC's health is at risk. Protect now?"

[Guest]

Internet protection

That's a piece of malware.

Get a firewall immediately -- OnlineArmor is good and costs about 25 quid.

Also get some anti-malware software. SuperAntiSpyware is free. An anti-virus device like Avira AntiVir Personal is recommended too.

The more I hear about Vista, the more relieved I am that I never went near it.

[Cavalry Trouser Tips]

Internet protection

Go near Windows 7 though - it's excellent.

I use avast!, but I'm on computers most of the day and know exactly what I'm doing and what not to use for Email (Outlook/Outlook Express), what not to click on in emails (anything) and what USB/flash drives to not let anywhere near my PC (anything I don't own).

[Toby Gymshorts]

Internet protection

I use avast! as well but, like CTT, I think I've got a decent handle on what I should and shouldn't be doing. Having said that, it's free, and alongside ZoneAlarm personal firewall I've not once had an infection. SpyBot Search and Destroy is quite useful too, for spyware protection that's not ridiculously bloated.

[Guest]

Internet protection

As free software for this AVG was always good.
Not used recently but seemed user-friendly.

[David Agnew]

Internet protection

First you want to clear everything up:

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

The virus check on here is super for spotting and clearing what you have on the system (but it doesn't stay in the background)

Also run the CWShredder and RUBotted tools they have. RUBotted will stay in the background and monitor. It's still a beta, but Trend's stuff tends to be good.

Next, download and run Spybot Search & Destroy: http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/ totally free, but you can donate if you like. That'll get rid of any non-virus malware. Let it run TeaTimer in the background, as that'll stop most if not all things getting back on.

Get a decent anti-virus. I swear by AVG: http://free.avg.com/us-en/download and have used the free personally and paid for the full one professionally for about six years without a single issue.

Get a good firewall. I'm using the professional version of ZoneAlarm. That's thanks to them giving millions of licences away last month. But I've heard the free version's good aswell - http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/free-upgrade-security-suite-zonealarm-firewall.htm

[David Agnew]

Internet protection

Oh, and what everyone else says about the sites you go on.

And if you do end up on a dodgy site to (say) stream the Haye-Valuev "fight", just run all everything again.

[The Exploding Vole]

Internet protection

Ibn Pickthall wrote:

This is like some tech sexual health clinic

"Your PC is still infected, would you like to continue unprotected?"

-->yes

"Are you sure? Your pc will remain unprotected and at risk"

-->yes

2 mins later:

"Your PC's health is at risk. Protect now?"

Spot-on. And utterly unfuriating. It reminds me of that joke about children.

"Do you want to [do this thing]?"

"Not right now."

[pause]

"Okay, how about now?"