I use FireFox with Adblock Plus. I got sick of the intrusive ads on Gardenweb. If they're not going to manage the ads and protect the users from viruses that are being slipped through, I'll protect myself and block all ads they try to show me.

on my personal windows boxes I run Avast, zone alarm pro firewall, superantispyware and malwarebytes (run scans weekly), spywareblaster at a minimum. avast! antivirus Home Edition you must follow the directions and register it but it is free the 2 pdf files on the left side of the page should be read or printed for full directions on use. SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware free but has option to purchase (well worth the price) if you purchase it does have an automatic feature. SpywareBlaster this one is a must have, no scans to run, just hit the update button once a week then the enable all protection button, and it sits there and keeps bad things off your pc. also free Firewalls good info, there are a few free firewalls including zonealarm, however anytime you download and install things be very very careful and read each step and if it ask if you want to install extra stuff like toolbars be sure you uncheck those you do not need or want that stuff, zonealarm free has started doing that and including the ask toolbar under a different name you Do NOT want it. on all my computers I also install belarc advisor which will give you a full list of everything on your pc, I usually print out a list so I can refer to it should I need to, very very hand tool. and free Belarc And definitely install and run regularly the PSI to check to see if your program is fully updated or if it needs updating. Secunia Personal Software Inspect and of course keep all windows critical updates done as they come out. If you will be using Vista you can use the built in windows firewall it is fairly adequate rather than a separate one. If you do not have these on your current pc I would suggest getting them. the fact that you have recurring infections means your current products are not fully cleaning them out, malwarebytes will help with that. And being safe in your user habits is key, don't visit sites known to carry infections including social networking sites, don't open email attachments from anyone. when you have an infection that you know is there and you are not able to remove come ask for help I can take you to one of the support help forums that specialize in removing hard to remove infections. Do occasional online scans to double check your AV. housecall is good and so is this one FREE Online Virus Scan I also advise the use of firefox as a browser instead of IE.

Just follow this> this is the page for the free AVG anti-virus http://free.grisoft.com/doc/downloads-products/us/frt/0?prd=aff do not click on the orange download button go to the one in blue right below that which says AVG 7.5 Free for windows, select that one to download You will want to go to this tutorial and read it well, it tells you step by step what to do and how to do it, at the bottom of each page there is a link to the next tutorial click that to continue on with your AVG instructions This has great pictures so you will know exactly what to expect step by step! Be sure you save that link so that you can refer to it in the future. Ok. http://www.top-windows-tutorials.com/free-avg.html a few posts up mikie gave you the link to the Norton Uninstall info do that BEFORE you install and use the AVG.

I read this forum quite regularly, but rarely post here...But sometimes.... I just gotta say it..... You people are nuts...... I am quite used to people telling me I am nuts and have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to such matters, BUT since I am never, make that NEVER the one who has neither virus/malware issues and problems and NEVER have spent even a dime nor any time on such matters, the reality of the situation is that I and the few other Linux users here are really the only ones who have any idea what they are talking about when it comes to PC Operating Systems and PC "security".... A whole forum of "what should I get","what's wrong" "I bought/installed and/but" "what should I do". Soon many reading this will be thinking "Oh he's just one of those Linux nutscases" But, ask yourself, does he "Buy this", "get this", "do this"......Oh yeah, and then ask yourself if your system can match mine on safety, security, performance. I have yet to have either of these boxes contract a virus or a worm or a root-kit nor any other form of malware, not bad for systems running zero AV/security software..... I very rarely ever disconnect from the W3 and rarely ever even turn either of these things off. I have 4 browsers running right now and my email account has been open for days. Other than an outgoing firewall, I am currently running absolutely zero "security" software of any kind. And no reformatting, no scans, no defrags, no registry anythings. I watch videos, play music, redo photo's, make phone calls and do all sorts of other sometimes fun stuff with neither and never a worry nor a care. And my total investment in Operating Systems and software on both boxes equals zero dollars and zero cents. And all my upgrades/dates are free too..... Do yourselves a big favor and go to distrowatch.com, read about the different flavors of Linux and pick yourself out a few LiveCD versions to trial. Or you can always just wait for MSWin7 to be released and start buying all sorts of new software to go along with your already penetrated and compromised, outdated and obsolete brand new high dollar Operating System. Some of the new Linus distro's are so simple to install and use that my best friends 59 y.o.wife has installed several different versions on the same hard-drive and has figured out how to use them all with little more than dang near no assistance from any body. She has even figured out how to use Knoppix6 full time and save everything she does/wants to a persistant image. Oh yeah, she is really good at kids and cooking and sewing and fishing and growing things and all sorts of DIY stuff, but, when it comes to computers, she has the techno-savvy and training of your average box of rocks..... Dang folks....even my daughter, whose "technotude" is somewhat close to absolutely zero has installed and has everything running and learned the ins and outs of both SimplyMepis and VectorLinux on her PC all by her little ol' self. And while her friends are having regular issues after frequenting such mandatory malware magnet sites as YouTube, and MySpace she has nothing of the sort, ever.... But, if you wanna believe that you must MUST have MSWin-something, feel free to spend way too much for way too little, and want to keep spending and installing/scanning/removing/etc for no other reason than you insist on running something as shaky and insecure as Vista1, hurry up and buy the fix for Vista1, Vista2, otherwise known as MSWin7, that's certainly your right.... Well, let's see...I may have exaggerated things a bit by stating the "free" thing........Getting Linux will cost you somewhere around $.125 for a blank CD-R, or the current cost of a blank DVD-R.... HAGD Here is a link that might be useful: better than MSWindows, IMHO it is anyway