Operationally to use MB while surfing should not be a problem. However, isn't it a little counter productive to do so as we know that MB does not scan in real time? My thought is the potential is present to have a 'new" bug without warning or detection embed itself in an area of the H/D after it has already been scanned. The critter would not be detected until the next scan and thus in truth a user would not know for 100% certainty that the drive was clean. DA

Kaths you have been infected by the antivirus xp virus this is a very nasty one and takes several steps to clean it, you will need to get these 3 programs and run each of them do not stop with one if it seems better do all of them. If you find you are not able to go to these sites to download the programs that means you have a more aggressive type and you will need to come back here and tell me that then I can lead you to another forum where we can help you with that clean up. for now go ahead and get these programs and run them they are all free. ATF-Cleaner.exe be sure you follow the directions as they apply to each type of browser you have. SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition install it hit the update button tell it to scan your entire drive and allow it to clean anything it finds. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Please download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to your desktop. * Double-click mbam-setup.exe and follow the prompts to install the program. * At the end, be sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, then click Finish. * If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version. * Once the program has loaded, select Perform full scan, then click Scan. * When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results. * Be sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected. * When completed, a log will open in Notepad. Please save it to a convenient location. The log can also be found here: C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Application Data\Malwarebytes\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\Logs\log-date.txt when you are done let me know how it is doing then we can go from there. Here is info on your infection. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/22/anatomy_of_a_hack/print.html

I think someone mentioned that what you posted, the registry change wasn't necessarily bad but could be from a program being removed. I wonder if there is a way to find out if you were actually infected with something? This is why I suggested the Panda scan because it would have told you. btw, make sure you do windows updates. I personally would get rid of Mcafee. I know you paid for it but it's a resource hog. For backups I have multiple hard drives, they are cheap. I have an external enclosure that holds 2 drives. I have a computer running windows XP, installed the Maxtor Maxblast program and use that to back up to the larger drives. As far as I know, they don't have a program (Maxtor) like this for Vista but I could be wrong. What it will do is back it up as files verses a file that you have to unpack. If you back up your C drive, you will see every folder on the C drive in your backup.

Writersblock, I think I'm fine on that score. If the malware is introduced by a beefy Mr.Clean-like graphic, then I've been introduced to it. I got lots of solicitations for it recently and went as far as clicking on the 'learn more' button that took me to a website. I decided I wouldn't buy. My freeze-up problems may be related to something else entirely, which might be solvable by owning newer, beefier computer parts. First of all I need to replace the missing A on my keyboard. Plays hob with touchtyping.