I spent about 3 hours trying to remove some sort of malware from my computer this morning, it stopped connecting to the internet on Thursday...... I almost bought a new one at wal mart!

AVG anti-virus has a rescue program that can be burned to a CD or a thumb drive that works great.
It doesn't use windows to clean the virus. It uses a DOS program. I've used it on a couple of my friends to get their computers clean.

Problem is you would have to have another computer to download the image file and burn it to a CD or format to a thumb drive.
I have 4.
One with 7.
One with XP
One with linux mint
Another with Ubuntu.

My suggestion is when you get it clean create a user account with limited (Can't download programs without an administrator password) and don't log on as administrator to surf the net.

Had to clean one for a friend that tried to install Javascript so he could view the results of his medical. He had clicked on a bogus link.

http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd

here is a step by step tutorial on how to get rid of them and something handy to have just in case.

http://www.komando.com/downloads/1427/fix-an-unfixable-virus

I have AVG on the computer, that is what is weird,
I had to download from a notebook computer
save on a flash drive and run:
ADW Cleaner
Junkware removal tool
Malwarebytes
and
Hitmanpro

before anything would work,
The error was:
" The proxy server is refusing connections"

I still hate computers!

If you're still on XP, get a new computer with win 8.1

if it's not clean in an hour, nuke and pave! (format and clean install------you do have all your data backed up don't you!!!)

I have 7 on this one, I heard 8 is not better, but I don't know squat about computers and don't want a new hobby!

I do need to look into a new one that will edit HD video..


Dang now the USB port wont read my camera card!!!!

Somewhere in that link I gave you that you have to go into the settings and change or undo the proxy settings. The virus changes them so you will always be directed to their server.
also look at OPENDNS.
http://www.komando.com/downloads/705/safer-speedier-web-surfing They filter harmful known websites or say they do.

thanks Ray!

I think that if you really think about it you will find that you really don't
hate computers at all. But I bet you do hate Windoze.
You may want to try going to this link
http://www.pclinuxos.com/
downloading the KDE version and try that for a while.
I have run Linux since 1999 with no kind of malware protection
and never had a problem!!!
BTW you can be up and running off the live CD about 10 minuets
after finishing the download without ever loading it to the hard drive.
At that point you can use the live CD to back up your data to a external
storage device.
Just my

You probably need to reload the driver for the USB ports. I forgot how to do that.

Scott if you have 7 go to the start button and type in movie maker in the search box.
I have the Home Premium version of 7 and if you do too chances are you already have an editor.

I had to reboot, works OK now, I had to post some stuff on craigslist.

Go with Kali Linux, this is what the hackers use the most, I have tried all kinds of versions of Linux,and this one by far is the easiest to set up, does everything I need it to do, when I plug in my camera, it reads it like a hard drive and I just copy and paste the photos and videos to the folders I want them in. the only thing I had to really configure was the Adobe flash player, but a quick google search showed me step by step the commands to put in from terminal mode, just copy and pasted from the web site and it worked. I have tried mandriva, Ubuntu, Fedora, Open suse, and kali has just worked the best for me. it even ran great from the live DVD.
it has all kinds of tools for data recovery.
if you still need to use Windows, just install virtualbox, and install Windows in a virtual machine.

it is best to install it from the CD with out starting live, as when I did it it did not want to remember my password I set it up with.
also the defualt password for the CD is toor. I had to do a google search to find that info.
Hope this helps ya, Ditch Windows and go Linux and never look back.

You do not actually hate computers. To be clear, you hate Windows.

I could not agree more.

OK I'll be clear: I HATE WINDOWS!!!!!
"Whew" I feel better now.
The only thing that scares me with Linux is that i am not a computer geek, and I don't have time to learn or want to learn a new hobby, I'll look at some linux stuff on youtube..... I can admit it.....I also hate smart phones! OK Android.

I think if you try the KDE version of PCLinuxos from the live
CD you will find that it is just another point and click environment
99% of the time EVERYTHING works right after installation.
KDE is made to be a smooth easy and painless transition from
Windoze
The learning curve is very small and not very steep.
If you don"t like it shut off the computer, remove the CD and it
is gone.
Even if you do not use it every day it is good to keep a live CD around.
That way if Windoze should crash you can be back up and running on linux
almost instantly.
You can also get Linux to coexist on the same hard drive with Windoze.
Many people find that handy when first starting out.
Also with a dual installation you can actually drag and drop files from windows to
Linux or vise versa.

It is good enough that Bill Gates Seems to fell threatened by it and calls Linux
a cancer. LOL

On the other hand some people just do not like change and I can understand
and respect that also.

Yeah... I think I fall into that same place...

I HATE windows... however I like my computer.

Here is the approach I have heard works:
Two boxes: One for Email and surfing ONLY...
The other for stuff you care about.

The first (email and surfing), is a Google Chromebook... they are relatively immune to malware... note I said relatively....
The other box... well it can be most whatever you want... the goal is to be VERY careful where on the internet you go with it.

I am about to upgrade from XP pro to 7 PRO/64...

I agree with Elwood... I do not need another hobby... and I am not a geek... A computer is just a tool... albeit a valuable one that NEEDS TO WORK all the time.

Scott, take a good look at a Mac. For non-geeks it's a no brainer. There are also a lot of geeks who have moved to the dark side as well.
They are definitely more expensive on the front end, but bottom line is they just work, without having to understand any of the goings on inside of them.
I've used Macs almost exclusively since 1984 without a single issue or disruption due to viruses etc. I have spent almost zero on tech support for them as compared to the thousands I've spent for the one or two PC's I've had to use in my office for specific applications. Never mind the many hours ( and yes time is money) I've wasted figuring out problems with PC's
Not that it can't happen, just happens less and definitely easier to avoid than PC / Windows.
Software is definitely available for pretty much every application as well. The number of choices for any given application will be less, and if free geek built software is what you want there will also be less available, but the software available will generally be well documented, and like the machines will just work without the longer learning curves of the geeky stuff.

The PC guys on this forum will blow this off for sure - maybe a bit like the Eurogyro / home build thing , but believe me if you get a Mac you will wonder what took you so long if you are not a computer geek.

Don't believe everything you hear!!

8 is significantly better. Almost all of the negative I have read about 8 is because the start menu looks different. It was always still there, it just looks VERY different. They also changed many of the user interfaces to various settings and many complaints are about how changing settings is not the same as it used to be. Most of the people complaining about this are the same people that turn off all the new security features and then blame windows when they get infected because of their own stupidity.

Jeff is right that macs just work, especially for graphics applications because they were built from the ground up for graphics. The PC was designed for text mode and graphics had to be added later with the arbitrary requirement to maintain the legacy of the original PC 640K memory architecture instead of starting over with a better design. Microsoft's death grip hold onto "legacy" PC architecture has made $billions for the PC support businesses in the last 25+ years and many headaches for PC users.

Unix was a much better architecture which is the base for linux and I believe was also the base for the current mac os. Designed for security, although still has to deal with the over-complicated evolution of PC hardware (legacy issues).

[/rant]

I have windows 8 and upgraded to 8.1 and I have Norton.... never have issues..... can edit video or photos. I started with windows, then XP, then got a netbook with 7, then this new puter with 8.... I am happy with it and not being a I am too old to try and learn new shit

Honestly I am too much of a cheap ass to get a mac, unless I find a used one, thanks for the input on the options I will be checking them out for sure.