I also use systweek for about 20 bucks a year. They want 40 but if you click out of the site, it will offer it for half.

I'll give it a look.

you get into real trouble.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline.

Create the CD, boot from the CD/DVD it takes it from there.

Almost never necessary but a good thing to have around, "just in case".

One thing to be carefully of. Check the URL to be sure it is Microsoft. If you download MSE get it from the source.
Yes, Virginia their are dishonest people out there.

I had a computer 'geek' that runs a shop fixing computers tell me about it.

I've had it ever since and love it.

I wish I was a computer 'geek'--I'm tech challenged.

and doesn't slow the system much.

MSE-- free, works, no slowdown
the free AVG
malwarebytes

Don't spend a penny.

works great for me.

and I still use it. It's free, stops loading of sites with malware and tells you about it and has an anti-tracking device too.

from my DU guided research, I have a question.

What does "cleanup-only antivirus" mean?

You want something that will keep an infection from occurring. MSE has a very good rep. You also want something to prevent malware from getting on your system too so use Malwarebytes anti-malware for that. It's free too.

Anti-viruses don't stop malware? Wow.

had it for years. works great. small size

outside files for work.

like Avast the best.

but in the last few years have seen each of them cause problems.
I do this for a living, would stick with MSE and Malwarebytes.

and I use the MSE. (Microsoft Security) It stays in the background and works as well as any of the ones I have paid money for.

Reclaim a ton of space!!

https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us

Then I install AVG or Linux. Linux is better, but AVG works.

I switched when Norton caused a big problem one night. I thought it found something, so put something somewhere, then did that over and over and over and over and over and over until I literally pulled the plug on the advice of a geek teen watching my hard drive fill up with those copies of whatever it was.

He took the computer, did his geek work on it, installed avast, uninstalled norton somehow and no problems since.

I used avg for a while, find I like avast once I tweaked it, avoid norton and delete whatever of it that shows up on new machines.

I disable it immediately (by removing it and deleting every bit I can find in the bowels of the hard drive).