You can, bug don't need to spend money on it. Microsoft Security Essentials is free and does a great job. There are other free ones, too.

Oh no! You are in trouble now!

There are free virus and malware software programs out there. My tech swears by Malwarebytes and MS Security Essentials. I personally hate MS Security Essentials because it slows down my computer too much, but I suppose it doesn't happen to everyone. I also run Spybot once a week to check for problems. A friend's tech uses only Avast. All of these are free.

And tell your hubby that I have been on liberal sites for years and have got no viruses from them. I am also an infrequent FB user. And I have never heard of any emails that can attack your computer without being opened. If this is true, we would all be offline.

I just can't believe that a mainframe tech would say something like this. I would think just the opposite. You are more likely to get infected going to Repub sites. They just can't seem to get the internets thing. Just ask Norm Coleman.

Go on line to Microsoft security and virus protection site.
Run on line scan and cleaner.
Install AV of your choice, there are many listed at this forums helpful link tag.

And I can firmly tell you that it is quite rare that a mainframe person knows the workings of a PC. Programmers, even rarer.
In my shop, the programmers are not allowed to service PCs. That's up to us system folks.

I recommend that you google whatever the name of the fake software is, and add "bleepingcomputer" (without quotes) to your search. The Bleepingcomputer site will more than likely have a way for you to get rid of that garbage.

When your computer is clean, backup all your data (pics, music, documents, etc.) to a portable hard drive.
After all is backed up, keep backing up anything new that you get or create, or you WILL lose it.
In the meantime, save your money, and save up enough to buy a Mac.
There are fewer malware applications and such written for the Mac than for the PC.
Besides, they are better made than any other machine on the market.
In the meantime, you're gonna need Malwarebytes, and a good free antivirus (I use AVG and Avast!) (If you install Avast! be sure to not install the English version, but install the Pirate Talk language option. It's fun.)
A good software firewall like Comodo wouldn't be a bad idea also.

As far as the "questionable" sites go, folks have gotten malware from everything from CNN to weatherbug, to a local newspaper. There are no longer any questionable sites. As long as there's advertising on them, they are suspect, because many of these bad things come along with ads.

Oh, and did I inform you that you shouldn't open any e-mail from anyone that you do not know? You should not open attachments unless they are expected. You shouldn't go to links in e-mails, unless you know that they are reliable.

And check out http://www.staysafeonline.org. It's run by the National Cyber Security Alliance.

Hardware wise they are NOT better made.

Just run some flavor of Linux and you have better security than you do on a Mac. and Linux doesn't cost you an arma nd a leg.
Running ANY kind of OS without security is asking for it.
Most malware now attacks through infected web pages instead of email. Kaspersky's list of the top 10 dangerous web sites had various Bible/religious sites as the top 4.

That the average Joe User cannot configure a Linux box properly. They will get into more trouble than if they knew how to configure it.
I used to believe that a Mac box cost too much until I got one.
I have a MacBook pro that I carry to work each and every day. I bang it around a lot, drop it, but don't purposely abuse it, and it works fine.
As far as better security, OSX is based on BSD, which is a derivative of Linux. It just has a nicer front end.

Install easier than Windoze and are complete, not just the OS.
I just put the latest version of Mint on my laptop. all I had to do was enter my user ID and password for my email. didn't even have to install drivers. I have 4 computers up and running here, 5 counting laptop.
I run Windows XP pro on one, XP Pro X64 on one, Windows 7 Pro X64 on one and Ubuntu 10.04 on one and Mint 13 XFCe on my laptop. It's been going on 10 years since I was hit by a virus and that came from a disk that someone I trusted gave me. And I go to all sorts of "unsafe" sites-i like keeping track of what the hackers and crackers are up to.
Over 90% of the infected computers I have to repair involved the customer admitting to an IDtenT error.
And I still say Macs cost way too much for what you get. I build my own and even my screamer machine has less than $750 in it and it has an AMD FX-8150 oc'd to 4.5GHz with 16Gb RAM, 128Gb SSD for boot and a 500Gb and 750Gb hard drives, liquid cooling and 2 DVD-RWs in it.

Could you sell the compuer that you build for $750? Can the average Joe User build a computer without a lot of help?
I don't want to start a bunch of garbage here.
Leave it to say that I maintain about 2000 PCs, and the LAN/WAN for a local county government. I have worked here for over 20 years. I know what an IDtenT error is, and I concur.
I only have 4 computers at home, an XP machine, a Win7 64 machine, a Ubuntu machine, and a MacBook Pro. I don't need the water cooled carp. It's just more to go wrong. SSDs are too expensive for now, so I do't have any.
Oh, I forgot the old netbook that I have that is running Puppy Linux. I guess that makes 5, not including my MBP that I carry back and forth to work, which has VMWare Fusion, 6 versions of Windows, 4 versions of Linux, a couple of versions of OSX, and an old android build in Virtual Machines on it. This way I can support ANYTHING from one, and only one machine! Does my NAS count as a machine?

I don't want to start any wars here, I was just thinking that some average user should save his or her money, and get a Mac, because they are easier for the AVERAGE user. If it was for a power user like you or me, the story would be different, and I would have to do some research to find the best bang for the buck, but I do not believe that that was the original question.

When you can buy a new Mac for that price I'll tell people about it.

until they have enough to have something that will last them a lot longer than some $300 piece of junk.
This is because they think that that $300 computer will last them a long time. They do not. Never have, never will.
I do know what you mean. There's a shop that refurbs Macs here, and you can get a 4 year old one for about $400. I don't like the guy, myself. I mean just because he does one thing that is good, doesn't mean that he doesn't try to rip people off on other stuff, but as an absolute last resort I might sent the business to him.

I'm going to be pedantic but this irks me to no end...Linux is a clean-room reimplementation of Unix, a copy designed to work like it without actually being it. Berkeley Systems Distribution Unix is a "real" Unix based on the Bell Labs source code, tracing its roots back to the original edition; it has was slightly edited in the early 90s to remove a very small amount of copyrighted code (the lawsuit was one of the impeti behind Torvalds writing a Unixlike system). IMO it's a better, more stable OS but that's probably just because I cut my teeth on it and IRIX so I'm used to SysV Unices.

The differences go far beyond the codebases though; the licensing schemes are almost polar opposites. Linux is distributed under the GNU Public License, which enforces pretty strict "copyleft": any derivative of a GPL'd work *must* be also distributed under the GPL, which requires the distribution of the source code along with the binaries (ready-to-use software), although charging for the software is allowed. The BSD license is completely permissive, anybody is allowed to do anything with the source code including bundle it up and sell it as a binary-only distribution; the only requirement is that a copyright notice crediting the author of the original code and a disclaimer of "merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose" (i.e. if you run an ATC system with this software and it crashes, not our problem) be included in either the source code or documentation. The flame wars between these two licenses are some of the most violent and wide-ranging in the history of teh intarwebz, they make Mac v. Windows look like a friendly chat.

Sorry, my bad.
I should know that BSD is a full fledged Unix distro.
I know about GNU and copyleft, I met Rich Stallman at a conference a few years back. He's a good guy.

I was using it as a generality. Sorry.

I just get twitchy sometimes

for 20+ years who is now a PC technician/network admin.

Yes Combofix from Bleepingcomputer is a handy tool.

just removed the fbi illegal copyright virus with it.

Thank you so much...saved me

Take one newpaper or magazine.

Roll up into a tight roll.

Place in your dominate hand.

Stand next to you husband.

Draw back arm with rolled up object.

With force bring rolled up object in contact with husbands head or butt and say "Bad husband"

If you don't like that take a squirt bottle full of water and squirt him repeating "Bad husband"


Then try system restore by going into safe mode F* while the laptop is booting and chose NO and try restoring to a point 1 or 2 weeks ago. Then install and run a A/V(MS Security Essentials is one I like)and Malwarebytes.

Or take it took a good, not Staples or Best Buy, and have it serviced.

If you where in the Syracuse NY area I would recommend the shop I work at which is owned by a Liberal, not me I am just a employee.

Hey First of all take your all backup and then run any virus scan software if you get still the virus infected then do one thing just format that drive.