is there a particular program you'd recommend for me to prevent this happening again?
An antivirus will be a very good start to defending any form of malware.
Before we continue download and install a free antivirus.Remember to only install one antivirus! 1)
Avast! Home Edition2)
AVG Free Edition3)
Avira AntiVir Personal4)
Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows XP----------
If there are no more malware issues we can finish up now.
Use the
Secunia Software Inspector to check for out of date software.
* Click
Start Scanner* Check the box next to
Enable thorough system inspection.* Click
Start* Allow the scan to finish and scroll down to see if any updates are needed.
* Update anything listed.
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Go to
Microsoft Windows Update and get all critical updates.
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If you are using or have installed IE6 you are using an outdated and soon to be unsupported version of Internet Explorer and I strongly suggest you update to the latest version directly from
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8: Home page.
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I recommend you keep SUPERAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for scanning/removal of malware. Unless you purchase them, they provide no realtime protection so will not interfere with each other. They do not use any significant amount of resources (except a little disk space) until you run a scan.
I also suggest keeping
CCleaner Slim. It is an excellent and safe disk cleaner. Running CCleaner on a daily basis helps to protect your privacy and make your computer faster and more secure.
I suggest using
WOT - Web of Trust. WOT is a free Internet security addon for your browser. It will keep you safe from online scams, identity theft, spyware, spam, viruses and unreliable shopping sites. WOT warns you before you interact with a risky website. It's easy and it's free.
SpywareBlaster - Secure your Internet Explorer to make it harder for ActiveX programs to run on your computer. Also stop certain cookies from being added to your computer when running Mozilla based browsers like Firefox.
*
Using SpywareBlaster to protect your computer from Spyware and Malware* If you don't know what ActiveX controls are, see
hereProtect yourself against spyware using the Immunize feature in
Spybot - Search & Destroy.
*
Guide: Use Spybot's Immunize Feature to prevent spyware infection in real-time.
Note: To ensure you have the latest Immunizations always update Spybot - Search & Destroy before Immunizing.
Spybot - Search & Destroy FAQCheck out
Keeping Yourself Safe On The Web for tips and free tools to help keep you safe in the future.
Also see
Slow Computer? It May Not Be Malware for free cleaning/maintenance tools to help keep your computer running smooth.
