General computer info and not directed at anyone... just passing along some pro advice and info.
I've been fixing people's computer issues and my own since 1999 and have been full-time self-employed in my own computer repair business since 2009 doing work for a large customer base of residential and small businesses in the Lexington area. I've removed malware, marketing scams, keyboard loggers, and other **** from computers that had been running Kaspersky, Norton, McAfee, AVG, MSE, Avast, Avira, you name it.
I need to tell you that
I haven't run an antivirus on any of my machines since 2005 besides Windows Defender which runs harmlessly in the background of Windows machines. I don't need it. AV programs are mainly a false sense of security. The secret is to not get tricked. Nothing out there currently is going to just jump on your machine - you always give it permission by getting tricked into clicking a button.
Additionally... computer tuneup programs and registry cleaners are absolute junk and are sometimes harmful. If you know someone who is recommending a piece of software that runs in the background to automatically "clean" your computer's registry, that person is an amateur and you should not be taking advice from that person.
My point in mentioning the fact that I do not personally use an antivirus is that if you are going to step in it, you are going to get it on you. When I clean a customer's computer who has been paying for a useless antivirus, I remove it along with all the stuff that the ineffective antivirus let get installed. Occasionally I'll be cleaning a computer and tell the owner something like "Norton is acting up and we need to remove it". He'll say, "But I like Norton! It's good!" Then I'll say, "Well.. it's not too good if you need me to clean all this stuff off and get your computer usable again." Good naturedly of course. They usually take my recommendations when they see how their computers run when I'm finished.
Lots of times, a poorly written and invasive antivirus like Norton, AVG and Kaspersky has flaked out, it's uninstaller won't work and has to be extracted like a bad tooth with a removal tool. Not good. 3rd party firewalls? Windows firewall is adequate for residential users. Why add unnecessary work to a CPU?
Once the antivirus products are removed (some people have several installed that they have forgotten about), if there's a substantial subscription period left, I tell them to contact the AV company, tell them that it didn't work and you had to pay a tech to clean your computer from things their program did not protect against and that you are requesting a prorated refund on the remaining months.
Now I don't really recommend people run naked through the briarpatch, so I install BitDefender Free as their antimalware/antivirus. It's just as good as any of the others but runs leaner with a smaller footprint. Little known.... Windows 10 doesn't need an antivirus. The version of Windows Defender that is on 8.1 and 10 is exactly the same program as Microsoft Security Essentials. Again... you just need to be web-wise, practice safe hex and watch where you step.
So first you need to get clean. So how do you get clean? You need someone who knows what they are doing. What I do first is disable unneeded background processes, There are 3 places where these triggers are placed. System Configuration utility aka msconfig (or Task Manager's Startup tab on 8, 8.1, 10), Task Scheduler in Computer management, and also the Startup folder in the Programs list off of the Start menu. Once I identify the autostarts that need to be dealt with, I remove the trigger, the program and the associated registry settings.
I know what should be running in the background and I know what is not needed. This is something that comes from experience, doing it everyday and seeing the constantly changing landscape.
Next I go to "Add/Remove Programs" aka "Uninstall a Program" aka "Programs and Features" and uninstall everything that should not be in installed on a computer. Not everyone knows what should or should not be in this list. Most don't. I do. I should... I clean several computers a week. Careful here. You don't want to uninstall something you use or something that is important. At the same time, there are a multitude of things that people get tricked into installing that are in this list that have names that look important. Again... this is where experience comes in and there isn't a piece of software called experience.
But there ARE two cleaning programs I do run after I do my manual cleaning things. ADWCleaner (from Bleeping Computer). This is a safe standalone cleaner that is updated almost every day. Whatever it finds, I tell it to clean.
After the reboot I install Malwarebytes Free (opt out of the trail "Pro" version). Update it and hit Scan. Whatever it finds, I select all and Fix Selected. If you couldn't change your homepage back to Google or MSN before, now you should be able to and it should stick.
Unless there's deeper problem like a bootkit or rootkit that requires a sophisticated repair of system files or reinstall to remedy, this process cleans most computers.
Once someone who knows what they are doing cleans your computer, how do you keep it clean?
The answer is don't be gullible. Assume that everyplace and everyone on the interwebs wants to trick you into installing a marketing, tracking or trial program. Everyone wants to be your search provider and wants to install their web page as your browser's home page. I recommend Google as a home page and also as a default search provider. If you have some weird homepage like ASK, MyStart, Searchtheweb, Inbox, Homepage-web, etc, there's no telling what other stuff you have installed on your computer.
Driver updater programs are junk and are dangerous. Toolbars are junk. Coupon Printers, rebate programs, tuneup utilities.... junk. It's a minefield and no antivirus made will save you from yourselves.
Those warnings from web pages saying you are vulnerable, need a "media player" or "flash player" update are hoping you are ignorant about your computer so you will click on them. Adobe Flash Player updates come from Adobe and are not encountered on web pages. Same for JAVA updates. But with both of those safe and sometimes necessary programs, comes their own marketing traps. ASK will be on your computer if you first don't uncheck the ASK option on JAVA updates. Google Chrome, Google toolbar or McAfee Scan will be put on your machine with some Adobe updates unless you uncheck them. I don't recommend that anyone search for and install free software from the Internet unless you know exactly what you are doing and you are good at working the puzzle that allows only the desired software without the 5 or 6 marketing programs that the author is paid to sneak on your machine using tricks, confusing verbiage and hidden installation instructions.
More guidelines.... if you get an email from PayPal saying your information needs to be "verified" or "updated", look out... here comes a scam - you are being phished. If you get an official-looking email with a zipped attachment from the IRS, Post Office, UPS, BBB, or airline that says the accompanying attachment is an audit report, failed shipping notification or tickets, watch out. This one is actually a deadly rattlesnake in a box. The enticing zipped attachment often contains seriously bad ransom-ware in the form of a .scr, exe, or even .rtf that will run a program and encrypt (destroy) your personal data files like pictures and documents. This is nonrecoverable unless you want to pay hundreds to the people wanting the ransom and even then, it's not a sure thing you will get the files decrypted.
Kids and adult's computers don't mix. Get them their own Windows machine that they can screw up (they WILL screw up a computer - it's just a matter of time) or better yet, a tablet running Android, an iPad or Chromebook.
That up there? That's what I do everyday.
