My wife's computer is going very slow and she is making my life a misery

[Clive G]

Dowload AVG antivirus (free edition) and Microsoft's Windows Defender.

Have downloaded AVG. Worked for a couple of months and then it let in a virus Win32.nugel.E
which I cannot get rid of. Any ideas?

I haven't used AVG or Windows Defender or had this problem myself, but perhaps the following three links may be of assistance:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?Name=Worm%3AWin32%2FNuqel.H

http://www.ca.com/us/securityadvisor/virusinfo/virus.aspx?id=65739

http://home.mcafee.com/VirusInfo/VirusProfile.aspx?key=141756#none

 

[bubba]

Avira is now considered a better free alternative than AVG.

http://www.free-av.com/

It pops up one window when it updates it's definitions but apart from that works very well.

 

[gus horsley]

Or go for any antivirus which doesn't allow the thing to get into the computer in the first place which is what Norton apparently does, then it tries to get rid of it.  A mate reckons that Norton has a contract with Microsoft to sabotage a certain percentage of computers.  I can believe it.

Alternatively sling the computer against an outside wall and buy an Apple.

 

[bubba]

I wouldn't use any Norton products - they are generally terrible resource hogs, hard to get rid of and inferior to many free offerings.

Norton built a good name back in the day but are now generally considered pants.

 

[owd git]

Alternatively sling the computer against an outside wall and buy an Apple.
[/quote]



an apple a day keeps the (p c ) doctor away

 

[bubba]

Go on Apple users, you keep promoting your overpriced toys. The moment Apple gets decent market share then that is when those smug pip-filled smiles will be wiped off your faces

In other words, virus/spyware/malware authors will develop for the most popular platform. If everyone used macs then they would be suffering the same deluge that PC users do. It is a total myth that macs are inherently virus/malware proof, it's just nobody can be bothered targeting them.  I've known mac idiots who don't bother running firewalls because they think they're immune to attack.

 

[graham]

Go on Apple users, you keep promoting your overpriced toys. The moment Apple gets decent market share then that is when those smug pip-filled smiles will be wiped off your faces

In other words, virus/spyware/malware authors will develop for the most popular platform. If everyone used macs then they would be suffering the same deluge that PC users do. It is a total myth that macs are inherently virus/malware proof, it's just nobody can be bothered targeting them.  I've known mac idiots who don't bother running firewalls because they think they're immune to attack.

Same goes for Linux, though that does have the advantage of being vastly less expensive than whichever wild animal Apple have got running their overpriced tat at the moment.

Did anyone hear about the exploding iPod? Usual Li battery problem led to a kiddies iPod leaping several metres in the air. Apple said they'd only compensate if the family signed a gagging agreement. Unsurprisingly the child's father refused (wouldn't you?) but Apple do seem to be keeping it out of most of the media.

 

[rhychydwr1]

Avira is now considered a better free alternative than AVG.

http://www.free-av.com/

It pops up one window when it updates it's definitions but apart from that works very well.

Only free for 30 days.  Hope it works, as I have just installed it.  Took about half an hour.  Otherwise I will come after Bubba for crap advice 

 

[miketa]

Just get over it. Its Windows. It sucks. It'll be generating spam or something like that and creating misery for non-Windows users. How would you like it if I came and dumped a load of rubbish into your house every day. You wouldn't, would you. So stop doing it on my bit if the effing Internet. Effing Windows users. Make me effing sick, whinging all the time. If you use a pile of s**t then you get a pile of s**t. Pah. Hanging is too good for them. Tell her to stick her effing Windows where the sun doesn't shine.

 

[rhychydwr1]

Just get over it. Its Windows. It sucks. It'll be generating spam or something like that and creating misery for non-Windows users. How would you like it if I came and dumped a load of rubbish into your house every day. You wouldn't, would you. So stop doing it on my bit if the effing Internet. Effing Windows users. Make me effing sick, whinging all the time. If you use a pile of s**t then you get a pile of s**t. Pah. Hanging is too good for them. Tell her to stick her effing Windows where the sun doesn't shine.

I wish I could drop Windows, but I am not clever enought to use Linex.  As my wife says, I should have worked harder at school   

 

[bubba]

Only free for 30 days.

Eeek, hope you haven't installed the full version - the Free version stays free forever

 

[bubba]

Just get over it. Its Windows. It sucks. It'll be generating spam or something like that and creating misery for non-Windows users. How would you like it if I came and dumped a load of rubbish into your house every day. You wouldn't, would you. So stop doing it on my bit if the effing Internet. Effing Windows users. Make me effing sick, whinging all the time. If you use a pile of s**t then you get a pile of s**t. Pah. Hanging is too good for them. Tell her to stick her effing Windows where the sun doesn't shine.

You do have a point there but the same applies - the majority OSs will always be attacked. The problem with Windows is that it needs quite a lot of effort on the user's part to remain secure. Hopefully Windows 7 will help.

 

[rhychydwr1]

Only free for 30 days.

Eeek, hope you haven't installed the full version - the Free version stays free forever

Of course I installed the full version.  As Homer Simpson says, "If it that expensive is has good to be good".

I have the free version AVG and it was crap, let in the nuqel virus and I could not get rid of it.  In the end it was format the hard drive and re-install.  Took ages.

 

[bubba]

On the subject of Mac security, this article is quite interesting about how things are starting to change.

A Worm in the Apple