computer memory question

[domromer]

alright so after all the helpful advice, I cleaned up the start menu, downloaded spyware and also downloaded avast. Is there a way to make avast all the time so it protects you from viruses, or is it just used to check for them and destroy them?

Oh also installed the extra g of ram. makes a nice difference.

[chris86wm]

avast should startup automatically when you boot your computer and scan for viruses. you should see the little Circle A spinning in your system tray. Just make sure to update it on occasion and you should be golden.
did you happen to register it?
http://avast.com/eng/home-registration.php
you have to register or it stops functioning after 30 days or so. dont worry its FREE and they send you the key in your email.

You can also check out Microsoft's Windows Defender for spyware protection if you want something scanning all of the time to protect you (spybot and the free version of adaware do not do this)
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/securit ... fault.mspx
It does a great job keeping spyware off your system and its free as well. This combined with avast makes for a pretty clean system.
(if you are running windows vista, this is preinstalled)

and dont forget to use Firefox as your browser, this alone will help you avoid 90% of the problems out there
www.getfirefox.com

Other than that, update windows every month to get critical patches and you should be alright

[domromer]

i was using firefox for awhile but It would never let me sign into this site. I kept being seen as a guest. I ended up uninstalling it after a few days.

[chris86wm]

It should work similar to internet explorer. You should sign in as usual, and tell firefox to save your password. You can also tick the box under the login fields that says "keep me signed in" (or something similar to that)

You could also try Opera
http://www.opera.com/
It is just as good as firefox if not better.
My main point is DO NOT use Internet Explorer for any reason besides updating windows. Most of the little nasties that infect your computer come right in through that browser.

[domromer]

maybe I'll try firefox again. It seemed to run faster than explorer.