MSCL.com

okay, I don't know much about computers, and have never had a virus. but I think I have one. I've run my norton virus software like 20 times and it detects nothing. I've run a spyware bloc software, and it detects new spyware all the time. and I get rid of them, but they keep coming back. and this just all of a sudden started happening. my computer began to run slower and I started getting popup ads all the time, and I never did before. how do I get rid of this s*** for good? why do they keep coming back? it's not like I download stuff from the net or visit sketchy sites. any ideas?

Well first things first, have you checked the Norton's Live Update to make sure your virus definitions are up to date? If not do that and rerun it. Also, what spyware software are you running? You should use AdAware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com) and SpyBot. Those are the two best ones and usually you should run both of them since they don't catch everything. Make sure you get the latest reference files for them as well.

That should clean up most if not all of the crap on your computer. If it can clean out everything one thing I have found that helps (with Adaware) is disconnect your internet (after you get the latest reference file) and then run it. Sometimes it can't get rid of some of the spyware when it is running (which it will once it detects the internet connection).

Try those and see what happens.

Additionnally, if you're running Windows, make sure that you installed all security updates from windowsupdate.microsoft.com (in case of Windows XP - install the new Service Pack 2). There are so many new viruses everyday that the antivir software industry has problems to keep up with. The most common way to get a virus these days is through email or unpatched Windows security holes.

You might want to check your browser's security settings. Depending on how it's configured it may be letting in a lot of junk without even notifying you. Also, I believe AdAware has some free plug-ins available that boost the ability of the basic program to detect and remove the more stubborn malware. Be sure to read the instructions to get the maximum benefit. The AdAware forums are a good source of advice for problems like yours. I've never posted there myself, but the community seems very friendly and responsive.