My laptop is going really slowly tonight and now.......

[askyourgran]

I've hit a key ?? and the screen has gone small, I can only just read what I'm doing, help!!!!

[tamborine]

Norton is probably to blame for virus, seeing as you've run out. I find it useless & wouldn't use it. AVG is part of Ms XP - that's all I use.

Mozilla is much faster....download here for free

http://www.mozilla.co...roducts/download.html

[paddywak]

just had a look at the microsoft one that vignon suggested and it looks pretty good and easy to install but what ever one you go with you do really need something before you pick up a really nasty virus, any way I'm off to bed so best of luck,and I'm sure if you do get any problems somebody on here will be able to sort it for you

[askyourgran]

Paddywak, Vignon ttfn lardy Prudie, tambo and woody, thank you so much for your help last night. I have dowloaded Microsoft Security Essentials as vignon suggested, the scan revealed no security breaches. So I live in hope. I thought I would send the lappy through the window by the end of the evening. Thanks for your patience paddywak, I didn't realise that these free downloads were available. I wouldn't have known which one to use for the best.

[ttfn]

Result - gran is now officially a techie - well done gran
and still a non-smoker !

[ChuckFickens]

I hope you removed norton before installing MSSE? if not it's going to slow the computer down hideously.

http://service1.syman...ocid/2005033108162039

Also the computer being slow and the HDD light on it flashing all the time is an indication of a lack of RAM in the computer. If you right click on the my computer icon and select properties it will say how much RAM the computer has, if it's below about 700MB then you need more RAM and adding more will make a large difference to the overall speed of the computer.

(incidentally, a couple of the answers on this thread so far have been misleading and/or totally incorrect)

[askyourgran]

Hi chuck, I wondered where you were, I've now uninstalled Norton, and the Microsoft security programme is installed, Not sure about where to find 'my computer', or about the RAM but I'll have to check with this later. I have to go out for a couple of hours.
I'll sign on again later this evening. Thanks for your help.
P.S Paddywak and vignon were very helpful yesterday when I was panicking.

[paddywak]

Chuck, if you think that anything I posted was wrong or misleading please don't hesitate to put me right. As I said in my first post I'm no expert and like a lot of older people I'm learning computing as I go along, which as we all know can lead to all sorts of bad habits, so feel free to contradict if you feel it's neccessary otherwise I'll just go muddling along and never learn the right of things

[ChuckFickens]

Paddy, nothing wrong with your answers, the worst on the thead is tambo claiming that AVG is part of windows XP, which is simply incorrect!

AYG, "my computer" (or just computer if you use vista) is an icon either on your desktop or on the start menu, just click on it with the right mouse button and select properties to find out how much RAM you have fitted.

[askyourgran]

Chuck I've looked on the user guide and it tells me I have 2 gbytes of RAM. I think my laptop is ok now, but am I OK only using the Microsoft security? I uninstalled Norton using their tool but today the usual Norton PC check came on screen. I also had 16 updates to wait for yesterday so by the time I'd let them run I had to turn it off and get on with some work.

[vignon]

You don't need Norton with Microsoft security essentials, as the two won't be compatable.Remove Norton also don't forget to remove it from your Folders. Start>Search>For files and folders> select files and folders, type in norton and select search. when files are found right click on each and Delete one by one.

[askyourgran]

Thanks vignon, all done.

[ttfn]

afternoon gran - how is the laptop running now - has the flashing light gone?