Essential Anti-Virus

sain

For years I've just been using AVG, with live control and automated scans, but it's evidently not enough.

I'm being redirected to advertisements whenever I click a Google search result. Prior to each search, Google requests a Catchpa, citing "unusual traffic from your computer network".

Are there any programs that are especially good at preventing this crap?

twotimesadingo

I'd start here. Read through the guides at the beginning, try some of those options. If they don't work, ask the security gurus, as they're likely to have additional tactics.

Noisymunk

sain wrote: »

For years I've just been using AVG, with live control and automated scans, but it's evidently not enough.

I'm being redirected to advertisements whenever I click a Google search result. Prior to each search, Google requests a Catchpa, citing "unusual traffic from your computer network".

Are there any programs that are especially good at preventing this crap?

Ditto what 2xDingo said.

Have you kept your AVG virus definitions up to date? Running an out of date anti-virus program is like having no antivirus protection at all.

Nibble

A lot of antivirus programs don't scan for adware, as they're not technically considered to be viruses. I would suggest you use the three "top recommendations" in the link posted above.

Turkey

Girlfriend's computer had that same problem, even after the culprit (rootkit) was found. Check your hosts file, and remove all except the localhost entry.

Viscountalpha

NOD32 - AV trial- First to defend against most viruses out there.

Spybot S&D- Spybot is great for keeping adware/spyware out

Malwarebytes - Catches what spybot misses and sometimes more.

sain

Turkey wrote: »

Girlfriend's computer had that same problem, even after the culprit (rootkit) was found. Check your hosts file, and remove all except the localhost entry.

This did the trick, thank you!

Psychotic One

I'd say no matter what AV you choose also keep the free version of Malware bytes on the computer, and also on a USB drive in case of a hostile takeover of your machine. I've saved my mother's computer a few times from Hostage Ware with Malware Bytes a few times.