Follow these simple steps in order to keep your computer clean and secure:

Check this site for details info on how to protect youself and you machine!
Secure Your machine !!

1. Use an AntiVirus Software - It is very important that your computer has an anti-virus software running on your machine. This alone can save you a lot of trouble with malware in the future.
   
   See this link for a listing of some online & their stand-alone antivirus programs:
   
   Virus, Spyware, and Malware Protection and Removal Resources
   
   
2. Update your AntiVirus Software - It is imperitive that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish). If you do not update your antivirus software then it will not be able to catch any of the new variants that may come out.
   
   
3. Use a Firewall - I can not stress how important it is that you use a Firewall on your computer. Without a firewall your computer is succeptible to being hacked and taken over. I am very serious about this and see it happen almost every day with my clients. Simply using a Firewall in its default configuration can lower your risk greatly.
   
   For a tutorial on Firewalls and a listing of some available ones see the link below:
   
   Understanding and Using Firewalls
   
   
4. Visit Microsoft's Windows Update Site Frequently - It is important that you visit http://www.windowsupdate.com regularly. This will ensure your computer has always the latest security updates available installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.
   
   
5. Install Spybot - Search and Destroy - Install and download Spybot - Search and Destroy with its TeaTimer option. This will provide realtime spyware & hijacker protection on your computer alongside your virus protection. You should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an antivirus software.
   
   A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
   
   Using Spybot - Search & Destroy to remove Spyware , Malware, and Hijackers
   
   
6. Install Ad-Aware - Install and download Ad-Aware. ou should also scan your computer with program on a regular basis just as you would an antivirus software in conjunction with Spybot.
   
   A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
   
   Using Ad-aware to remove Spyware, Malware, & Hijackers from Your Computer
   
   
7. Install SpywareBlaster - SpywareBlaster will added a large list of programs and sites into your Internet Explorer settings that will protect you from running and downloading known malicious programs.
   
   A tutorial on installing & using this product can be found here:
   
   Using SpywareBlaster to protect your computer from Spyware and Malware
   
   
8. Update all these programs regularly - Make sure you update all the programs I have listed regularly. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new malicious programs are released.
   

Follow this list and your potential for being infected again will reduce dramatically.

Thank you guys! You're terrific. I have both Spybot and Ad-Aware, as well as Norton Antivirus, Hijack, Shredder, Spywareguard and SpywareBlaster and I still have gotten bugs in my system. How do you keep those updated? I thought updates were only for paying customers. Norton found something a little while back that Adaware and Spybot didn't pick up, but Norton did not remove it. That's why I was asking about another software just in case there was something that could make up when there was a gap.

Except for Norton all the programs you mentioned are FREE!! To all ,not shareware ,or trials versions ,FREE.

For the free programs we recommend, you can definitely get (unlimited) updates, but what some of them do lack is an automatic update function such as Norton's Live Update. All that really means is that you will have to manually check for updates when you run the programs, but all of them (as far as I've seen) have a built-in option for doing so.

In terms of some of the utility programs detecting/not detecting/being able to clean/not being able to clean certain "nasties", keep in mind that each of these programs are basically optimized for specific functions. For example- Ad Aware and SpyBot are primarily spyware/adware/hijackware/etc. removal tools. They are not optimized for traditional virus removal in the way that Norton or McAfee are, nor were they ever designed to do so. On the flip-side, Norton, McAfee, etc. products have traditionally been anti-virus/trojan/etc. programs; their ability to deal with adware/spyware is relatively new. Sooo:

If you can give us specifics as to the files/infections in question we might be able to help you out.

Given the above, the fact that the lines between all versions of generally malicious programs are blurring, and the fact that new variants of those nasties are appearing almost daily, it's impossible to expect that only one or two protective programs will keep you extirely safe.

any program that removes malware and costs money is not worth it all you need is ad-aware, spybot S&D, hijackthis, and a good firewall. That is it you could also get things like spyware blaster and such but it is not a necessary to have.

All after the fact programs ,some blocker program ,IEspyAd, Spywareblaster ,spywareguard, and TrojanBlocker[not free but trial fully working for 30 days ]will make there job easier.Check the Spyware Tools link in my signature

Also, if you want a free anti-virus program, this would be the one:

http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

thx caperjack and dnm. actually caperjack i have already downloaded and installed spybot search and destroyer. thx really al least 4 the time being for a moment i can feel safe on the web u never know when a virus will come to my pc!!!!

thx a lot to caperjack dnm and all u guys out there its really helping me now to really understand what do all these program actually do . Just i big and only doubt ummmm..... r u sure that i wont get a virus if i update any of my programs. just to tel u that my friend update dher windows and she got lots of viruses and on top of that her system get corrupted.. can you please clarify this . again thx in advance

It would be absolutely foolish to tell anyone that they'll be 100% safe if they keep all of their anti-virus and anti-spyware programs up to date.

The problem is that the wonderful people who make viruses, spyware, etc. are constantly coming up with new and "sneakier" ways to infect computers, which means that the people who make the utilities to fight the infections are usually one or two steps behind. There is always some delay between the point at which a new infection is discovered and the point at which someone can find a cure for that infection; the process is exactly like that of finding a cure for biological viruses.