Does anyone know of any sites where I could get free stuff?

Virus!? Anyone know what's wrong?

• I'm a video maker on YouTube, and I recently downloaded a few things from a variety of sites to help with making videos... problem is, about 24 hours after I downloaded some stuff, my computer gave out all together! First, it started freezing and not being able to revive, so I'd shut it off and restart. Then, the internet wouldn't connect... the icon for internet connection wouldn't even show up!!! Now, I can JUST get it to the point of being signed in and then it freezes again. I'm planning on taking it to someone very soon to see if he/she can find the problem, but I wanted to see if anyone knows what might have happened. -- Don't go to any of these sites, just in case they ARE viral, just let me know if you've had any trouble with them -- Firstly: My computer is a DELL Latitude D610 (from about 2005 or so) I installed: AVS4YOU video editing program & I downloaded royalty free music from: www.danosongs.com www.music4yourvids.co.uk www.freemusicforvideos.com (& the other source I trust because I've heard his music MANY times before, but I also downloaded from) www.incompetech.com Thanks to anyone that might be able to offer any help. It's much appreciated. -Also, if you're wondering how I'm on the internet if my computer doesn't work, I'm using a friend's computer. --Also, if anyone knows of any current viral outbreaks, that info might also be useful 0_0 thank you!

• Answer:

  In our house, computer viruses are not a rare occurrence! For the immediate problem, I would recommend running a scan with security software (if it's not too late!) If that doesn't work, backing up all your files and then completing a full computer reformat (wipe the hard drive and re-install windows) might be a good idea. This may sound like a major project, especially when the virus *could* be removed by a professional. However, all computer viruses are different and this is a method so that you can be sure the virus is gone. Additionally, since your computer is reformatted, you may notice your computer runs much faster than before. You can bring your computer to someone to have this done. They will put back all your programs, files and settings so that your computer is just the way you had it before the virus. However, reformatting your computer will depend on the intensity of the virus (how well it buried it's self into your system) as some viruses can be removed by simply running a computer scan with anti-virus software or hiring a professional to do the job. Some computer viruses will "block" the internet and prevent you from going online and/or installing Anti-Virus software. This could explain why you cannot access the internet. After checking the above sites with SiteAdvisor, they appeared to be virus-free. However, when you downloaded a file, it could have linked to another site that contained the virus. To prevent this from happening again, whenever you download a file from a suspicious site, you should always scan it for viruses. You can use your computer scanner (AVG, Systematic, McAfee... etc.) or a site scanner (such as VirusTotal [http://viristotal.com]. I download all my programs from CNET download.com. I hope this helps :D! I am sorry for my long redundant novel... I hope your virus issue is solved!