Hi Chlo_Avril. I can't help adding a couple of comments that I hope will help a newbie:
1) Find and DL AdAware (2008 is the current version). Then load and run it. Run it in free mode. Buy it if you like.
2) Do the same for SpyBot (version 1.5.2, I think).
When installing DO NOT LOAD TEA-TIMER (TEATIMER)!!!!
Don't get me wrong. TeaTimer is a great program, but it's also a pain in the @zz when it runs and takes a while to train.
So be careful when loading Spybot and chose to NOT load Tea Timer!
3) Make sure you have a good anti-virus program running somewhere. Norton AntiVirus (NAV) is good, of course, or some other if necessary. Just have something watching your PC while you use it.
The first two programs (Adaware & Spybot) will clean 99.99% of all the things you'll get on your PC while online and NAV will trap most of the immediate threats you'll get hit with.
NEVER, EVER click on a screen that says a (strange) program has detected a virus! This is a trick! Instead, run full scans of Adaware and Spybot and they will trap and remove the program that is giving you this warning.
If you EVER click on that scam it will install very bad things on your PC in the process of "cleaning" your PC.
If you have ever click on one of these scans, run SB and AA as soon as possible.
About the Safe Mode referenced by a couple of other people: Safe mode is NOT a running mode of Windows. Basically it is a bare-bones running of Windows. Lots and lots of Windows program and support items are not loaded in Safe Mode. The reason they want you to run a scan in Safe Mode is because (sometimes) Bad Programs will not load when you run in Safe Mode. So when you run virus scans those Bad Programs are not loaded and won't interfere with the scans. (Some virus are smart enough to "hide" when they see a virus scanning program running. Safe Mode will "sometimes" prevent these Bad Programs from loading at all. I, personally, only run Safe Mode virus scans when my normal virus scans can't kill a specific virus. But it's a personal preference thing.)
After the first time you run SpyBot and AdAware (full scans), run them a second time. Make sure everything has been removed. Yes, there are things that these progs will spot but will not be able to remove. If you keep detecting the same bad program, talk to an expert or scan the net and find specific methods for killing these things. (Be careful of internet offerings though. Some removal services are scams! Do a little research. Google the name of the program and see if endless "Warnings" are reported.)
One more thing, and share this with your friends: If your PC ever seems to slow down over time, run Spybot and Adaware (full scans, with updated malware lists)! I help out a LOT of people and I've encountered PCs that have had over 2000 ads and spybots on the machines that, once cleaned, makes the PC run like it is brand new! Every spybot and ad takes up memory on your PC. The more and more you get, the slower and slower your PC will run.
I hope this helps with your Malware adventures. :-)
Later ~ Vince
