grandmas....I will not let country of origin make my decision, but I do still believe in buying made in the USA if possible, and that's hard, but another subject. I too am a "Grandma" and not that computer savy. That is the reason for my two posts about virus scans. I was looking for other peoples ideas and experiences, since mine are so few and I feel I am not qualified to make a good decision based on my knowledge alone (which is little). I probably will go with Avast from the comments posted. I do want something that updates daily. Maybe you could tell me of your experiences with MSE since you are trying it on one of your computers and have Avast on the other. I only have one computer and it's all I need, it's a Gateway and I will have to look at the box to see where it is made. I know my old Gateway was made in America, not sure about this new one, well 1 year old. I'm just trying to get as much info as possible before the 12th, when I have to decide. I have looked at websites that compare virus scans but that can be confusing. I want real answers from real people, it makes more sense to an old Grandma like me. LOL Thanks everyone for your help, I appreciate it so much. It's nice to have a forum to ask for help.

OK we need to step back a little. You did not mention your operating system nor the program you use to create your back up image. If you have Vista or Windows 7 it comes with a back up utility. XP does not so you need a third party program such as Acronis True Image or similar. From what I can see you external drive came with no back up program installed on it. Using your HP recovery disks will return the computer to the state it was when you first opened the box and set your machine up. All data will be lost unless it is backed up. All bloatware will be installed again, exactly as it left the factory. Restoring an image created in Vista, Win7 or third party software however returns the computer to the exact state it was in when you created that particular image. Some (perhaps all) programs offer incremental backups, in other words they add stuff onto the previous back up. Personally I never allow that, I always create a new image then delete the older one. There is no specific reason for that, it is just one of my many quirks.

Rita it updates whenever an update is created. My last update was 36 hours ago but as you seem concerned I did a manual check for an update and there was one there which would have installed automatically in the next few minutes. Remember, I have just woken my computer from snooze mode for a new day. You can turn the auto scan schedule off, not sure why you would want to after all the idea is to give you and automatic program leaving you one less thing to worry over. The only reason I know my scan is running is because I have a noisy hard drive, it simply runs in the background like so many other items you have installed.

Dee can - Please DO NOT trigger a Format. It deletes everything on the drive (including Windows). If you reformat your PC's hard drive, it'll be useless to you and won't start again until a new operating system installation is done. It shouldn't be something you need to do. raven - I disagree with your suggestion about the advisability of having a HDD image. Use of same would seem to be well beyond the ability of most people who visit this forum. To avoid problems and inconvenience, my first suggestion is that everything important should be backed up and, correspondingly, unimportant files needn't be backed up. Many users have nothing but unimportant files. A simple emailer and web surfer likely has nothing that needs to be backed up. My second suggestion is to avoid problems by using proper tools and practices. (Many of the tools and practices I've seen recommended in various threads in this forum I don't agree with) My third suggestion - if a problem is encountered that the user doesn't know how to deal with, find a service provider or someone knowledgeable to help you. For "seasoned citizens", younger family members may be useful for this. Write down on a piece of paper (yes, a piece of paper) the programs you use and the obscure websites you like and have bookmarked. Other than important data files (photos, music, correspondence), EVERYTHING ELSE on your PC can be reinstalled, re-downloaded, and otherwise replaced. If your PC is old, struggling, or otherwise deserving of a proper burial, buy a new one. They're cheaper than ever, and old your old PC may not be worth the cost or effort to resuscitate. Good luck to all. With a first rate antivirus program, all that's left for you to do is to know where you go and know what you open. With that and absent being very unlucky, you won't have any problems.