# Security system **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 13, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665 "2010-09-13T23:35:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/1 "2010-09-13T23:35:16Z")
Or whatever it’s called, infected my laptop. It was 7 minutes after norton updated, and the whole time I’m getting messages from the virus, norton is unaware that I’ve got a problem. I followed the directions on this site and have almost everything up and running ( some of the recommended antivirus/scanning programs won’t open), but explorer is dead. It doesn’t recognize that I’m online. Firefox is working great; thank goodness I had it installed. And thank goodness I had my iPad so I could read the directions while I messed with my laptop. Does anyone have any idea how I can get explorer back? I’m not technologically illiterate, but I’m in less than the tenth percentile of technological ability, so short words would be appreciated. Sort of like the short words I’ve been muttering since last night. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/2 "2010-09-13T23:51:36Z")
Malware Bytes is your friend. Download it, run it in Safe Mode. ---
**Author:** ![Leonard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@Leonard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leonard)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/3 "2010-09-14T00:01:10Z")
If it’s anything like the ones I’ve recently encountered, boot in safe mode and do a system restore from a point a day or two ago. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/4 "2010-09-14T00:27:02Z")
Thank you. Malware bytes is what got it off the laptop, but explorer won’t run. I will try the system restore. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/5 "2010-09-14T00:37:26Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > Thank you. Malware bytes is what got it off the laptop, but explorer won’t run. I will try the system restore. Thanks! Be careful! Some of these viruses hide themselves in protected areas like the System Restore area. When you say that Explorer won’t run, can you elaborate? Is this Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/6 "2010-09-14T00:39:07Z")
Internet explorer, sorry. Firefox runs and I can get online. The icon for the virus-ridden program is off the task bar and everything works except Internet explorer. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/7 "2010-09-14T02:26:26Z")
Two things to check. First, go to Tools on the menu bar, then Internet Options. Then hit the Connections Tab and the LAN settings button. Make sure Proxy server is disabled. Then go to the Advanced tab. Click the Reset button to remove any remaining browser helper object and set the rest of the internal links back to their default state. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/8 "2010-09-14T03:17:39Z")
System restore didn’t work, but projammer’s advice did! Many thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-system/553665/9 "2010-09-14T23:19:09Z")
Projammer’s advice was what I was about to give! I run into this all the time and it’s my favorite problem to fix. System restores, on the other hand, can foul things up a bit.