Ok, I am crap with computers, but suspect mine may have a virus - any advice?

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

Just before Christmas DP opened an email on my laptop from what he assumed was a safe sender (a mailing list he has been on for ages) and followed a link in it, which took him to one of those sites that makes 'security' warnings appear and tries to get you to download their 'antivirus software'. Anyway he managed to close it down without downloading anything, or so he thinks.

Laptop has AVG Free which updates every day and does a daily scan. Prior to the dodgy email, it used to pick up around 70/80 tracking cookies every day and warn me about them, also the odd warning about other things. But since the dodgy email incident it has stopped issuing any warnings and no longer finds any tracking cookies.

Also, the computer keeps getting stuck when trying to open websites, but if you try to close the tab pops up a warning to say that 'the window is busy, closing it may cause problems'.

Any ideas? I've looked on geeky tech help websites and am even more confused.

I used to use the online Active scan. I think if you register to will disinfect viruses etc.

working link!

Ok, thank you. Is it ok to run that when AVG is already installed on the computer [dim memory of being told you should only have one antivirus thing at once]?

I used to run it when I had Norton. IIRC it's Ok because it's not actually installed on your PC, it's a one-off thing. It used to find things that "hid" from the resident AV software.

Aha ok sounds like what I need then.

Registering now.