I use Computer Associates Security for my virus, spyware and Internet protection. Several months ago, I downloaded a program. I immediately scanned it for viruses or spyware and it came up clean. I then installed it. Many scans since then have come up clean. Now, months later, an overnight scan is showing a Win32/Ilar.O virus was deleted from the setup.exe. I don't understand where this came from at this late date. BTW, every few weeks, I update CA, Spybot and Adware, turn off System Restore, go into Safemode, and run the scans just to be sure nothing remains in the restore file. These have come up clean. This is not the first time this has happened. Each time a virus is found, it is a different name. I guess I just don't understand the anatomy of a virus and how it survives repeated cleanings, but only appears randomly under different names. Would one of you experts clue me in, please.

Cleaned virus will reappear without challenge straight from the System Volume Information (SVI) folder managed by System Restore. SVI folders are off-limited to all AV programs. If you have System Restore turned on, turn it off then rescan the PC to remove all traces. i_Xp/VistaUser

From what I read I can see that the poster turns OF system restore and scans (it may have been overlooked...np:) **every few weeks, I update CA, Spybot and Adware, turn off System Restore, go into Safemode, and run the scans just to be sure nothing remains in the restore file. ** SweenCat, this is worth a shot. D/L Avast Free to your desktop: http://www.avast.com/eng/download-a... Looks like you maybe had Norton installed prior to setting up CA Trust. If so, go to the Norton website and user their uninstaller to remove whatever else is lurking on your PC. Then use regcleaner: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4... to clean out the rest of the previous AV. Now turn off CA and install Avast and make sure to put a check in that it does a bootscan on reboot. Move everything it finds to the chest. If things are not running better, then go into safe mode with networking and do this free active X scan: http://www.spywareinfo.com/xscan.php also remove all it finds. Post back on how you are making out. There's other suggestions yet. Thanks Some HELP in posting on Cnet plus free progs and instructions Glad to Help!

You're rite - I missed reading that part. i_Xp/VistaUser

no problem, we all make reading mistakes....especially me at the best of times :) To Er is human Some HELP in posting on Cnet plus free progs and instructions Glad to Help!

Thank you to all who responded. I followed all the suggestions made by XpUser4Real. The Avast scan turned up three Trojans. The active X scan showed a few infestations as well. I'll monitor future CA Trust scans to see if anything comes up again now that I turned it back on. I hope it is OK for me to ask some additional questions: (1) How did you know that I used Norton's before CA Trust? (2) Why did these viruses only show up in scans every once in a while--but not every time? (3) If I had given this same program to someone on a CD, would that have infected their computer as well? Thanks again!!!!

(1) How did you know that I used Norton's before CA Trust? I figured it had to be Norton or McAfee, because they get so imbedded on a PC that unless everything is removed, no other AV or firewall will work properly (2) Why did these viruses only show up in scans every once in a while--but not every time? That's a hard one to explain, viruses have a habit of doing that (3) If I had given this same program to someone on a CD, would that have infected their computer as well? It is not the CD that's infected, it was because of what was left on your PC from other AV's. FWIW, I just finished working on a retired Army friend's laptop. He had Roadrunner as his ISP and they offered CA Trust for free. He loaded that up and suddenly his PC took 10 minutes or more to boot up. Slow as mollasses. I did the same to his PC as what you did....Then I totally uninstalled CA and loaded up: 1-Avast Free 2-Comodo Free Firewall 3-Spyware Terminator Now his PC boots up in 45 seconds....he was amazed. See, Avast doesn't need any maintenance or scheduled scans....with the Avast webshield it catches any viruses in real-time allowing you to abort your connection to prevent getting them. This is great for home use. Some HELP in posting on Cnet plus free progs and instructions Glad to Help!