I frequently get asked by friends and family about how to protect their PC or what software they should use to improve performance. I've posted about some of the free software tools I use on my home PCs for this in the past, mentioning CCleaner, Advanced System Care, and other freeware tools...and I always recommend they be used in conjunction with a good anti-virus program and software firewall, of course.
Despite all of the tools I use regularly to guard against malware, I recently stumbled on some pretty stubborn malware that I just couldn't get rid of with the tools I typically use, so I tried IObit's Security 360 Free and it worked like a charm. Security 360 is designed to remove spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, bots and worms from 32bit and 64bit Windows PCs (2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7) and is free for non-commercial use.
If you happen upon some stubborn malware give it a shot. Hopefully it'll work as well for you as it did for me. Have a happy & safe 4th of July everybody!