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Hope someone can understand this and has anyone had the same problem?
Went away for a few days, came back, switched on desktop running BT Total Broadband with McAfee built in. McAfee takes over 24 hours to do full scan, nothing found. Since then nothing but probs. Couldn't get any joy with booting up, had to hold F11 down for 3 seperate boots, which progressed the bootup one stage further each time until I got to sign on. . Had to do a full reinstall of my operating system, losing all my files but luckily they are on BT Cloud so can recover them when I get sorted. Getting my programmes on gradually but when I do a net search I only get ad related results, no actual sites I'm looking for, e.g. Wikiwirral can't be accessed on my desktop. Anyone any ideas? I have a gut feeling that I have a worm, virus or something like that but McAfee isn't about to tell me about it. I also have Windows Defender and that's says nothing.

Sounds like Tot Time to me!

try downloading avast, then run a boot scan

free but v good

There are a few things it could be.

Have you tried any other AV/Spyware programs?
Have you tried running in Safe mode with network support?
What browser do you use?

In my experience McAfee and Norton are a waste of time and I have never had Windows Defender come up with anything.

for the love of god get rid of McAfee. cant believe this steaming pile of poo along with norton is still going.

after you remove it ( and have a party ) install microsfot security essentials: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download

24hours to do a virus check LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

Try to download and run a program called Hijack This.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/hjt/files/latest/download?source=dlp

Run in admin mode.

Post the results.

Cheers for that fellahs. Still plodding away myself at the mo' but will try these fixes. Already done the Safemode etc, no joy. Running a scan at this minute, last one gave me "Unexpected error - restart scan" which I'm trying. Will let you know how I get on eventually. I'm sure I'll be able to bodge something. I don't half miss DOS6.

Only use one virus scanning program. One program is monitoring the other scanning. Thats why its taking forever to scan. So uninstall
McAfee and try windows defender or the other way around.

Search for a program malware bytes this will search for malware.

Chip away at this resolve one issue at a time.

Remove McAfee straight away, they are only popular in the industry because they pay to get on bundled. They are TERRIBLE, along with Norton.

They both get into every grain of your pc and work their shitty magic. Terrible, terrible software.

Oh i had this ages ago, seems like you are going on the correct site but with subtle differences, almost like mirrored sites?
Cant remember what it was called. Had to do a fresh install.

Cant understand if you have done a format and reinstallation how it can still be there.

Was reinstall from disc or recovery partition?

Thanks to everyone who answered. Have finally got sorted and back on line and up and running. Lost a bit of stuff but not that important, it'll just take a bit of work to reconstitute it. Went all round the houses just to get to Woodside in the end. Tried everything you all suggested, cheers also to Eggandchips for the PM's, just read them. Did so much circuitous stuff that I don't really understand what got me going again, I'm at that confused age. Using Windows Essentials and got rid of McAfee (it used to take my computer over out of sked). Fresh reinstall seemed to be the answer eventually and even that was fraught with unexpected messages. Just done a full scan with Essentials and all seems ok. Once again, thankyou.