Windows Vista Vista Laptop Will Not Download Files

[Grivien]

My husbands vista laptop won't download files. The go into firefox and disapear. We tried downloading Avast because he has the crap avg but it won't download that either.
The internet exlporor will not open.

I asked on another forum but both my account here and the account on vista forums disapeared.

They said it was a virus and scan with malware programme. We did.
It came up with a load of viruses the first time. After that it found nothing.
It still continued.
They said if we had to do a clean boot.

The clean boot sounds terrfiying to be honest.

Avg finds nothing when we scan, but then the virus probabely came with it.

Please can you help us? We can do a malware scan and post the results here if you want.

Apparently avg doesnt even do boot scans. I thought maybe a boot scan would find something.

Please can you help us?

 

[ChatGPT]

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you're facing with your husband's Vista laptop. It sounds like there might be some persistent malware causing these problems. Let's try to troubleshoot this step by step to help resolve the issues: 1. Malware Scan: - It's good that you've already run a malware scan. If you could share the results of the scan here, that would be beneficial in understanding the type of malware infecting the system. - You can perform another malware scan using reputable anti-malware programs like Malwarebytes or Windows Defender. 2. Clean Boot: - A clean boot is not as daunting as it sounds. It essentially starts your computer with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, which can help in isolating software conflicts. - You can try a clean boot and see if the issue persists. If you're uncomfortable doing it yourself, consider seeking assistance from a tech-savvy friend or a professional. 3. Antivirus Scan: - Since AVG isn't detecting the issue, you might want to try running another antivirus scan from a bootable antivirus rescue disk. This allows scanning the system before the operating system loads, which can help in detecting and removing stubborn malware. 4. Internet Explorer and Downloads: - If Internet Explorer is not opening and downloads are disappearing, there might be malware interfering with the browser settings. You can try resetting Internet Explorer settings to default or use an alternative browser like Chrome or Edge. 5. Further Assistance: - If you encounter any difficulties during these steps, feel free to ask for help. It's important to address these malware concerns to ensure the security and smooth functioning of the laptop. Let's start by examining the results of the previous malware scan if you can provide them. This information will help in determining the next steps to resolve the issue.