Part 4: Setting Up Spybot.  First: install. Second, follow the instructions in the wizard to get it updated and whatnot.  It should ask you if you want to apply passive protection to your system.  Tell it yes.  Make sure it was able to update properly as well (updates often affect passive protection).  This step goes quite a long way to protect Internet explorer (or whatever browser you like to use, spybot can protect the most popular ones: IE, FireFox, navigator… etc).  Everything else it asks you during the wizard should be optional, but its not a bad idea (like making a backup of your registry).  After the wizard, run a scan.  Clean whatever you don’t want.  You probably don’t want any of it but some software may not function without it (for example, kazaa uses spyware, which they tell you they are gonna install if you read the fine print, to support giving it to you for free.  If you remove the software, kazaa will not run.  Kazaa is also old, outdated, and obsolete).  I have yet to find software that bundles spyware with it, that doesn’t have a free alternative without spyware.

 Part 5:  Avg or <insert name of antivirus you chose here> and spybot S&D should launch when your computer starts up.  Your pc may run just a touch slower than normal (this is usually because avg scans everything you open before it actually opens) but if you do notice a difference, it shouldn’t be much, and its well worth the protection.  Congratulations, you are now protected.

But Jarrod… I have a virus already… what can you do for me?
http://www.ngook.com/archives/102
http://www.ngook.com/archives/106
These methods are different ways to achieve the same goal.  Pick one, if it works, pick another.  The reason for different guides is because there is different difficulty levels and equipment requirements.