My computer was running slow, I also kew i had some VIRUSES, so I took it in to a Computer store to get it fixed. The people there said I had 300+ viruses. They told me they would have to reinstal Windows ME. I gave them the go AHEAD to erase all the memory on my computer. When I had got it back in about a week I hooked it up and started to see if they had fixed the problem. What I thought would have been easy to fix turned out to be more then I thought. Now I have to reinstal all the progams on my computer. The only problem is the Military gave us the computer, but no SOFTWARE!!!! I cant reinstal anything without the software. If you have any idea how i can go about this, PLEASE HELP me. You will have to install an operation system.

If you have none, you will have to buy one from a computer store.

Computer Operating Systems

If you wish to prevent these problems from occuring again, read these articles.

How Stuff Works - Internet Channel

How Stuff Works - Security Channel

Gibson Research Corportation

download software via the net....Presumably, the store re-installed Windows (ME ?) for you. If not, that's the first thing you'll need to do.

Also, I assume when you say the military gave you no software, you mean CDs / floppy disks? Without those, unfortunately, your only option is to purchase new copies. However, there are alternatives:

First, download ZoneAlarm from http://www.zonealarm.com - it's a free firewall that will help protect your PC when you're online.

Try AVG AntiVirus from http://www.grisoft.com - 30 day free trial and only $35 (if i remember correctly) for 2 years worth of updates. I cannot emphasise the importance of Anti-Virus software enough, as I'm sure you're now aware.

Sun's Open Office from http://www.openoffice.org is a good set of office programs (IMHO superior to MS Office, bar Excel) and is available for free.

Download some kind of spyware SCANNER (LavaSoft AdAware from http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/ and SpyBot Search & Destroy from http://safer-networking.org are pretty good bets - both free) and run it every week.

And, seeing as we're stuck in the MIDDLE of Spread FireFox week, may I reccomend you download the FireFox web browser from http://www.mozilla.org - it should help keep the spyware down. They have a nice little email program called Thunderbird too.

Hopefully you have a broadband (cable/dsl etc) connection - it may take a while to download openoffice otherwise. If not, try to find a friend that does who can download it (and burn it to CD) for you.

Hope at least some of this helps, it's mostly my standard-stock advice, but if nothing else get a firewall and anti-virus. Please.

Cheers,
O