Can Search bar cause viruses?

[Ronnis25]

I have gotten viruses and they suggest not to have your bar as an add on.   I like making money searching and I also like the results of the searching, too.  I just want to know why I should use it and if it is causing me to get viruses.
Thanks God Bless

[jmccaskill]

ANYTHING you download to your system can carry a virus, or other nasty things. Toolbars are notorious for placing all manner of things on your system for various things other than the toolbar itself. These can be keystroke loggers, trackers, re-directs, and far too many others to list. It is my personal policy to avoid 'third party' toolbars/search engines like the plague.

This does not mean that you have been infected with a virus, much of the garbage a toolbar typically infects your system with is malware that is not truly a virus. You NEED to run some programs (available for FREE) to identify and clean out the trash you have been 'gifted'. It sounds like you really are not all that knowledgeable of this area of computing (no offense) so I will suggest one very good free tool for you to use. This is malwarebytes. You can download this jewel from a lot of sources, but if you are paranoid I suggest going to cnet.com download area to get it. (cnet.com is known to be a virus/malware free download site) malwarebytes is NOT an antivirus program, and frankly I can't really define exactly just what it is, it is unique in what it does, and I know of no other program that does what it does. Anyhow, download it, run it (it might take some time to run the first time depending on how much trash you are carrying). Once it finishes it will identify the nasties you have and  give you options options to deal with them. If you are a little uncomfortable in deleting things that you are not sure of that malwarebytes will ID on your machine, then use the option to at least quarantine the ones you are not sure of.

There are a lot ot other steps you can and SHOULD take but this will probably get you to a much improved state.

[charmaine56]

Its not so much viruses as it is spies. Spies tag where you go and this slows down your computer.

[sherryfan]

Be sure install antivirus such as Norton, it is always possible to get virus any where, not only from FC search bar

[dsawan]

Avast is another and its free!

[sak4kat]

What perfect time for this post and explanation.  My husband just downloaded a tool bar from a different site - he couldn't believe how much it allows him to make a few extra $$$.  I said oh that I should install the FC tool bar and he said don't do it.  I was a little confused as to why it was okay for him to install a tool bar but I was advised not to.  I think I'll steer clear myself.  It doesn't sound like the benefit is worth the risk.

[cathy37]

I have not got a virus from the toolbar, but just about everyday the toolbar disappears and I have to download it again so I can do my searches.  Don't know why this happens.

[berthabutt]

I did't know you could gt malwarebytes for free?  I paid over $50 for it and its about to expire. Good info to know. I'm gonna check out cnet.com

[berthabutt]

I have a problem with the toolbar not crediting sometimes. I'll do like 20 searches and have maybe 1c or no credits?

[jmccaskill]

I did't know you could gt malwarebytes for free?  I paid over $50 for it and its about to expire. Good info to know. I'm gonna check out cnet.com

Malwarebytes has a free version as do other protective programs, Avast, and SUPERAntispyware. These three programs in their free versions are what I consider to be a bare minimum level of personal computer security. It is pretty much up to the individual if they deem the added protections/features offered in the paid versions are worth the costs associated. Personally I believe that the more diligent one is about actually using their protection tools and common sense concerning computer security, the less sophistication is needed in their programs. That is just my personal opinion. MOST people are not all that careful with security matters and are well served with paying for more sophisticated protections, in the long run a few bucks spent on good security measures is pretty cheap insurance against suffering some form of catastrophic security attack.

[jamrow36]

I have never had problems with the FC toolbar when I actually used IE.

[Kfickes]

I Norton Anti virus it works pretty well on catching viruses. Be careful out there.

[sarah791017]

I'd like to know that too

[hicham1976]

you must have an anti virus 

[rghvac69]

I haven't had any problems with viruses, just malware. Malwarebytes has helped, though.