ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall Version: 12.0.118.000 released:

[Gnosis]

@Cats-4_Owners-2

Umbra suggested for me to try something like this: Sandboxie, PrivateFirewall, Cloud AV
That would really button you up.

 

[Gnosis]

Pretty soon I am thinking of going with Panda Cloud AV Free, PrivateFirewall, Sandboxie, TF L5.

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

Thank you for such Delightfully Magnetic Nerdy Persuasive Honesty! ..and for your configuration, Gnosis. Thanks! I can't wait to be 'buttoned up'!

Sandboxie, here I come! ..as soon as I can re-download Windows 8.1. It continues to fail and...
Wait a minute. This has all got to be Santa's fault! Forcing elves to work through Christmas Eve & making reindeer fly all night is enough to create "airborn" malware on this Acer.
Seriously now, Merry Christmas to All, & to All a Good Night!

 

[Gnosis]

This has all got to be Santa's fault! Forcing elves to work through Christmas Eve & making reindeer fly all night

Not even St. Nicholas can escape KARMA. lol

 

[Cats-4_Owners-2]

It looks like "Saint Nick" stepped into his time machine, & left me a computer (w/Windows 8.1) which works smoothly again! There was no *stocking* in view although, I suppose, Windows Defender plus seventy three important Windows updates might have overloaded it!
Thank you to EVERYONE for such wonderful tips that I'll continue putting into motion after edu-ma-cating my brain for our computers' "anti-malware" list in 2014.