You realize that is a crapload of things to do right?
It does appear that way. Some of the suggestions offered were "either-or", not everything is necessary.
The primary one is to make sure software is up to date. That will minimize any possible attack vector.
www.secunia.org supplies (free for personal use) the PSI, which I find very useful.
[edit] It would be interesting to see what it makes of your AOL browser.
As for Avast Free not having anti-script or whatever it is called, I think this is also the reason I got infected with "Windows Smart Security" that apparently got made around the time of the infection since I couldn't find one google result complaining about it until the next morning after the infection took place.
Probably vulnerable software was the reason. As you mention below, this was a new infection, not added to the database of most AV scanners. You were one of the lucky first to become infected with it. If you had been using a browser with no scripting, you would have been able to choose not to run the particular script that performed the drive by download (assuming that's what it was.Did you click on anything for the infection to occur? Or just visit the page hosting it?
Actually, I think I had Avast Professional and it still did not detect anything (and I think the virus was contracted via my browser) however I wonder if the fact it was saying "Avast will expire soon" has anything to do with this (and it did not expire). Also, can a browser of my choice have non scripting incorporated in it? Since I love to use AOL explorer more than anything...
See above. And if you want to use AOL software, and it doesn't have the option to at least prompt to run scripts, all bets are off. I don't know, I don't use their browser. (Nor anything else.)
As for "Avast will expire soon" that would have nothing to do with it. Those warnings start to happen several (~20 days, I think) days before updates are disabled. But if you had ignored it for that long, and it had stopped updating, then maybe.
As for paying for security programs, I mean, are they really that much better than free ones? Why can't the free ones just have as much features as the ones we pay for? To be perfectly honest anti-virus programs TODAY are just about as essential as freaking internet browsers. Windows users need them now more than anything. There is such high demand on it right now and it's ridiculous having people pay for security just because some homos out there like to make infecting malware.
There has been a 585% increase in rogue antimalware programs in the first 6 months of this year alone. These "homos" (you redneck, you) are often very qualified, prolific software writers, making very large sums of money, hired by organized crime syndicates. There is a lot of money involved.
Regarding AV manufacturers providing AV's for free - and yes, they are essential - who pays for their staff to eat? Feed their kids etc?
If the AV is a sideline of the main business, like, maybe, MSE by Microsoft, then they can afford to provide it (or a version of it) for free. If the company's main job is to provide security software, who is going to pay for development and updates if the software is free? The malware writers get paid darned well. The AV writers have to carry out R&D to try and keep up. It costs.
Aren't the programs being payed for need to be constantly updated? Do the updates cost too?
Yes. No.
Also what is the difference between non script in a program like Malwarebytes PRO and non script in a browser like Firefox with no script?
I don't know. Maybe one uses definitions, the other is user choice? But really, I don't know.
Problem with definitions-based software is that if you are unlucky enough to stumble upon a zero-day trojan (just released) only system hardening (Noscript, behavior blocker etc) will save you.
Would you begrudge paying a mechanic the fee for keeping your car serviced? The component of your air ticket that keeps the aircraft maintained? Health insurance?
Thing is, with security for computers, you have more free choices around than are available in other fields of possible day to day hazard.Good choices. You couldn't actually fly safely on a carrier that gave away free seats regularly, because the aeroplane was well built 20years ago, and they have decided to save on maintenance. (Actually, they can't do that. But if..) Who would willingly get on the thing?