Spam is being sent from my e-mail address

Turns out that one wasn't compatible. I found another
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.51.1.1800

The free ones that I have tried are less than totally effective, But are doubtless better than none at all. www.pcworld.com lists a variety of what you are looking for.

I agree that it is possible that the email was hacked as opposed to malware. I've seen it happen.
Either way it's always good practice to make sure your system is clean.

I've had a lot of experience with this, and it is most likely that you're account has been hacked! Sadly, getting a new account isn't really the answer, because the new account can just as easily get hacked some time in the future as well. I've had my email hijacked several times and here are some suggestions that I've learned.

First, as the other members have suggested, run one or two good malware scans (i.e. Malwarebytes or MSE or TrendMicro) to get rid of any malware in your email account (or anywhere on your system).

Then, follow the steps below, and hopefully there's help for you there.

First line of defense is to change your password and all "secret questions" and "answers."

(If hackers have locked you out of your email, go on-line and sign up for the free service in which you give your email provider (i.e. MSN/Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) your cell phone number and they text you a secret code to allow you to get back into your email.)

Next, when you're in your email, always "Log Out" of your email when you exit, rather than just hitting the exit X icon. Hitting the exit X doesn't end your email session, only 'logging out' actually shuts it down. If you just press exit, that leaves it available to be hacked because technically, it's still open, even after you've gone.

(By the way, when you are signing into your account, if you get a popup message that says you're signed in to multiple locations when you’re not, you need to sign out of those other locations. In that situation too, it is possible that you are being HACKED from one of those other locations.)

Finally, and most important, since most hacking is done through your address book, temporarily delete all contacts in your address book. Some sources advise leaving it this way for a week or more --- I think that's a matter of judgment. I deleted my address book over a year ago after I was really badly hacked and oddly enough, have found that for the most part, I really can live without it. And the good news is that since I've deleted it, I haven't been hacked once.

This last bit of information is the bad news, and that is: sometimes your account is hacked by someone stealing your account information, and they use it from a totally separate location to send out the infected emails. So, since the problem isn't connected with your system, there is nothing you can do on your system to change it. And even changing your email wouldn't help because the hacker can still continue to send out infected emails from their location, still using your old email address. The only way you might possibly be able to control it might be if there was some way to actually invalidate your email account's address. And even then, it may be possible for those phony emails to continue to go out.

If nothing above has helped the problem, take a look at these tutorials to see if there is any help there for you:

Windows Live Solution Center:- http://windowslivehelp.com/accountrecovery

Hotmail Security to Protect and Recover Your Account

Thanks to all for the advice and help. I ran the programs and changed my passwords. I haven't had any problems. I have 2 e-mail accounts and it was only in the Yahoo account. I was going to close the account, but my boyfriend has a mailbox there too and I didn't want him to lose his account. I think I will delete all of the address book contacts.

linda661 said:

I have 2 e-mail accounts and it was only in the Yahoo account. I was going to close the account, but my boyfriend has a mailbox there too and I didn't want him to lose his account. I think I will delete all of the address book contacts.

If it was the Yahoo account with the trouble then you were most likely hacked as opposed to malware. If you've changed your password you should be fine. Just try and think about how it may have happened (sometimes it is beyond your control) and try to avoid it happening again.