A few issues I need some help with!

To remove AVG completely as suggested by SledgeDG you should download the correct tool from the list here:-
AVG - Download tools as the normal uninstall provided doesn't do the full uninstall required.

Okay, so I have used the program above to uninstall AVG, thanks for the link, then ran SFC/SCANNOW and "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations".

What's new - Windows Live OneCare safety scanner for Windows Vista and Windows 7
This still didn't open.

Free ESET Online Antivirus Scanner
I used this and it did not find any threats.

Then I installed Malware, as suggested, and did a full system scan, with no threats.

Then I installed Microsoft Security Essentials, and I am planning to use it as a replacement to AVG (?) as I can now write/send emails on 'Live Mail 2011'.

I do still however get 'thumbs' appearing on my system (been like that since the day I got the laptop)?

Thanks for all the advise and comments, helped alot so far!

That is GREAT news
Now to the last problem:
Thumbs.db usually are Thumbnail cache files. To stop Windows 7 from creating them you need to prevent the creation in the group policy editor. under
UserConfiguration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Explorer Turn off the chaching of thumbnails.....But I think Home premium doesn't have that option, so here is a reg file to make that change directly in the registry. You will have to delete the old thumbs.db files manually but the creation of new ones should be stopped.
For curious people...here's what's inside :
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer]
"NoThumbnailCache"=dword:00000001


Just start regedit with Admin rights and merge the reg file in.
-DG

Thanks for the reply.

I'm going to have a go at the instructions which you posted to attempt to get rid of the 'thumbs'.

However, although I have successfully sent an email via Live Mail, it did crash on itself like it was doing previously, but was then able to send an email when it restarted?

I suppose it brings me back to one of my initial issues, from the position, shown below, how would I go about adding Live Mail to the firewall?




Thanks for the help so far, really appreciate it

It is most likely not your firewall !!! A firewall either blocks or lets through. But it does not block at first and let through after a reboot.
Besides your picture shows that incoming connections are blocked if not specifically allowed (just as it should). Your mailer program connects to a server to deliver mail, so it's an outgoing connection.
You said that all started after you updated to WLM 2011. A short skim on the internet reveals that there are many people out there having the same problem. So what you could do, would be to uninstall wlm and try togo back to the former version.

-DG

The registry fixed worked! I no longer get these 'thumbs', as for WLM, as you said I'm going to revert back to an older version and wait for a new version to come out!

Thanks for your help guys, especially DG.

You're very welcome
glad you got your problems sorted out
and thanks for the feedback.

-DG

Normally when Thumbs appear it means you've unhidden System Files in Control Panel>FOlder Options>View.

I would keep the System and Hidden files hidden by default as intended.