Computer virus...

Within the past few weeks, I received notice from two different entities warning of a serious plague now circulating. They offered that if I buy their current virus protection, I could be saved from terrible things such as "back door entry" credit card, bank, other highly vulnerable info, from these worms that are out to screw you!

While I did become alarmed at a possible new round of threats, I wondered if my current "Stop Sign" virus, spy ware, remover was current and able to fend off the threats!

Since this first warning, I have done nothing, but almost immediately my PC began to slow. I have run my virus scanner, my disk clean-up, defragmeneted, ran another registry check for clean-up, bought an on-line PC booster. My Microsoft update is current w/ service pack 2, and all updates current to August 27.

Sunday, I discovered that my PC is slower than ever before! I get this message now that tells me ...file "MKBDATA,DAT" not available when I try to run Microsoft up-dates, it tells me that my Windows XP Professional, is not genuine, and suggests that it is counterfit!

My PC is slower than XXXX, so I decided after several attempts to fix it to do a "System Restore" I don't like doing this because you loose stuff! Anyway I did it and now everything is OK, but it still will not receive Microsoft updates and so I question now that It will just be a matter of time before those needed up-dates are really of need!

I wonder now, are the computer giants the one's producing these viruses just so they can sell software?