reality television anyone?
IE, Chrome, Firefox... none of them will install something that will harm your system. Otherwise they could be sued. And they don't like that.
I too would make sure all bad programs are uninstalled from my computer in dealing with malware. Toolbars, coupon generators... oh don't get me started on the coups. They all need to go. Suspicious things you didn't install. After, make sure windows is updated. Yep, security updates are very important in keeping secure.
I would have IE 10 installed on the system, no reason not to. Use another browser of your choice if you want, but why not update IE to the latest? I believe it is more secure that way overall. Good 'ol smart screen filter. sigh
download this from a SAFE computer - yep, make sure the computer is safe first (virus free and all that):
What is Windows Defender Offline? - You'll need a USB stick for this, and run it off your computer. Plug it in, restart, tap F8 (or F12 sometimes) to pull up the boot menu, boot from the stick, and do a good full scan. It might quick scan first, but run the full scan right after. clean that baby out!! On a side note, I personally like Windows Defender best as an antivirus, but your choice on preference. After all this, you should be good. Scan for viruses with your choice antivirus for good measure.
Me? I love IE10 (though haven't noticed too much a difference from 9). I like going light on programs, so you won't find me installing other security features or browsers. But I'm not often 'surfing the web', and never click on things I am suspicious of. I am a suspicious kind of guy. At this point in my life, youtube, hulu, eightforums and Hotmail sum up about everything I use haha!