a group who don't know how and don't care to know how.

That group would include me... I never signed up for all this crap when I bought my PC, and I'm reluctantly learning.

I thought it would all be automatic! I think Microsoft has an obligation to build protections into Windows which would make the use of firewalls, anti-virus programs, spy hunters etc. unnecessary.

Just give us a box that asks "Do you want your system to be vulnerable to this crap?" and if you click No, it isn't.

They could do that, couldn't they?

Cheers,
Michael