I have been having a problem with Internet Explorer shutting down a

program "to protect my computer". In some cases there is a banner

above the program saying if you trust the source click here but even

if I click on it the program closes. In addition, I have been trying

to download Adobe Reader but when I click on the download button I get

the same banner and even though I click on it Internet Explorer closes

the program. Please help.
Bill

Try running IE without any Add-ons, see if that works.

Click Start then Run, type iexplore -extoff and press Enter or click on Go --- or
Click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)

If downloads work then start IE normally. Click on Tools then Manage Add-ons. Start disabling them a few at a time until you find the one causing the problem.

I removed your email address to keep badguys from harvesting it. They frequently troll forums, chat room and other public places for addresses to sell to spammers, or for other nefarious reasons.

Have you thoroughly scanned for malware? Just to be sure, I recommend purging the hard drives of clutter with Windows Disk Cleanup, ATF Cleaner or CCleaner. If using CCleaner, uncheck the option to install the Yahoo toolbar during installation. Before first use, go to Options > Settings > Advanced and ensure Only delete files in Windows Temp folders older than 24 hours is unchecked. Know your site credentials (user names and passwords) for sites you frequent before cleaning; you may have to login again at next visit.

Then download and install Malwarebytes's Anti-Malware (MBAM) and scan as follows:

Check for updates before scanning,
Select Perform quick scan > Scan,
When complete, click OK, then Show Results,
Ensure all is selected, and click Remove Selected,
When complete, save the log in Notepad to a convenient place for future reference.

Repeat for all computers in the "Trusted Zone" of your network (your side of the Internet "gateway" - typically the cable or DSL modem).

Windows Disk Cleanup Note: One distinct advantage Windows Disk Cleanup has over all other cleaners is that it also has the option to delete all but the most recent Restore Point. This can be significant as malicious code can hide there too. But I caution this option, found under the More Options tab, should be used only after careful consideration. If experiencing a problem that first appeared within the last couple days, do not use this option until sure System Restore cannot be used to fix it. If the computer is running fine otherwise, and you are doing your weekly supplemental scans and want to root out as many potential malware hiding places as possible, I recommend setting a new Restore Point, and then use this Disk Cleanup option to clear out the old points.