Last week my grandchild and I tried to find games we could play on the computer, and now I keep seeing a "Are you looking for kids games" pop-up. How do I get it off. I saw in a previous answer that one should keep Windows patched manually (monthly), but I don't know how to do this. I was looking in the programs trying to see if there was something I had downloaded that I could remove, and I saw SoundMax. Is this something I don't need and should it be removed? This computer beginner really appreciates your knowledgeable, patient help.

What version of Windows do you have? There is usually an entry underneath the START button that says "Windows Update" or "Microsoft Update". If you can find that, click on it. It will open a web site and tell you what patches you need. You simply follow the directions and they will be installed.

In Control Panel, there is an "Automatic Updates" entry. You can choose from "Automatic", "Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them.", "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them", and "Turn off Automatic Updates".

Also, I believe you may have downloaded some Malware. I suggest you download MalwareBytes and use that to scan your computer:

MalwareBytes download

Download the free version (Blue button on the left). You don't need the paid version. Make sure you update it before you do a scan so as to get the latest Malware Definitions.

I also recommend that people get CCleaner and use that before doing a MalwareBytes scan. You can use CCleaner frequently, if you wish (I do). You can set it up to run each time you boot Windows.

CCleaner Download

I'm not sure what SoundMax is. It sounds like a sound board driver. I'd suggest you leave it alone unless you're sure that you don't need it.

;)