We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
suggestion for "Free Anti-Virus Software" guide
Options
Chipping
Posts: 61 Forumite
I read through the "Free Anti-Virus Software" document, which is really good, and would like to offer a couple of changes to help make it even better (they might not 
):
1. Section: Ensure your computer is updated.
Warning: Microsoft may install things you may not want, without warning, through auto-updates. You can set it to allow you to check what it installs before it does it. An example of this is Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) software (WinXP or later), which verifies that your copy of Windows is genuine. There is a chicken & egg situation with WGA; if you do not have it, you cannot get anymore updates directly from microsoft. If you do get it and it decides your copy of Windows is not genuine, you cannot get anymore updates and it will give you constant reminders to get a licence. It has been known to do this even on genuine copies of Windows. In addition, you can upgrade to IE7 without WGA but not IE8.
2a. Section: A note for those with new PCs
This needs to be in its own section, it is currently in "Cloud-based anti-virus tools" where it does not belong.
2b. Note for Norton users only
Most anti-virus programs have removal tools and can cause problems if not removed properly, not just Norton. McAfee is equally as troublesome as Norton to remove. It is important to check the instructions on the AV software supplier's website for your particular version of the software before attempting to remove it. However, they generally tend to be reluctant to provide this information (so you have to search for it).
The removal procedure is generally the same for all: uninstall using the programs own uninstall utility if it has one, otherwise 'Add/Remove Programs' in Windows Control Panel. Then run the specific removal tool downloaded from their website, and restart the PC.
Here are links to the main ones that may be of use (note: they sometimes have a different tool for different versions of the AV software):
McAfee
http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?lc=1033&id=TS100507
Kaspersky
http://usa.kaspersky.com/support/home/208279752/
ESET
http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2289
AVG
http://www.avg.com/gb-en/download-tools
):1. Section: Ensure your computer is updated.
Warning: Microsoft may install things you may not want, without warning, through auto-updates. You can set it to allow you to check what it installs before it does it. An example of this is Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) software (WinXP or later), which verifies that your copy of Windows is genuine. There is a chicken & egg situation with WGA; if you do not have it, you cannot get anymore updates directly from microsoft. If you do get it and it decides your copy of Windows is not genuine, you cannot get anymore updates and it will give you constant reminders to get a licence. It has been known to do this even on genuine copies of Windows. In addition, you can upgrade to IE7 without WGA but not IE8.
2a. Section: A note for those with new PCs
This needs to be in its own section, it is currently in "Cloud-based anti-virus tools" where it does not belong.
2b. Note for Norton users only
Most anti-virus programs have removal tools and can cause problems if not removed properly, not just Norton. McAfee is equally as troublesome as Norton to remove. It is important to check the instructions on the AV software supplier's website for your particular version of the software before attempting to remove it. However, they generally tend to be reluctant to provide this information (so you have to search for it).
The removal procedure is generally the same for all: uninstall using the programs own uninstall utility if it has one, otherwise 'Add/Remove Programs' in Windows Control Panel. Then run the specific removal tool downloaded from their website, and restart the PC.
Here are links to the main ones that may be of use (note: they sometimes have a different tool for different versions of the AV software):
McAfee
http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?lc=1033&id=TS100507
Kaspersky
http://usa.kaspersky.com/support/home/208279752/
ESET
http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2289
AVG
http://www.avg.com/gb-en/download-tools
0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
- 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.8K Life & Family
- 257.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards