Anti-virus ... ?

Norton Anti-Virus 2005 wasn't working for me so I decided to download AVG Free Edition.

Do you think this is a smart move? Should I remove AVG (which sounds like a really really complicated process) and install norton again?

>__<;;
Ahh. What have I done?

 

IMHO it's an excellent move. AVG is a rock-solid anti-virus, is well endorsed by many online users and is far less resource demanding that Norton. Indeed, it will not dig its tentacles into your registry the way Norton/Symantec does. It has an attractive user interface and is very easy to configure. You've made a good decision.

 

I made the same switch (but Norton 2004 I think) when it started causing me problems. Been well over a year now and I am still using the free version of AVG.

 

Really? Well, that's good news.

What I'm most afraid of is that I'll click something or choose something that will totally ruin my sister's computer. Even though I've been using this computer for years, I'm still a definite newbie when it comes to this kind of stuff.

 

After uninstalling Norton, would the remnants in the registry interfere with AVG? Also, with AVG is there a yearly update fee?

Jeane

 

Getting rid of Norton...ah... the rub! I don't like registry cleaners but I'm sure Charles or others will advise you to run RegSeeker to pick up the obsolete and deadend dlls. I will run it on occasion but only remove those entries marked "green" (as being safe) and then only after some thought as to how it might impact other programs. Make certain if you decide to do this that you back up in case things go wrong. There is a backup option on RegSeeker to assist you. Personally, I don't believe the remnants of Norton's anti-virus program will interfere so I'd be inclined to just leave well enough alone after uninstalling it. You might wish to visit the Symantec site for a removal tool (that's another option).

With the "free" version of AVG there are no fees period. It's a "winner" as far as I'm concerned.

 

Hi Jeane,

If you haven't uninstalled Norton yet and wish to install AVG or something else, I would take Jame's advice and go to the Symantec site and look for an uninstaller for the particular version.

There will be remnants, so it depends on whether you're bothered by that or not, you could look for files/folders/reg entries labeled Norton/Symantec using something like RegSeeker or the OS's search function. Don't know what OS you run, if it's XP or WinMe, make use of System Restore and if not, regedit has an option to backup the Registry under Files > export.

Regards - Charles