Vista - Windows Live OneCare is Dead - Alternatives?

Thanks for your input rive0108, sassafalco is user you need to contact...or hopefully he will see your post in forum.

Cheers,
GT.

I'm using AVG, but I think that finding a good security software suite that works well with your OS and that you can work with is important.

Here's a link to the Windows preferred security software providers for Vista, just for reference: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ant...ows-vista.aspx.

Cheers,
Ron
Windows Outreach Team

Windows Live OneCare is Dead – Alternatives.

To the various and many, thanks for all the input so far. Now it’s crunch time!

OK. So now I’m all psyched up, read up, revved up, fed up, and about ready to go ahead to uninstall Windows Live OneCare, and install avast! 4 Home Edition in it’s place, as my antivirus program.

Before I do so though, I just need confirmation that my planned sequence of uninstall, install, reactivate and update is correct, and that it will provide me with the minimum of exposure to an unprotected system, as I carry out this process.

This then, is how I plan to carry out this changeover;

1.Create a new Restore point.
2.Download and save avast! 4 Home Edition from; FREE antivirus software with spyware protection: avast! Home Edition, to my Desktop.
3.Uninstall Windows Live OneCare from my system.
4.Restart the Laptop.
5.Reactivate Windows Defender – [already installed but deactivated because of WLOC].
6.Reactivate Windows Firewall – [already installed but deactivated because of WLOC].
7.Run and Install avast! 4 Home Edition.
8.Restart the Laptop.

I am well aware that there will be quite a few Updates to be made for Windows Defender, and maybe also Windows Firewall, but what I’m uncertain about, is at which stage do I do all the updating! Or will this be done automatically with reactivation of these two programs?

Additionally, do I at any time as a safety precaution, need to disconnect completely from the Internet?? If yes, then recommended method [eg….. disconnect ethernet and other points.]

Does the above plan outline appear to be in the correct order? If I should need to change the order, please advise by sequence numbers, for example – change sequence to; 1.3.4.2.7.8.6.4.5.4….etc.

Are there any other pitfalls not mentioned here that I should be aware of or recognise?

Right! I’m rearing to go!

Hi sassafalco, I gather from most people it is best to have no other ainti virus program on your computer when installing another antivirus, as they can react to each other.

Personally I would...Create a Restore Point, activate Defender, Firewall and download updates. Do a restart, perhaps twice.

My theory is, have all available updates installed before moving forward to install/uninstall anti virus program. This way you have a clean slate to work with.

Then uninstall WLOC.
Then Install Avast.

Hope this helps,
GT.

Mate,

That's just the very part that I'm really uncertain about. If I recall correctly, at the time of installing WLOC from a CD, I needed to first of all, disable both Windows Defender and Firewall, because of the conflict issue.

I'll wait-out to see if any others come to the party to suggest otherwise.

Windows Live OneCare is Dead!.....Long live avast! antivirus 4 Home Edition.
So I got impatient just waiting, and took the bull by the horns.

I’m pleased to say that everything went like clockwork, and the small ‘a’ ball icon is now busily spinning like crazy in my Notification tray…..and what a nice colour blue it is too!
Here is what I did that led to a very successful installation and initial scan by avast! 4 Home Edition.

First of all, I had a few good looks at this excellent video which has some great tips; YouTube - How-To Install and run Avast Anti Virus

With confidence on the improve, I followed these steps;
1.Created a new Restore point.
2.Turned on Windows Defender, and checked for the latest Definitions and Updates. These were all downloaded and installed automatically.
3.Restarted Laptop.
4.Turned on Windows Firewall. No requirements for new Definitions or Updates.
5.Restarted Laptop.
6.Under Control Panel>Programs and Features, uninstalled Windows Live OneCare.
7.Restarted Laptop twice.
8.In Internet Explorer 8, downloaded avast! antivirus 4 Home Edition from here; FREE antivirus software with spyware protection: avast! Home Edition
9.Restarted Laptop.
10. At the the restart after installing avast! It did an automatic boot scan, and when finished, my usual Desktop appeared.
11.Just to be really sure, I did another restart.

The video mentioned above is a great help as it outlines all steps in the avast! installation, and gives a guide on Registration of the software, and how the Licence key is activated. Without these, avast! will not get automatic updates.
Finally, after having a little ‘play’ with it, avast! would seem to be very simple to follow and very User friendly. Time will tell.

Your a natural.

Nice work sasso.

GT.

Sassofalco, that was a really good informative post.

Glad you got it all happenin,
GT.

NOD32, norton AKA symantec has too large of a footprint for my liking. I like my PC to use my system resources not struggle because my AV software (norton) is hogging them all. Avast is great for a free program I use it on 3 PCs currently and I recommend it to those that do not want to purchase AV software.

Perfect example I just bought a brand new laptop around 1 week ago with Vista64bit came preloaded with NortonAV360. I went out found the brute force removal tool and removed it completely from the computer and installed Avast.

Remember though an AV program can do a lot, paying attention to what you are doing, browsing and downloading can be as much of an asset to keeping your PC virus free as that AV software.

Agree. But also add vigilance with checking and installing updates as they are posted. Therein lies the reason I believe, that I had very few minor issues with Windows Live OneCare when I had it installed, and I was really disappointed when Microsoft announced that this suite of software was being withdrawn. In essence, WLOC taught me a lot about security, protection, tune-up, backup systems and functions, in the two years that I have had it.

However, I'm happy to have negotiated the process of getting avast! installed instead of WLOC antivirus, especially since I won't need to fork out $99.95 each year, just for the priviledge of WLOC protection etc. Not sure how this will effect the monthly update and running of Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool though, but I'll face that next 2nd Tuesday of June.