Questions and a few problems with/about Anti-Virus/Spysweeper

[Android Kaeli]

To make a long story short, I updated Trend Anti-Virus back in late May/early June and extended it for another year. I also have Webroot Spysweeper until next year as well. Trend Anti-Virus updated to Anti-Virus PLUS Spysweeper. I've been using these programs since 2005 with no problems.

At least until the middle of August when I get a rather evil virus on my computer that I thought, at the time, was resolved when I called Trend's free hotline to get rid of the problem myself. I'm pretty decent with the computer and can figure out what is what with some explanation as to what needs to be done but am NOT perfect. However, with the help of the tech and emails sent, I thought the problem was solved.

Not long afterwards, I tried to use Trend as I usually do every other day but it kept rebooting the computer at around 50-55% done. It's never done this before and when I called Trend again several techs (including a couple of Tier 2 techs) said that I needed to get rid of Webroot and just use Trend instead.

Now, here comes the problems and questions:

1.I HAD been using the same. two. programs. since MAY with no problems, no rebooting, no nothing. Even with the updated Trend I could use both Webroot AND Trend without any shutdowns, cutoffs, etc. The rebooting/shutting down of the program didn't occur until AFTER the virus went onto my computer and taken off. Please note that I have NO problems with Webroot, that program works FINE.

2. If these two programs were working FINE TOGETHER until then, do I need to get rid of Webroot? Would that solve the problem, or would getting rid of Trend and getting a new anti-virus work better?

3. Why would two programs that had been working fine together for three months after the extension and countless updates to them suddenly stop working? Is it because of the virus or the updates? Prior to May's extension/upgrade, I had been using these two programs since the same time in 2005 with no problems.

4. Am I able to get a refund on faulty anti-virus/anti-spysweeper after an extended period of time? Because this problem happened months after I purchased it, I was told that there was no way that I could get a refund for it.

5. Was I sucky in demanding that, if I were to get rid of Webroot, that Trend pay for the year I have remaining? Because, again I'll state, that I have no existing problems with Webroot doing it's job and have had none since it was installed.

[Eric the Grey]

3. Why would two programs that had been working fine together for three months after the extension and countless updates to them suddenly stop working? Is it because of the virus or the updates? Prior to May's extension/upgrade, I had been using these two programs since the same time in 2005 with no problems.

In short, Yes.

Both Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware programs update on a regular basis in order to keep themselves up to date. That is what allows them to keep up with new malware.

Chances are, one of the updates to one or the other has caused an incompatibility. It may well be necessary to remove one or the other in order to keep your AV product running.

However, you can verify this by disabling Webroot and running your scans to see if it causes problems.

Running multiple Anti-Virus products can cause problems, I suppose we're now seeing the same issue with Anti-Spyware products running in memory as well.

See if there is a way to disable the real-time component of Webroot and use it as a stand-alone scanner only. That may help as well. Having two products try to do the same thing at the same time will surely cause problems.



Eric the Grey