Avast Dowload

My computer is running Vista and the anti-virus program that came with it Windows. I would prefer to use Avast as I have done for years.

Is this procedure right:

Download Avast but don`t open.
Disconnect from the Internet.
Delete the Windows anti-virus.
Install Vista.
Connect to the Internet.

Is there another step I should take É (sorry, question mark shows up as É Do you wonder why I hate this computerÉ)

 

There's no such thing as Windows anti-virus. So, exactly what anti-virus program do you have?

What? Vista is your operating system. So, obviously, it's already installed. Please clarify your post and use precise terminology for everything.

 

Some one told me last year that Vista was a virus. LOL

^It's not of course but it does seam like it at times...^


It's probably Norton or Mcafee security center.

 

or Microsoft Security Essentials that is downloaded via windows update if no AV is detected by windows?

 

Good call I forgot about that one.

 

You're right, Nico. That's the one. So is the procedure I listed the right way to go to download Avast?

Vista a virus? I wholeheartedly agree, General Geek. I am tempted to update to Windows 7 but I read around that a lot of people are having trouble with that one, too. I want my XP back!

 

The correct procedure would be:

#1 install any type of windows.. and since you say you have Vista installed you are good here. I dont know how you would install other programs before installing windows as described in your first post.

#2 Uninstal Microsoft Security Essentials.

#3 Install Avast. you shouldnt have to disconnect from the internet to install avast. unless you're applying a crack that you dont want avast to see. In which case you shouldn't be installing the program.

an installation guide can be found here:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial104.html

#4 restart your PC when prompted by the installer.

#5 you can either stick with the free version, or purchase a license key, that is up to you.


Regarding the keyboard issue. It happens to me all the time. look down on your taskbar. there is a little keyboard icon (on my PC there is anyway). if you select a different language, then put it back to US standard, it usually resets anything you may have accidently did to muck it up

 

Many thanks, Nico. I`ll follow the instructions and see what happens. Someone told me two virus-checker programs would cause a conflict but I intend to remove the one that came with the computer.

Fingers crossed.

My question mark is still showing up as É. The computer hates me using UK English but I need it and I refuse to use US English (sorry US folks). Gmail accepts and prints the right characters so why a site on the Internet has to be different, I`ll never know. But that`s Vista for you -- a crap program. Do you wonder why I don`t trust anything that came installed, like the anti-virus programÉ

Cheers. Thanks for all your help.

 

Hi lavender,

Ok, try this for your keyboard:

Go to Control Panel, Regional and Language Options, Keyboards and Languages, click Change keyboards. Set the default language to English-UK (I think thats what yours would be called)

then click apply


Once you have set the proper language, delete the french keyboard map that is giving you problems. So the only keyboard map you would have left would be your default, english-UK.

that should definately fix your problem with the keyboard

 

Would you believe I got a spam message supposedly from Avast? Incredible.

I've forwarded it to their virus centre for confirmation that it came from them.

Who can you trust?

And 'at' still appears as "

 

I have tried everything. The French keyboard shows up alongside Canadian English.

Contacting MS for support is impoassible because the product key I have is unrecognizable. I had to telephone support to get the right one and they changed it without giving me time to make a note of the new one.

 

You can delete the french, and french-canadian keyboard maps completely so that they no longer exist on your machine.

This would not let your PC use them at all, and it would be forced to stay on English-UK.

 

I'll see if I can find the French language thing. From the browsing I've done, I can't find anywhere that I can delete a language.

 

To delete the unwanted keyboard map Go to Control Panel, then to Regional and Language Options, then to Keyboards and Languages, click Change keyboards.

once you click change keyboards, you should see something like the screenshot below. I'm using windows 7 so yours may look a little different.



You can see in the picture there is a place to set your default language. You should set this to English-UK since it is your preferred setting.

Below that, you can see there are other language maps than can be applied or removed. Highlight the map that is giving you trouble (French, French-Canadian, or even both) and click remove. That will effectively remove the unwanted keyboard map from your computer.

 

I'm using Vista and no such option is available to me. All defaults are changed to English UK but nothing seems to change the keyboard even though I've set it as UK. I cannot find anywhere that I can delete any languages.

Testing 'at' " still shows as double quotes.

 

Hmm, I really do hate Vista. There should be a similar setting on vista, but it could be in a different area or have a slightly different name. I'll do some reading and talk to a few friends with vista and see what I can come up with.

 

According to the link below, the same fix is supposed to work for windows vista.

http://www.vistaheads.com/forums/mi...ing-accents-over-e-instead-question-mark.html

Now i'm puzzled lol

Does this usually happen when you press Shift + Control at the same time, either intentionally or by accident?

 

Many thanks for your help.

I went to that site but I loathe paying for programs when I should be able to get help free from MS.

I have the answer!

I phoned Microsoft and spoke to a technician there. The keyboard problem wasn't easy to resolve and I was on hold for a time, but I have the answer. Dell Vista Keyboards are set to US English. When I changed the language to UK English, the keyboard automatically changed. UK keyboards are set up differently (keys in a different place) and that's why I was having problems. Unfortunately, I cannot leave the keyboard in US English as it automatically becomes a UK keyboard. (The ''at' sign shows up on the double quotation sign as @, for example.)

He sent me two links on this so I'm giving them to you just in case the problem crops up for other members. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_and_American_keyboards and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout

I have three options I will try:

It's a black keyboard so I could use whiteout and ink in the corrections on the keys.

I will also try installing my old keyboard to see if that works.

I will try to make the language Canadian English as the keyboard might be closer to US.

I'll come back and let you know which one works.

I think Vista was given the wrong name. It should be Virus.

 

Please stop with that silly non-sense. I think most of us are not interested in your Vista-bashing mentality. You have an unusual problem with your keyboard/language issue; that seems to be your core issue. It's an issue that, I'm fairly sure, could have arisen with Windows XP and perhaps even Windows 7.

 

No, the situation didn't arise with XP.

Vista allows no configuration different from US. It is limited and I now understand why so many people are unhappy with Vista.

Complain? Yes, I will. You never heard me complain about XP, did you? No, because it was versatile and allowed me control. Vista doesn't. It's the pits.

 

But in one of your other threads, presumably about the same PC, you stated:

So it has worked but something is buggy, yes?

Does the PC shut down correctly?

Does Scandisk/checkdisk run at startup?

 

I was on Vista at that time. Yes, it's still buggy and I don't know how it changed for a day or so and then reverted.

I've switched to Canadian English (figuring it will be closer to UK English) and a US keyboard. Every keyboard I've ever used is set out as a US keyboard. It looks as if the mix of Canadian and US works with this keyboard (@ " E are typing properly) so all I need to do now is make sure the grammar and spelling program works to use UK English for checking.

Yes, the computer closes down without problem. Scan disk at start up? Not sure I've done that so please tell me how.

I've run Belarc and it finds no problems since I updated hot fixes. I've also run an Avast scan and Advanced System Care. ASC finds registry and privacy problems but there are no viruses.

I'm new to Office 2010, too, and currently hunting where they put grammar and spelling. As you can see, I'm not a geek so Vista is almost incrompehensible. I've done no work for about three weeks so I need to get this sorted.

Please help.

 

This might help you.

 

Brilliant, Satrow. I think that will work. Here's a test: @ "? As I said - Brilliant!

Thank you so much.