E-Machine help please

My friend in NJ has an e-machine running windows xp. I found out that she has been using it for 3 years and currently has no virus protection at all. I wanted to get her set up with some but she has old McAfee and Norton on the machine with no uninstall options. She also has 3 aol software versions that she can't seem to remove. I am trying to talk her through this over the phone since her English is not the best and she feels overwhelmed at the thought of posting her problems here.

I got her to install Advanced WindowsCare v2 last night and we got rid of a lot of stuff but I don't know what to tell her about the other programs that need to be deleted. I plan on having her install avast and spybot unless there is something easier for her to use. She is not good at updates and can't understand most software so I need to stick to very simple programs that she can't mess up. How do you uninstall those programs that don't have uninstallers? Please help me to help my friend.

Thanks.

 

What problems exactly are you trying to fix?

Emachines have a recovery option. You could try this and reload Windows in Spanish or whatever.

It's quite possible that both norton and/or mcffee came with the machine originally and have never been installed, so leaving them wouldn't then hurt.

It's very difficult to advise, long distance, through an intermediary with so little information.

Does you friend have broadband? or the ability to download any stuff she might need?

Studio T

 

I need to get the norton and McAfee off since they keep sending her messages but there are no uninstallers. There are also no uninstallers for all the aol crap on there that she doesn't use at all. All of these programs are expired and keep telling her to pay for more protection and/or services. So again I ask, how do we get these programs off with no uninstaller? The add/remove programs can't uninstall because of missing files. A manual search doesn't show them either.

Downloading programs is difficult for her so I download what is needed and email it to her or send it through yahoo im. The connection is dsl and fast enough.

I tried to talk to her about reformatting but she started crying. The pc needs to be in English because of her children.

 

I'm afraid I'm about to go out for the evening, perhaps some Geek in NYC area can advise you. Major Geeks has both Mcafee and Norton removers, but the norton requires specific removers depending on the norton product and year. You often have to reinstall the product to remove it successfully.

Good Luck

Studio T

 

You helped us anyway by saying that I could get uninstallers here. We have sucessfully gotten rid of mcAfee and snortin norton. I got her set up with aVast and comodo and in a few days will try to see what else is needed. We also found two trojans and one virus and eliminated both of them.

I think that I am becoming a geek in my own right! Yay me and yay Clare who is so excited that her pc is flying now.

 

Glad you got somewhere, especially under you own steam, post again if you need any more.

Studio T

 

I am not a complete idiot. I just feel that way most days when asked to help with someone else's pc problems. I needed a hint at least about what to do and you gave it to me so I had good results. Clare's machine is working much better by all accounts and she is totally happy.

Thank you so much from both of us.