AV Tools Block Good Software
Fred: In hopes of preventing frustration on the part of other subscribers I want to share this story.
I recently converted an elderly HP Windows ME PC that had defied use of Windows XP Home, to Windows XP Pro. The machine now works better than it ever did before.I installed a Netgear USB 2.0 WiFi adaptor. It worked okay but every time I booted the PC I got a message saying that I'd get better performance if I had a USB 2.0 port for it to work with. (The ME machine had a USB 1.1 adaptor) I put off doing anything about that and proceeded to add other software to complete the installation. Among the things I added was the free version of AVG anti-virus by Grisoft.
Then I later decided to use one of the open PCI slots for a USB 2.0 four-port card. For some reason when I tried to plug in the USB 2.0 WiFi adaptor it complained that it needed to be reinstalled.
The point of my note is that when I tried to install a Netgear WiFi adaptor all went well until the installation got to the end and it said that the (something) file could not be found.
I tried again. Same EXACT same message. I had another USB WiFi adaptor and decided to try that. Exact same results.
About then I noticed the AVG icon on the task bar and a light came on in the dim recesses of what I call my mind. I disabled (not removed) the AVG anti-virus and tried the installation again.
This time it worked with out a hitch and all is now well.
This also turned out to be the solution to a similar problem I encountered when I tried to help a friend install a wireless adaptor on an older PC that was part of a wired network with a newer PC.
Best Regards, Mike Flood, Happy subscriber
Thanks, Mike. Yes, some software needs to install itself fairly deep in the system, and may run afoul of various security tools. When you encounter an otherwise unexplainable installation failure with software that you know should be safe to install (ie mass-distributed commercial software from a known, reputable company), then it may be worth trying the install with your local defenses temporarily lowered or turned off. Just remember not to go online or do anything else with the PC until the defenses are turned back on! <g>
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