Had Avast! 4.8; Reinstalled Windows XP SP 2; Will Avast! 5 Work???

[Jobber]

Due to a driver becoming corrupted, I had to make a fresh installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 on my computer with the manufacturer's Recovery disk.

I deleted all my previous files during the fresh installation.



Previous to the fresh installation of Windows XP SP 2, I had Avast! 4.8 installed on my computer.

The fresh installation of Windows XP SP 2 wiped out al my programs and documents, pictures, etc.


Someone told me I should defragment the disk drives, so I am doing that now.


I viewed the Disk Drive report provided by Windows XP, and I still have files, though seemingly inaccessible, on the hard drive, including the following:

Volume Size = 466GB

Used Space= 247GB

Free Space = 219GB

Percent Free Space: 47%


Fragments           File Size         File Name

1,416                  7MB              \Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\DATA\l...


There are also dozens of other Fragmented Files included in the Report.  



Questions:

1) It seems from reading on the forum that there have been some problems with Avast! 5.

Should I install Avast! 5 on my computer??? It seems from what I read that the Windows XP operating system has been affected most negatively by Avast! 5.



2) Due to my computer's driver going bad, I was never able to uninstall Avast! 4.8 from the computer.

Even though I used the manufacturer's Recovery disk, and have done a fresh installation of Windows XP SP 2, is Avast 4.8! still on my computer's hard drive somewhere???

Will this negatively affect how Avast! 5 runs???


3) Also, it looks like my registration key number for Avast! 4.8 free Home Edition ran out of its 12 months c. 1/9/10.

Can I try out Avast! 5 for free???

Do I need to register again???


Thanks,


Jobber  
 
 

[mhf]

Why should a fresh installation of xp sp2 wipe out all your programs and documents, pictures, etc. ?

That is not normal !

[Jobber]

I did not have a Windows XP CD.

So, I couldn't attempt to make a Repair or chckdsk.


So, I had to use the manufacturer's Recovery disk.

Doing that wipes out all your files and programs on your Desktop.

I am basically starting over with my computer.  



Here's my computer information:

OS: Windows Home Edition XP Version 2002, Service Pack 2, 32 bit

Processor: Intel ® Core ™ 2 Duo CPU E6750 @ 2.66GHz (2 CPUs)

Memory: 2046 MB RAM

DirectX 9.0c

Sound: Soundblaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio

8800GT NIVIDIA Geforce card, 1,024.0 MB memory

DAC Type: Integrated RAMDAC

Speakers: Logitech

[Hally]

Hi  

You Should Be Fine!  

You just need to get the Free version of Avast 5 ... Avast 5 Free  

Green Button - Here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_avast_antivirus/

Save - The Avast 5 download from Filehippo .. To you're Desktop or somewhere else that you like to save all your downloads.

Then..
1 ) Install Avast 5
Note: You will get to a part of the installation that asks..   "Do you also want Google Chrome? " ... Say - NO! .. Unless you really want it  
2 ) Once Avast 5 Is Installed... Wait for your hard drive light to completely settle down.
3 ) Restart Computer
4 ) Wait for your hard drive light to completely settle down again.
5 ) Open Avast 5 by Double Clicking it's Desktop Icon
6 ) Click The..  Register Button .. The Free One!
7 ) Fill in the little - Pop Up Form  
8 ) Avast 5 should say something like... " Thank You For Registering "
Then I'd...
9) Have a little browse of the web .. Just while Avast 5 settles in  
10) Run a... Full Scan

You're All Done!  

Hally

[gordon451]

G'day Jobber - Ummmm...  I'm gonna say this before YoKenny gets in  : Download and install SP3 before you install Avast! of any version.  The reason is that Service Packs address many outstanding security and everyday glitches not foreseen by (in this case) Microsoft, sometimes caused by "improvements" in 3rd party applications.

You may also wish to have a word with your computer retailer about the XP CD which a reputable supplier would have included with the package...  (I assume you bought it new?)

Don't bother recovering any old files or folders.  It may be possible, but at what cost in time and effort?

For all the rest, go with Hally.   

@mhf - because he did not have a D: drive     I help a lot of people fix their computer dramas, and most of them are caused by keeping everything on a monolithic C: drive.  Guess what happens when it all goes pear-shaped?  If nothing else, partition disk 0.

Gordon.

[Jobber]

Thanks Gordon and Hally for all the great advice.

I installed Service Pack 3 first; followed Hally's instructions about downloading Avast! 5 from hippofile.com.

Avast! 5 installed nice and easier; much, much easier and much, much faster than previous versions.

It works perfectly!


Apparently, at least in the United States, you don't get the Windows XP disk as part of the computer package.

I was having some major trouble with my computer, and over at the majorgeeks.com website, a moderator told me:

All new computers do not come with disks, at least in the US. Most come with a recovery partition and then you have to read the material to see how to burn your own recovery disks. None, as far as the ones I've seen lately come with any MS Windows disk. There is a sticker somewhere on the computer with the version of windows installed and the serial number but never a genuine MS windows disk.

As far as I am aware, any disk that says Recovery on it takes the computer back to the way it was when it left the factory. You can not use a recovery disk to repair, only to take the computer back to the way it was when it was purchased and everything you've installed since it was purchased is gone.  

They don't call it the "United Gates of America" for nothing!

[Bellzemos]

Does that mean that Avast 5 will not work properly on Windows XP SP2 (or SP1) or Windows 2000? Does Avast 5 require the XP SP3 to operate properly?

[psw]

Does that mean that Avast 5 will not work properly on Windows XP SP2 (or SP1) or Windows 2000? Does Avast 5 require the XP SP3 to operate properly?

No, Avast 5 works fine on XP SP2. On Win 2000 formal requirements are SP4 and Rollup1 but some issues with firewall on Win2000 were reported.

[Bellzemos]

Thank you!