Too many security tools cause problems

Q My computer’s security measures include Microsoft Security Essentials, Windows Defender and Spybot.

I have tried downloading AVG in the past but was advised that the download failed – despite this, the AVG logo appears on my browser and seems to interfere with the opening of IE8 as I get the message ‘AVG toolbar was unable to connect with AVG application. Please check that the program is installed and running’.

AVG does not appear in the control panel so I can’t uninstall it. When trying to install AVG, I get a message: ‘Potentially incompatible software is currently installed on your computer’, and then I’m given the option to skip the warning or uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials. Should I uninstall Spybot and AVG (if I can find it) and rely on the Microsoft product?

Andy Mattison

A The problem you have is the number of security tools running simultaneously. Defender is a part of Windows (if you’re running Vista or Windows 7) but you don’t need all the rest.

Essentially, Microsoft Security Essentials and AVG are clashing and that is likely to be causing the rest of the problems. Both programs do the same thing, and you should only have one loaded. Which you choose is up to you – just because Microsoft makes one doesn’t mean it’s better or worse, and you’ll find fans of each.

Regardless of which you want to keep, what we’d recommend is to first uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials, and restart the PC. Then install the latest version of AVG and reboot again. Now uninstall AVG and restart – this should remove all traces of the previous failed installation.

Finally, install the program of your choice. With regard to Spybot, you can keep it running, as it shouldn’t conflict with either program, but both contain anti-spyware features that duplicate what Spybot does.

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