Repairing The New Bitdefender
BACKGROUND:
I recently installed The New BitDefender Internet Security on my Gateway PC running Windows XP SP3. I have a slow
Internet connection and the online installer kept freezing so I direct downloaded the install kit and installed it offline. Everything was running fine until a few days ago. In the middle of typing, my monitor went into Sleep Mode and I couldn't wake it up. I rebooted and almost immediately before getting to the Windows screen, it went back to sleep. At first I thought it was the monitor so I switched to my old monitor. That monitor didn't go to sleep but the picture had a weird background pattern and it looked like Windows kept trying to start but couldn't. I don't know what caused all this. The only software or hardware changes right before it happened is that BD updated what looked like some product files, not signature files. I don't know if that BD update caused it or if it was just a coincidence.
Meanwhile, I rebooted successfully into Safe Mode. Having no idea what caused the problem or where to look to fix it, the only thing I could think of was to use System Restore to the day before when everything was fine. I did that, Windows started normally, the picture looked normal on my old monitor and everything else seemed to be fine... EXCEPT BitDefender.
BITDEFENDER ISSUES:
After the System Restore, the On-Access Scanning is switched ON but I could only use it in Custom Level Mode. Active Virus Control won't start/switch ON, it won't scan on-demand, I get an error message that the service vsserv.exe is not available when I click on Manage Scans and the IDS turns off each time I reboot or restart my computer. Restarting or rebooting my computer does not fix anything. I sent an email to BD Support over 2 days ago but received nothing but an auto confirmation response so far.
QUESTIONS
Would this be a situation to use the BD Repair/Uninstall tool or should I use the Uninstall BD tool I have and just reinstall BD using the install kit I already downloaded before?
How does the Repair/Uninstall tool work? Can I use it while offline or does it require downloading large files from the internet? I ask because I have a slow conneciton and the BD online installer kept freezing on me when I tried to use it.
BTW, I'm still using my old CRT monitor. I won't try my newer flat screen LCD one again until I know BD is back to normal.
Help, please?
Comments
-
Hi GabsfanBD, and welcome
Very nicely articulated Thread/Post you started here
As you have probably already done, please confirm that your PC meets the minimum system requirements for XP. It can be found here, 1/2 way down the page click System Requirements: http://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/internet-security.html Windows XP and BD can be glitchie at times, and I'm not sure if a CRT monitor can affect BD?
As far as what files or what occurs during a repair, I'm not totally sure without doing more research, or trying it myself online and offline to see what occurs...my next project just for knowledge sake.
Yet, my thought would be to use the full download installer you already have (compared to a repair), and do a complete uninstall (link below) in Safe Mode (will more completely uninstall BD). Write your product key down if you don't already have that backed up. A quick and easy way is to open BD console, click on Days Left, and you will get a pop up window of License/Registration info.
http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Downloads/...sumer_paid.html
In this way, you can confirm if your PC runs fine without BD installed, compared to doing a repair, and not finding out if BD is the cause, if you still have the issues. Maybe with BD uninstalled even disconnect from the internet for safety sake, and run some programs for 10-20 minutes just to confirm all is well.
If all is ok, right click the BD file you have and Run as Admin., and when it asks to check for the latest updates, deny it (you can get those later after install, by running a Update) and see after the install everything is running smoothly for awhile. I would turn off Auto Update for a bit, and see if things are still ok, then do the update, and see if things change. All of this is a process of elimination, and may be our best route to see when and where the issue is caused by.
Please let us know your results.
Kind regards,
Scott0 -
rickyjm,
I think you need to read more carefully before replying so unhelpfully. I had said I have a newer LCD flat screen monitor. That was the monitor I was using when the issue began. It went to sleep and I couldn't get it to stay on/awake long enough to figure out what was wrong. That's when I switched to my old CRT just to see if that one would stay on. It did stay on and I could see whether the computer was even booting up correctly which it wasn't. Once I know all my issues are fixed, I plan to hook up my LCD flat screen again to see if it now will stay on.
Columbo/Scott,
Thank you for the very informative reply.
This whole thing has been strange and it has a strange ending. Soon after I typed my story on here, I had a Windows Auto Update, mainly some security updates. After I had to restart my computer for those, miraculously, BD started correctly. All services are running and the desktop widget has the nice green center with a check mark. I had restarted my computer many times during the days before but nothing was fixed. So, like when this whole thing started, I don't know if the Windows Updates did something to kick BD into gear or if it was just a coincidence.
However, your advice is very informative and I will keep that in mind if something like this happens again. When I first installed BD offline, I installed it without getting the latest updates. Then once online, it did update the software and required a computer restart. It ran fine for a couple of weeks, up until what looked like another software update which did not require a computer restart the night my issues began with the monitor going to Standby when it shouldn't.
Especially helpful is the advice of running the uninstaller in Safe Mode. I had used the BD uninstaller when I switched from a trial version of 2012 BD to the new 2014 paid version but I ran it in regular mode. I guess that's why when I installed the 2014 version, it remembered my license key and I did not have to refer to where I wrote it down.
BTW, for the record, I had checked system requirements before trying BD, the 2014 BD was running fine for a couple of weeks before this weird issue began and I was using my LCD flat screen monitor when the issues started and if I didn't have my old CRT lying around as a backup, I wouldn't have been able to get the computer up and running again. Once I know my computer is running fine again for a while, I will hook up my flat screen again to see if it will now stay on.
But you are right, I can see where BD is kind of glitchy at times.
Thanks again, Scott.0
