Renewal Of Anti-Virus Plus Subscription From 2015 To 2016 Using Activation Key

Hi Everyone;

My subscription for BitDefender Anti-Virus Plus is about to expire and I bought a retail version from Amazon.de (1 year protection for 3 PCs). The retailer only provided me with an activation code, and I am reading that with the new BitDefender 2016 the procedure to renew is somewhat changed. Can someone please help me with the following questions:

a) How can I renew/continue with my BitDefender subscription? Do I first have to uninstall the old (2015) version and install a new one, and if so where can I find the newer (2016) version? Am I able to download the complete executable for the newer version (as I did last year when renewing/upgrading from 2014 to 2015)?

I am reading on the forums that I would need to create an account with BitDefender. I do not wish to do so (I have been using BitDefender for about 3-4 years and have never had to create an account, and do not wish to do so now). Am I able to renew my current subscription without the hassles of a creating an account (and yes, it is a hassle for me, never mind how simple it is once it is set up. This is a matter of privacy and I would hope I can get anti-virus protection without having to divulge personal information to create an account).

Thanks in advance to those who take the time to respond.

Kind regards,

Tonia

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Tonia777

Quick follow-up: I would like to renew my 2015 subscription on 2 computers (my activation code is valid for three computers), but one computer is running Windows XP and the other is running Windows 7. A read through the forums suggests the steps are different depending on the operating system. Unfortunately I find the instructions given on the forums (eg http://www.bitdefender.com/support/-1453.html)to be rather confusing – (eg “If you have a Bitdefender 2016 subscription, you can transform it into a Bitdefender license key valid for Windows XP and Vista” – what does this mean? What is the difference between a subscription and a license?).

I would really appreciate if someone could provide a clear set of steps to follow so I can renew my subscription on my two operating systems. I am not terribly computer literate and was hoping the process of upgrading would be much simpler than this!

Thanks as always in advance to those who take the time to respond.

Kind regards,

Tonia

Sorin G.

Hello Tonia,

With the release of Bitdefender 2016 we have switched to a subscription rather than a license key. Basically you will receive a activation code that needs to be attached to a Central account, that's why you are required to create a account with Bitdefender. More details about Subscriptions can be found here.

If you need information on how to activate your subscription use this link.

From that Central account you will be able to install and manage your computers. More details about Central can be found here

Please note that the 2016 version of Bitdefender is not compatible with XP and Vista, that is why under your Central account you have the option to generate a 2015 key in order for you to use your 2016 subscription on those older operating systems.

Tonia777

Hi Sorin;

First, thanks very much for taking the time to respond, and for providing the links.

Unfortunately, I had a look at the links when trying to navigate through this bit of a quagmire. I’m not sure that BitDefender thought about all possible user scenarios, so let me ask some very specific questions on how to continue with my existing subscription. I would really appreciate your guidance without reference to other links, as I’m not sure the links take into account my situation. Note that my questions follow from the links you kindly provided.

I have a current subscription (is this the right word?) from my 2015 Anti-virus Plus product which is about to expire in 50 days. I purchased a new Anti-virus 2016 product for which I have an activation code.

Question: What is the first step I have to take to install the new 2016 product without losing the 50 days I have left in my current subscription? Do I create an account with BitDefender (Central account), and then what? I would have an account, an activation code for my 2016 product, and 50 days left with my existing product. If I enter my activation code for my 2016 product, how will the system know I still have 50 days left on an existing product? What are the next steps (ie do I uninstall my existing product, do I enter the product code for my 2015 product etc etc)?

I will leave it at that for now, and hopefully you (or someone else) will be able to provide some more details as to the above questions and the next steps. For example, all I have is an activation code for the 2016 product, so once I have an account how do I install the actual program, keeping in mind my 50 remaining days? Again, I really appreciate your response and the links you provided, but they don’t answer my questions and I’m looking for specific details on the steps I must follow. I must say that in my opinion BitDefender has not provided a very clear set of protocols on how existing users can migrate to their new system, and I’m disappointed (and frustrated) that I have to spend so much time trying to figure this out. Surely there is a simpler way?

Kind regards,

Tonia

Sorin G.

The first step remains the same, create a Central account and then you can add the 2015 key to your Central account. That way it is automatically upgraded to a 2016 subscription and you can begin using the 2016 product with the old key thus not wasting any days.

You can also contact my colleagues from the CS department and they can assist you in merging the key and the subscription so in the end you will have only 1 subscription with the days added from the old key.

Mail : bitsy@bitdefender.com

Chat : http://www.bitdefender.com/support/chat-support.html
Phone : http://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer-phone.html

Regardless of the path you take, you will have to remove the old 2015 from your machine and install the new 2016 (remember 2016 does not work under XP and Vista, if you have devices running one of those operating systems, keep 2015 installed on them)

Tonia777

Hi Sorin;

Thanks for your reply, and my apologies for the delay in getting back to you but I was away for a few days.

I will try to go through the installation myself but wanted to clarify a couple of things if I may.

I think I am clear on how to install my 2016 product on my Windows 7 machine (uninstall previous 2015 version, create account in Central, add device and install 2016 version). So far I hope I am correct.

My main question revolves around the installation for my Windows XP machine. The relevant BitDefender website for Windows XP (http://www.bitdefender.com/support/-1453.html) specifically states that : “Use our uninstall tool in order to uninstall/delete any previous Bitdefender related files”. It then goes on to state “Install Bitdefender using the latest installation kit available for download” but only gives a link to Bitdefender Internet Security whereas I have Anti-Virus Plus.

However, in your response to me you stated “remember 2016 does not work under XP and Vista, if you have devices running one of those operating systems, keep 2015 installed on them”.

The BitDefender website tells me to uninstall my previous version whereas you’re suggesting I keep it. I’m not quite sure what to do, so any help or guidance for XP users would be appreciated. Specifically, do I uninstall my existing 2015 product, and if so where do I find a download link for Antivirus 2016? Or, do I keep my 2015 product, and if so how do I activate it (I have already set up an account on Central, so do I just click on Add a Device while using the XP computer)?

Thanks again for taking the time to respond – much appreciated, and I look forward to hopefully getting my anti-virus up and running fairly quickly.

Best wishes,

Tonia

Sorin G.

Hello,

Since you already have the 2015 version installed on that XP machine there is no need for you to follow that guide. That is a generic install guide providing you with the steps for a optimal install.

As I mentioned the 2016 does not work under XP as such you will have to keep the 2015 installed.