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

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

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

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