Member Avatar for bob6831

Hi.
I am in need of updating my antivirus program since my current Norton subscription has just expired. I have chosen Avast4 (AVG was close 2nd), but first message that came up when started to install Avast4 was 'found another antivirus program on your system, do you want to continue?'. I had disabled Norton already.
Questions - Should I continue with install? Note that I would like to keep the Internet Security part of Norton, and I saw on couple of forums that uninstalling Norton can be a problem!

Also Firewalls - I have WinXP SP2, D-Link Router, and Norton firewalls on my system, but don't know if any of them are properly configured (really have not looked at them). Note that I did install latest version of Zone Alarm about a month ago, but had problems with it, so disabled.
Question - Can I have more than 1 firewall on my system without conflicts?
Thx.
Bob

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by n90

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Brief, practical guidance for that builds on the replies from and .

Before swapping AVs: make a System Restore point and back up anything critical. Installer warnings (like Avast reporting another AV) mean Norton left drivers/services active; those should be removed before installing a different real‑time scanner. Best sequence: uninstall Norton from Control Panel first (use the product's custom/uninstall options if you want to try removing only the AV component), reboot, then run the vendor removal utility if the built‑in uninstall fails. After a clean reboot, confirm no Norton/Symantec services are running and then install Avast. Update signatures immediately and run a full scan.

Firewall notes and recommended setup for XP SP2 with a D‑Link router: the router provides NAT (basic inbound protection) but does not control outbound connections. Windows XP SP2 firewall only filters inbound traffic. If you need outbound control, use a single personal firewall. Do not run two host software firewalls at the same time — that is the usual cause of the “both fight the network stack” behavior described. If ZoneAlarm caused problems earlier, remove it completely (uninstall, reboot, check Network Connection component list for leftover bindings) before installing another host firewall.

Troubleshooting tips: if an uninstall stalls, boot to Safe Mode and remove the product, or use the vendor removal tool. After changes verify Task Manager/Services for leftover processes and check Network Connections -> Local Area Connection -> Properties for any remaining security drivers and uncheck them if present. If instability persists, use msconfig to isolate startup items. Finally, note that Windows XP is end‑of‑life; many security vendors have limited or dropped XP support, so for long‑term safety consider upgrading the OS or choosing security software that still supports XP.

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Member Avatar for crunchie

You will find that only one firewall will work correctly. I tried that a while ago using Norton and Sygate firewalls. Sygate was the one that reacted first all the time, leaving Norton redundant.
You should be able to uninstall Norton AV without removing Internet Security.
You probably should uninstall Zone Alarm.
Some AV's will not install when there is already a product installed on your PC.

Member Avatar for n90

Cheap thing is not good, good things are not cheap!

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