AntiVir upgrade/registry cleaner

[yy4me]

Can someone help a beginner(at 63, no less!) I have just had to upgrade my antivirus program Antivir. After doing so, I found that I did not know how to use the new program and went to their web site and found that there were tons of problems with the new version. I asked a question on their site and was told that in order to properly install the new version, I had to clean the registry of any traces of the old version. Their un-install step did not do the whole job. They suggested I download a program called ccleaner at www.ccleaner.com and run this to clean up any old stuff that should not be in the registry. Well, this beginner is afraid to do so. Can I get into any trouble doing that? Will I recognize what it is telling me to do? When I say beginner, I mean it. Do I have to un-install Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, SpyBlaster or anything else. The help forum at Antivir is very confusing and set up so that only an experienced used can understand it. I wonder if I should get a professional to handle such a simple job. Any guidance will be appreciated.

[Berserker]

1. Cleaning the registry

is very tricky if you do not know what you are doing. Do not remove Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, SpywareBlaster they have nothing to do with it. I would go to add/remove programs and uninstall Antivir restart my computer and go to this site http://www.majorgeeks.com/download886.html and download AVG.

It's also free and I never have problems with it. The parts that are in your registry from Antivir should not hurt a thing. Lots of poorly written programs lock unto regs that you do not want to remove.
Ccleaner is a great program but unless you know what you are deleting in the regs be careful with it.
I use Ccleaner on a daily basis but I don't clean my regs because it takes out some regs I need for my soundblaster card.

[yy4me]

2. Hi Berserker, just the support I need. I'm scared stiff of the registry

information I have been getting and don't really want to mess with it.. Since I have no computer knowledge, I know I will mess up. One site (CastleCops) tells me one thing, another site(AntiVir) tells me another and Ccleaner a third. After the AntiVir version 7 upgrade fiasco, I am very willing to change anti-virus programs. Is AVG user friendly? I know very little about how to set them up, as someone else did the AntiVir for me a year or so ago. Remnants of the old AntiVir will not conflict with AVG? Good to hear. Will I be able to understand setting information? My system is not having a problem but I don't want to mess it up. Thanks in advance.

[Berserker]

3. AVG is very easy

because you don't have to set anything. It will do a quick virus check when you boot up and it will be automatically set to do a virus scan at 8:00am it will also update your virus protection daily with no help needed. It's very user friendly.
One of the best and fastest ways to become a computer tech is to mess around with your regs. You will soon learn how to reinstall your Operating system and ALL your programs.

[yy4me]

4. Hi Berserker,

Just finished the install of AVG. You are right, it was easy. I will read all the nuts and bolts info about it tomorrow along with the forum entries. I always find that stuff interesting. My other half says I go looking for trouble. AntiVir is gone and I am glad. That mess cost me the weekend trying to figure out what my options were. Your help was the easiest and most logical. Just get rid of it! Simple as that, only I was given the impression that I had to clean house or I would have major problems. Hope this does the job. Thanks a lot.