Antivirus Software Conflicts Can Cause Internet Problems

6 April 2009 @ 10am

As we have noted, the presence of two overlapping antivirus or antimalware/spyware/firewall tools can cause various conflicts. Users should install one (and only one) strong anti-virus package and make sure it’s up-to-date.

One problem that can result from the presence of conflicting protection tools is an inability to connect to the Internet. This issue is typified by a persistent or sporadic inability to load web pages, generally accompanied by a never-ending “Connecting…” message in any given Web browser.

To resolve this issue, completely remove or disable all antivirus/spyware software (Norton 360, ZoneAlarm, AVG, etc.). In fact, you may need to uninstall the packages–simply disabling may not work.

Next, re-install one and only one competent antivirus/spyware tool and check for Internet connectivity.

Tagged
Internet Explorer 8, Viruses/Malware, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP