180 days free-BitDefender Products

[Perman]

Hi,
For those who like to test BitDefender Products--three of them for an extended period of time, here is the good news:

http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Promotions/event08/

[The_1337]

wow, that's a great deal. the only problem is that the real time scanner doesnt work on my computer.>:(

[Macstorm]

hmmm...I'm tempted to try BDAV again...yes..no...;D

thanks for the news :thumb:

[acr1965]

Does anyone know if the UI can be translated to English?

Also, what language is it in now?

thanks

[Macstorm]

{QUOTE-> Does anyone know if the UI can be translated to English?

Also, what language is it in now?

thanks <-QUOTE}
I think that you can register your license code into the english version of program, if it's what you mean.
The license request page is in italian language, btw.

[Mele20]

I can't read the code to enter. I tried many and every one has very weird characters that I have no idea what they are. In every one is a very strange looking "4"?? and an even weirder "8" with the top part much smaller than the bottom. I don't understand why they don't provide for you to listen if you can't read any of them. :(

[acr1965]

The email is in Italian as well. But is translated as below-

Kind Utene BitDefender, The license that received BitDefender Internet agrees to activate them Security v10 for a further period of evaluation of 180 days in version full and limitless. License: xxxxxxxxxxxxx (deleted)
Good fun in the to sail without danger! The team BitDefender

[Macstorm]

{QUOTE-> I can't read the code to enter. I tried many and every one has very weird characters that I have no idea what they are. In every one is a very strange looking "4"?? and an even weirder "8" with the top part much smaller than the bottom. I don't understand why they don't provide for you to listen if you can't read any of them. :( <-QUOTE}
It's not that hard, the code here worked on first attempt. Use the reload button until you get an easy-to-read one.

[Mele20]

You are right. But not using Microsoft's ClearText. I am learning almost five years after I got my flat panel LCD and first used ClearTweak because Microsoft had no way to smooth the fonts and then later using ClearText. I thought it was my eye sight that forced me to use really large fonts in order to read on this flat panel LCD monitor until I got Safari recently. Safari uses its own engine to smooth the fonts for flat panel LCD monitors. I switched to Safari and I was able to read the first one. But then I can read small print using Safari...I cannot do that using Microsoft's ClearText. I'm rather angry because I have suffered so much for almost 5 years as having to use very large fonts causes all sort of problems and now I learn it is because Microsoft can't make a decent way to smooth fonts and have proper contrast on flat panel LCD's yet Apple does it effortlessly. Too bad that Safari is a poor browser in most other respects (and has severe security holes).

[osip]

Really only for v10...?

[acr1965]

Odd. The email I received from BD said "BitDefender Total Security 2008 - I number of license"

but the email itself is translated as-

Kind Utene BitDefender, The license that received BitDefender Internet agrees to activate them Security v10 for a further period of evaluation of 180 days in version full and limitless.

Has anyone tried the license key in 2008?

[ZAEN]

It's a key for BD 2008 and it works

[sarad]

Is it true that Bitdefender does not work properly with Nvidia graphics cards????

[ZAEN]

{QUOTE-> Is it true that Bitdefender does not work properly with Nvidia graphics cards???? <-QUOTE}
Why would you say that?

[sarad]

I seem to remember reading it somewhere and I am asking if it is true or not?

[sarad]

http://forum.bitdefender.com/lofiversion/index.php/t2482.html

[mata7]

{QUOTE-> http://forum.bitdefender.com/lofiversion/index.php/t2482.html <-QUOTE}

I Think thas for nforce hardware, no video card

[ZAEN]

{QUOTE-> I Think thas for nforce hardware, no video card <-QUOTE}
Correct.
Also I can't imagine this wasn't solved the last 6 months. Besides that, this is the only issue I can find on their forum

[beethoven]

has anyone tried this on the AV? The email states BitDefender Internet Security v10 but I really would only like to try the AV?

[eBBox]

Thx - Works Great ;) Love my new testing combo 8)

[Mele20]

Their emails take forever. I installed the free version yesterday and it took over 12 hours to get the email. I hope I will have the email for this when I get up tomorrow.

[eBBox]

{QUOTE-> Their emails take forever. I installed the free version yesterday and it took over 12 hours to get the email. I hope I will have the email for this when I get up tomorrow. <-QUOTE}

Got my code 5 sec after signing up ;)

[mata7]

{QUOTE-> Got my code 5 sec after signing up ;) <-QUOTE}

i got mine in 2 sec :)

[eBBox]

{QUOTE-> i got mine in 2 sec :) <-QUOTE}

Smartass ;D 8)

[Ostland]

{QUOTE-> It's a key for BD 2008 and it works <-QUOTE}
I've installed the Internet Security 2008 with this key. It writes: 90-day trial. :-\

[tec505]

{QUOTE-> Thx - Works Great ;) Love my new testing combo 8) <-QUOTE}

What about BD + Outpost Fwl?

Actually I'using BD+ZAPro and they works fine. I would like to change fwl 'cause OutPost settings are much more useful.

Thanks in advance.
Mike

[Jadda]

Does the license countdown start when you use it in the program, or does it start right away when you get the mail?

Oh, and thanks for the link!

[Mele20]

{QUOTE-> Got my code 5 sec after signing up ;) <-QUOTE}

I decided to try again with another email address. I had used dslreports and never got it (get tons of spam in that one though). So, I used one of my ISP addresses and got it in 2-3 seconds.

It will be interesting to see if I can use the full version now as ver 9 (Pro) was great. But 9.5 was a disaster with constant BSOD's on boot caused by BD drivers. It's late so I probably won't install it until tomorrow night or Saturday since I may have a mess when I do.

The free version demanded that I uninstall Spybot before I installed it. I can't uninstall Spybot and can't use it either. I tried everything to uninstall it but can't and I didn't like the latest version so I don't mind that I can't use it, but I hope BD full version will coexist with it as long as I am not using it. I noticed BD did not demand that I remove Spyware Blaster when I installed the free version. That is an improvement because with 9.5 they demanded removal of Spyware Blaster also although it had nothing to do with the BSODs.

It will also be interesting to see if the full version messes with hardware DEP.

[kinwolf]

{QUOTE-> Does the license countdown start when you use it in the program, or does it start right away when you get the mail?

Oh, and thanks for the link! <-QUOTE}

The usual BD licence start when you enter it in the program.

[kinwolf]

{QUOTE-> The free version demanded that I uninstall Spybot before I installed it. I can't uninstall Spybot and can't use it either. I tried everything to uninstall it but can't and I didn't like the latest version so I don't mind that I can't use it, but I hope BD full version will coexist with it as long as I am not using it. <-QUOTE}

BD always ask that you remove those additional apps, but from experience, as long as you do not use the on-access(shield) component, they can co-exist without problem. I have used BD 2008 with SD and SAS free with zero problem.

When I get a bug, tech support always ask me to remove those but when I mention I only use them as on demand they stop asking and get to the real problem ;)

Currently, the only bug I have with BD is a display bug with the GUI(might or might not happen for everyone) but they are working on a fix.

[Mele20]

The free version wants to run mini scans for no reason. I disabled automatic update because if you use that it runs a miniscan 24 times a day! That's crazy. But even with automatic update disabled, I left the computer for an hour or so, just came back to a popup from ProcessGuard asking what to do about BD wanting to run a miniscan. I noticed too that it tried to run a miniscan when I installed it! I seldom run full scans and I don't want to run even mini scans. I see no reason to run a scan unless I think I might have gotten an infection which I have not in 8 years.

As for Spybot and Spyware Blaster, even with crystal clear evidence that I was experiencing BSOD's on boot due to BD drivers, support blamed it on Spybot and Spyware Blaster. That is why I left BD in 2006. It is 2 years later and I hope they are a bit more enlightened about the difference between having Spybot on your computer for an on demand scan only and running TeaTimer in real time. As for Spyware Blaster, Javacool was so puzzled when I told him what BD said about SpywareBlaster somehow causing the BSOD's that were clearly labeled by Windows are coming from BD. I really liked BD 9, so I hope everything will be alright when I install the full version of 10. Surely, there will be a way to disable miniscans.

[eBBox]

{QUOTE-> What about BD + Outpost Fwl?

Actually I'using BD+ZAPro and they works fine. I would like to change fwl 'cause OutPost settings are much more useful.

Thanks in advance.
Mike <-QUOTE}

Look PM :thumb:

[virtumonde]

{QUOTE-> I've installed the Internet Security 2008 with this key. It writes: 90-day trial. :-\ <-QUOTE}
Does this happened to everyone.I can't test now i'm at work.Is it 6 months for all the products ,or just for the anti virus??

[lucas1985]

{QUOTE-> I learn it is because Microsoft can't make a decent way to smooth fonts and have proper contrast on flat panel LCD's yet Apple does it effortlessly. <-QUOTE}
Most people think that Apple should use Windows' own font smoothing engine. To each his/her own :)

[Jadda]

It's showing 90 days here to. The email says 180 days, but the program says 90 days.

[acr1965]

So Internet Security is 90 days?

What about the av only and Total Security?

[Jadda]

I installed the antivirus. So the antivirus has 90 days. I don't know about Internet Security and Total Security.

[mata7]

I installed the antivirus also and it say 90 days

[kinwolf]

Indeed, I tried BDAV with a key given by the webpage and it said 90 days.

[acr1965]

OK, so to update-

av- 90 days
internet security- 90 days

what about total security?

[tec505]

Av 90days here too

[acr1965]

Looks like BD Total Security has a universal key for this trial period. I am assuming the other BD trial products do as well.

[tec505]

AV trial license can be used w/ multilingual releases.

Is your OEM version like mine?

Mike

[Wordward]

Has anyone checked out how BitDefender has done in the AV Comparative tests? I believe Avast and AVG AM scored higher in both the On Demand and Retrospective tests than BD did. I'm not knocking BD and perhaps the 2008 version is improved, but I wonder what advantage it would be to use it instead of Avast Home or AVG Pro which I am currently using. Also does anyone know for sure if the license for Bitdefender Antivirus 2008 is for 6 months or 3? Thanks.

[ronjor]

Let's stick to BitDefender in this thread.

[kinwolf]

{QUOTE-> Has anyone checked out how BitDefender has done in the AV Comparative tests? I believe Avast and AVG AM scored higher in both the On Demand and Retrospective tests than BD did. I'm not knocking BD and perhaps the 2008 version is improved, but I wonder what advantage it would be to use it instead of Avast Home or AVG Pro which I am currently using. Also does anyone know for sure if the license for Bitdefender Antivirus 2008 is for 6 months or 3? Thanks. <-QUOTE}

In addition to the usual signature scanner and heuristics, Bitdefender has a behavior engine which is very good imho. As for the retrospective test, please remember that BD got knocked down to Standard because it got false positives but it's % was pretty good. So far it seems the license is good for 90 days "only".

But if you are happy with another AV, don't change, BD isn't the new sliced bread, it's just another good AV out there :)

[acr1965]

{QUOTE-> What about BD + Outpost Fwl?

Actually I'using BD+ZAPro and they works fine. I would like to change fwl 'cause OutPost settings are much more useful.

Thanks in advance.
Mike <-QUOTE}

I think that is what the bullguard suite has so it would seem to be compatible. But IIRC then again ZA Pro is somehow incompatible with KAV but ZA has them together in their suite.

[Mele20]

Right click scan does not work on BD 10 free version. It also doesn't uninstall very well. So, I don't think I will try the full version. BD8 free was excellent. BD9 Pro was great too. But after that when they added antispyware with 9.5, I think BD started downhill at that time.

[osip]

@mele20: in 2008 v:s 11 right click works perfectly...You´re talking about old versions,newer are available and clearly underestimated, I decided to go for IS 2008 permanently...and then I compare it with ESS&KIS...all talks about unpleasant GUI I find ridicoleus...Pretty good to me...( the 90 days came in handy for my trial).

[Jadda]

I have a problem with the real-time protection. It turns itself off, and when I'm click "fix", nothing happens. Is this a common problem?

[kinwolf]

{QUOTE-> I have a problem with the real-time protection. It turns itself off, and when I'm click "fix", nothing happens. Is this a common problem? <-QUOTE}

Verify if the service is running. Service name all start with Bitdefender. If the service is running, then you have the GUI bug I was refering to in another post.

[Mele20]

{QUOTE-> @mele20: in 2008 v:s 11 right click works perfectly...You´re talking about old versions,newer are available and clearly underestimated, I decided to go for IS 2008 permanently...and then I compare it with ESS&KIS...all talks about unpleasant GUI I find ridicoleus...Pretty good to me...( the 90 days came in handy for my trial). <-QUOTE}

I'm talking about the CURRENT free version. The entire point of the free version is to be able to do right click on demand scanning of a particular file. It doesn't work. If BD cannot make a free version that works these days...well, I certainly would never risk trying a paid version as the paid versions are far more invasive and I would be very scared that my computer would not even boot if I installed one.

Avira makes a free version that is NOT old and that works properly. If BD cannot do that or is unwilling.... and what I read in their forum really opened my eyes ....then I don't want to try any paid version. It is a very poor advertisement for BD to care so little about their free version that it doesn't work at all and according to the forum ...they don't care. I compare that poor attitude to the attitude from Avira and Avast and AVG.

[kinwolf]

{QUOTE-> I'm talking about the CURRENT free version. The entire point of the free version is to be able to do right click on demand scanning of a particular file. It doesn't work. If BD cannot make a free version that works these days...well, I certainly would never risk trying a paid version as the paid versions are far more invasive and I would be very scared that my computer would not even boot if I installed one.

Avira makes a free version that is NOT old and that works properly. If BD cannot do that or is unwilling.... and what I read in their forum really opened my eyes ....then I don't want to try any paid version. It is a very poor advertisement for BD to care so little about their free version that it doesn't work at all and according to the forum ...they don't care. I compare that poor attitude to the attitude from Avira and Avast and AVG. <-QUOTE}

The current free version is an old version of BD. It doesn't even work on Vista SP1, doesn't have the same heuristic or gui as the current version. So you can't make a comparison with it at all.

Kinda stupid not to try a new version of a program because an old version has a bug on your system.

[Blackcat]

{QUOTE-> I'm talking about the CURRENT free version. The entire point of the free version is to be able to do right click on demand scanning of a particular file. It doesn't work. <-QUOTE}
I am not sure what free version you are using, but the current BD 10 Free works very well here on the "Contextual Menu Scan" and has done for many months :-X

[Jadda]

{QUOTE-> Verify if the service is running. Service name all start with Bitdefender. If the service is running, then you have the GUI bug I was refering to in another post. <-QUOTE}

All the services were running. But I did not bother to have it on my computer anymore, so I just uninstalled it. But it was very light, I must say. So that was definitly a plus.

[Kerodo]

Installed the 90 day BD Suite trial today and it's running well. It is indeed amazingly light on resources as far as ram goes, perhaps the lightest suite I've seen yet. I had Avira Premium on alone before this, which is super light, and this BD Suite only uses another 4mb ram above Avira, including the firewall and all features. So that is pretty impressive. I am comparing things based on free system ram after install.

I enabled the web scanner, and it seems ok. There is some slowdown of browsing, but I think that is fairly typical. Nothing too bad though. Overall I am getting pretty good performance..

[acr1965]

I had a problem with BD free version which I am not sure they ever fixed or not. But the services run in the background all the time. And if you disable the running services everything in quarantine can freely make outbound connections. I caught it with Online Armor when I had an XP box (HP) this past fall. Actually what was in quarantine was just backweb. But when the services were disabled there were communication attempts from backweb (located in quarantine) to an HP IP. I posted about this here and the BD forum but not sure if it was ever fixed.

[Mele20]

{QUOTE-> The current free version is an old version of BD. It doesn't even work on Vista SP1, doesn't have the same heuristic or gui as the current version. So you can't make a comparison with it at all.

Kinda stupid not to try a new version of a program because an old version has a bug on your system. <-QUOTE}

But I only want an ON DEMAND scanner. So, if the free version doesn't work then I am not interested iin BD. I was only thinking of trying the full version because of this free offer. I don't want all the crap that all the AV companies are putting in their paid versions. What I want doesn't exist I guess. But I did really like BD free version 8 which I used exclusively as my only AV scanner for over a year.

[Mele20]

{QUOTE-> I had a problem with BD free version which I am not sure they ever fixed or not. But the services run in the background all the time. And if you disable the running services everything in quarantine can freely make outbound connections. I caught it with Online Armor when I had an XP box (HP) this past fall. Actually what was in quarantine was just backweb. But when the services were disabled there were communication attempts from backweb (located in quarantine) to an HP IP. I posted about this here and the BD forum but not sure if it was ever fixed. <-QUOTE}

I read at their forum that you have to disable autorun for two services from BD that don't exist in the free version but that BD never bothered to fix when the bug was reported to them. I had Event Viewer errors and that is why I went lookng for information and found that the Event Viewer errors were due to non existent services that couldn't run because they don't exist. A mod in the forum indicated that BD might never fix the problem...because BD Free is free and well, we wouldn't want to offer something free that actually works right now would we?

BD8 free did not have problems on XP. I think perhaps BD should withdraw the current free version since they don't appear to want to have it run properly (and I am not talking about it running on Vista...I have XP).

As for the GUI, I like the BD10 free GUI. I don't like the new GUI for Avira so there is a good chance I wouldn't like the new GUI for BD either.

[Niels]

Mele20

You can always perform a clean install to see if that solves the problems with the free edition. You can use this tool (http://www.bitdefender.com/uninstall). First right click on the red BitDefender icon near the system clock press on exit. Run the tool and when asked reboot your computer. Did you also tried if contextual scan works when you are logged in another useraccount?

[Mele20]

Thank you. I will try that later. I only have the Admin account so I can't try any other user account.