Upgrading from McAfee to Symantec Anti-virus
| Author: | Ben Chapman |
|---|---|
| Contact: | help@law.emory.edu, studenthelp@law.emory.edu |
| Date: | December, 2003 |
1 Introduction
This article collects together various bits of information about the process of updating from the currently-installed McAfee anti-virus software to the new Symantec software. This update is mandatatory, as the University will cease supporting McAfee after January 1.
So, we're going to go through a three-step process:
- Get the new software and save it on the desktop.
- Uninstall the old software.
- Install the new software.
This tutorial was written on my Windows-XP based machine, so the screens may look slightly different from yours. The instructions should still be applicable, whether you are running Windows XP or Windows 2000.
2 Questions and Answers
- Why do I need to change my anti-virus software?
- The University's license with McAfee expires on December 31, 2003. Symantec will be our new provider for anti-virus software.
- What happens if I don't update my anti-virus software?
- Your already-installed McAfee will protect you against old viruses. However, it's critical to constantly update your anti-virus software to protect against new viruses. If you don't install the new software, you will be left vulnerable to any new viruses that are created (and they are being created all the time).
- How can I tell whether I already have the Symantec software installed?
Do these steps:
Look for a yellow shield icon in your system tray. If you see the shield, then you've already got Symantec installed. You're all done and none of the rest of this guide applies to you.
System tray showing shield icon
You can get more information about the software by double-clicking on this icon. This should bring up a large window entitled "Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition"
Main Symantec screen
From this window, you should be able to determine the current version of Symantec that you are running, as well as the date when the virus files were last updated. If you already have the software installed, you may stop reading right here, because your software is already up to date.
3 Getting the new Symantec Software
There are two ways to do this. The first way uses the law school file server. You may wish to try the law school way first, as it may save you a few minutes. This will only work if you are on-campus and are logged-in to Novell. If the law school way does not work, then follow the instructions to download the file from the University's file server.
3.1 Download from Law School File Server
- Click on Start.
- Click on Run
- Type in \\elfs\sys\public
- Click OK
- Locate the file named SAVC.exe
- Copy the SAVC.exe file to your desktop.
Skip down to the instructions for uninstalling McAfee.
3.2 Download from University File Server
If you are unable to use the law school file server, then use a web browser to go to the University antivirus site:
http://www.it.emory.edu/viewstory.cfm?docid=2101
You'll be prompted for your university username and password; enter those where indicated (if you do not know your university user name and password, you'll need to call 7-7777 for assistance).
After successfully logging in, you'll be asked to assent to a license agreement. This will be followed by three additional screens of information. Click continue at the bottom of each one and you'll eventually arrive at the main installation program.
The Installation Program Launcher
As instructed, click to begin, and then click continue three more times.
This will bring you to a screen that asks you to choose whether you are connecting from on campus or from off campus. Choose the appropriate choice and click continue when prompted until you get to the following screen showing the various software packages available for installation.
List of Installable Software
Click on "Install Symantec AntiVirus" (highlighted above) to start the installation process. It should offer you the option to run the installation package from the server or to save it to disk. Go ahead and save it to disk, preferably on your desktop. At this point, you should be finished with the University's web-based installer. If everything went as planned, you should see an icon that looks like this on your desktop.
Symantec installer saved to desktop
4 Uninstalling McAfee
Now, that you've saved the Symantec installer to your desktop, you can safely uninstall McAfee.
From your Start Menu, go to Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.
Control Panel
Add and Remove Programs
Now, select "McAfee VirusScan" from the list and click "Remove". The software will be removed from your system.
Removing McAfee antivirus software
You may be prompted to re-boot your machine. If requested, go ahead and reboot your machine and log back in. You're almost finished. The only step that remains is to install the Symantec software.
4.1 A Gotcha for Outlook Users
This is a follow-on to my earlier note about upgrading from McAfee to Symantec antivirus. It only applies if you are an Outlook user who has upgraded from McAfee and is now receiving an error message each time that Outlook starts up. If you are not an Outlook user, or if you're not getting any error messages, stop reading now -- this doesn't apply to you. Go ahead and skip to the next section.
Outlook users will get some sort of "plug-in" error when you start up Outlook. This is because the McAfee installer does not properly uninstall the McAfee plug-in for Outlook -- that's what causes the error when you then go back into Outlook.
Here are the magic incantations to fix this situation:
- Start up Outlook.
- Ignore the error message (by clicking "OK" or similar).
- Click on "Tools"
- Now click on "Options"
- Now click on "Other"
- Now click on "Advanced Options"
- Now click on "Add-In Manager"
- The very first entry in the "Add-In Manager" page should say something about VirusScan. Uncheck the check box next to the item.
- Click OK.
- Exit out of Outlook.
- When you restart Outlook, you should not get any error message.
That's it. Now, you've completely uninstalled McAfee, including the Outlook plug-in.
5 Installing the Symantec Anti-virus Software
Locate the SAVC.exe file that you saved earlier in step one above. It should be located on your desktop. Double-click the file to launch the installer. It will ask you whether you have already uninstalled any other anti-virus software. We already did that, so it's safe to answer yes and to let the installation program continue. Once the software installer completes, it will prompt you to reboot.
That's it! You may may delete the savc.exe installer program from your destkop as it's no longer needed.
Please let me know (bjchapm@emory.edu) if you have questions or comments about this guide, especially if you spot an error.