Symantec AntiVirus Documentation

Installing Symantec Antivirus

Step 1: Remove old antivirus software from your computer

Before installing Symantec Antivirus, be sure to uninstall any other antivirus software. Running two antivirus programs does not provide extra protection, but can cause slowness and strange behavior. It is particularly important to uninstall Dr. Solomon's Antivirus Toolkit before installing Symantec Antivirus, as conflicts between the two can cause your computer to crash.

To uninstall other antivirus software, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the Start menu.
  2. From the menu that pops up, select Settings > Add or Remove Programs
  3. Select the old antivirus software you want to remove, and click Remove.
  4. Click OK to start the uninstall process.
Note that it is not necessary (but harmless) to uninstall previous versions of Symantec Antivirus.

 Step 2: Download the software

If you're on campus, you can download the Symantec Antivirus installer from either http://software.brandeis.edu/Antivirus/ or \\SOFTWARE\SOFTWARE\Antivirus. If you're off campus, you will need to use the VPN to access the software.

Step 3: Install 

Once you have downloaded the installer, follow these instructions to install it. 

  1. Exit all open programs
  2. Double-click the Symantec Antivirus Installer
  3. Click OK to install Symantec AntiVirus
  4. Click Next
  5. Click Yes to accept the license agreement
  6. Click Next to accept the default install location
  7. Click Next. The installer will begin to install the program.
  8. Click Finish.

The installer also configures Symantec Antivirus to automatically download virus definition updates every day.

Updating Virus Definitions

In order for antivirus software to identify viruses, it has to know what viruses look like. That information comes in the form of virus definitions, which antivirus vendors release frequently. New viruses come out every day, so for good protection, it's important that you always have the very latest definitions. You can check the date on your virus definitions by following these steps:

  1. Double-click the yellow shield icon in the system tray in the lower right corner of your screen. If you don't see a shield, you may need to click on the small << button on the left side of the system tray to reveal it.
  2. Look for a date under Virus Definitions File in the right half of the window that appears
  3. If the date is more than 1 day ago, you may have a problem!

Symantec Antivirus will attempt to retrieve new definitions from the Internet once a day, which should keep your definitions current. In case the automatic update fails, you can fetch the latest definitions manually.

  1. Double-click the yellow shield icon in the system tray in the lower right corner of your screen. If you don't see a shield, you may need to click on the small << button on the left side of the system tray to reveal it.
  2. Click the Live Update button, under Virus Definitions File in the right half of the window that appears
  3. Click Next button.
  4. Click the Finish button

Scanning Your Computer

Antivirus software tries to stop viruses as they try to get onto your computer, but it doesn't always succeed. Sometimes you can get rid of viruses that are already on your computer by asking your antivirus software to examine your computer in depth.

To run a full virus scan with Symantec Antivirus:

  1. Optional: Exit all open programs. Other programs may be sluggish while the scan is running and cause the scan to take longer to complete.
  2. Double-click the yellow shield icon in the system tray in the lower right corner of your screen. If you don't see a shield, you may need to click on the small << button on the left side of the system tray to reveal it.
  3. Click Full Scan, under Scan on the left side of the window that appears
  4. Click the Scan button in the lower right corner of the window
  5. Wait for the scan to finish. It can take a while, so why not peruse our security tips while you wait?
  6. When the scan window reads Completed, press the Close button.

If a scan finds any viruses it can't get rid of, call the UNet Helpdesk or Techdesk for assistance.

This page was last modified on: Nov 06, 2007