Customer Reviews

Bitdefender Antivirus 2009  - 1Yr/1Pc

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I discovered that this software's effectiveness in keeping computers "clean" was highly rated by several software review websites. That gave me a lot of reassurance that I was making the right decision when I purchased this software.

However, I have had trouble with this product working properly since I first put it on my computer. It has at times shown me errors along with a "fix" button that does not work when I click it. And if it does have a problem, you don't get alerted with a message popping up on your screen... you have to be attentive enough to notice a change in the tiny BitDefender icon running in your task bar, such as the icon turning grey or displaying a "warning" symbol. One alarming incident for me occurred when BitDefender quit working (turned grey) without warning while I was doing online banking, and I only noticed it after I had been on my bank's website for a while. Who knows how long I was going through my accounts without any protection.

There are live staff people on hand to help you with any problems you are having with BitDefender if you go to the website. However, you have to find the proper link to get that help first. One of the frustrating things I encountered was a website asking you to download additional software and capture information into two separate files, presumably so that the BD staff could get a better idea of what was causing any problems you might be having. However, it didn't tell you where to send that information, nor did the staff person ask me for it when I contacted them for help. I have at this point reinstalled BD three times, and this third time perhaps might be the charm, because so far this time it's working very nicely.

I have been using BitDefender for a couple of months now - here is a summary of my experience:

- Installation -
Appeared to install well enough, offering to uninstall my existing Symantec based anti-virus as it went in. The BitDefender installation is clearly fine, but it left a Symantic process, which now tells me that I have (Symantic) updates waiting every time I reboot!

- Effectiveness -
I keep a handful of infected files hanging around in order to test virus software; it detected them in storage, and a couple more on internet pages and emails - appears to work.

- Issues -
1. Performance: since installing, I have noticed that the machine I use comes to a stop every 10-15 minutes, presumably as BitDefender has been updating itself or performing some other housekeeping. I am confident this is related to the software because it stops being problematic when I go in to 'game mode'.
2. Blue screen: if I suspend the laptop for more than a day, then resume action, the BitDefender icon is grey: clicking it almost always causes a blue screen/reboot.

-- Conclusion --
Overall, this seems like an effective product for protecting the computer, but I have realised it is not worth the performance overhead. I am in the process of deciding its replacement, and will be removing it in the next couple of weeks.

-- UPDATE: July 2009 --
Before replacing the product, I took another look at that remaining Symantec process, and removed that remant; this resolved the freeze problem, so that has brought the machine back to useable status.
The tool still uses too much memory, and interferes a bit with downloadng eMail, but it is no longer on my 'to be replaced' list. Will re-evaluate when we get to license renewal!

-- UPDATE: December 2011 --
Replaced with a rival product in December 2009, sourced 3 licenses for the price of one and did not look back [until I noticed this old review]

I highly recommend this antivirus product: it works well, with miminal impact on system performance.
My laptop has a Pentium III clocked at less than 700MHz, so I'm always looking for anitvirus software that will fully protect my Windows XP SP3 system without dragging down performance.
BitDefender is the only antivirus protection I've used that will allow me to do useful work on my laptop while an anitvirus scan is running in the background. And the antivirus scans are effective at finding registry problems as well as viral infections.
The only complaint I have is that, like all Microsoft-approved antivirus software, BitDefender will whine that your system is at risk unless you leave the AutoUpdate feature turned on. Unlike the background antivirus scans, AutoUpdate can really slow down the system when it runs. Even worse, if the Update requires a reboot to be effective, a "Reboot Now?" dialog pops up in the middle of the screen when AutoUpdate has completed, which can be rather distracting if you're in the middle of some important work. Of course, you can turn AutoUpdate off if you don't want to be disturbed.
Overall, BitDefender's low-impact background antivirus scans make this product the best antivirus software for my laptop.

Very... very... sluggish. My once reponsive computer now takes forever to load programs that were once quick. Not recommended.

Bitdefender 2009 is a RAM hogging suite of over-engineered overkill junk-ware that starts it's lengthy install by deleting ALL your duplicate files, funny how many decktop.ini files each program has and it disabled every one of them! Then it clears all your previous data saves like .bak,old,tmp, etc. Then it takes over running your computer, it does not ID threats that freeware like A-Squared, AVG or Avast (freeware all) found and quarantined/wiped. If U do not have 2GB+ of SDRAM & 2GhZ+ pent-core duo processors (it fries AMD) running plan on constant stack-dumps, plan 4 a MAJOR slowed down computer, and timed out e-mail sends/recieves as it WAY-over scans each simple text 1-liner e-mail into or out of your e-mail/POP-3 client like Outlook Express time-out. Forget attachments it removes most even if U tell it not to. It becomes the most demanding utility on even a hi-end computer and throws a tantrum of 'Your computer is vulnerable!!!' if you even try to tame it from full-throttle. Finally good luck uninstalling it, U can't completely! 26 yrs of IT behind me tells me it is not designed to be removed except by a full reformat of the hard drives and even then it is in your BIOS! I still have HKEY's & dlls welded into my Windows XP core programs that no BD uninstaller removes (they send U 1 if or when it crashes your computer), that just hides it in 'Program Files' and saturates your registry with junk U can not remove even in Safe Mode! It sets up multiple SHVHOST portals that hogs bandwidth needed by your other vital programs, like a browser that won't surf because BD spends all it's time using up the resouces any browser needs. Stay away from what was a good prog in 2006/7 but is a system crasher now. EURO-ware so U better have a very fast DSL or T1 modem as it gets updates from the EU not a US relay/server or hub. Tech-support U.S. side is a novice level no help person reading off a cheat sheet waste of time, don't expect much there, any forum about BD 2009 rates it as horrible. It should be removed from US use as it installs a very aggressive firewall that will stay sending data back and forth even when U ain't or U think U have uninstalled it! CAVEAT EMPTOR!

Purchased Bitdefender Antivirus 2009, installed the item on 2/4/09. I tried to do the update as required but was unable to, due to a very large file size, and the fact that I have dial up connection. I e-mailed the company and several days later they responded. Told me to download the update on a computer with faster internet connection. I again e-mailed them, several days went by, they responded with the message to buy a CD with the 2009 Antivirus update. After several more e-mails to the company I finally gave in and order the update for $11.99 plus shipping. Received the update and it was the wrong year,it was the 2008 version. I again e-mailed Bitdefender, no reponse, kept e-mailing them, finally a week or so later they reponded, told me they are turning it over to the proper department. Four days have elapsed and no response, today is 3/11/09, so I have been attempting to solve this problem for over a month. Also, the company has changed their toll free phone number to a toll number! I am totally dissatisfied and frustrated, will turn this complaint over to the Consumer Protection Agency and my Credit Card Company.

Customer service sucks; there effectively is no meaningful help if this thing stops working, so just go buy something else.

Install & setup was easy, ran ok the first day. Second day I notice my computer was very slow - loading of internet site was very slow and opening and closing programs. Had a lot of trouble trying to uninstall program, kept telling me it was installing program. After about the 3 or 4 time was able to uninstall. With Bitdefender removed, computer responsed faster. Install the free program AVG antivirus, very is running normal, no slow down.
That are alot of good reviews on Bitdefender, but I don't know if most of the reviews was on a Windows Vista system.

As an antivirus program for 2009 it did the job. I recommend anyone to check the test results in
magazine reviews to decide which anti-virus program is for you. If you are a careful surfer this
one did well. But that was in 2009.

Many of the same problems for me that are stated by other reviewers. Absolutely poor programming and quality control. Must have been put together by some semi-literate guy in a shack in India. Does not work worth a damn on XP. The so-called fix button does nothing. Try and update this monstrosity. Good Luck. What good is anti-virus software if you can't update it. I got one scan out of it and then it refused to work. Every time I tried to initiate any action a pop-up informed me "BitDefender not Responsive." No kidding. After 3 attempts using the repair function I gave up. They should be ashamed to sell this junk. I bought this on the recommendation of PCWorld. They're off my list and BD too.