How Do I Install and Register BitDefender 2011?

For simplicity, we will demonstrate this feature using BitDefender Total Security 2011, our most comprehensive security solution. If needed, we will indicate differences between BitDefender Antivirus Pro and Internet Security.

To install BitDefender you can:

Installation instructions are available irrespective of the installation method you choose.

Install  from CD

(see Common installation steps)

INSTALL by file download

(see Common installation steps)

COMMON INSTALLATION PROCESS

Whether you download the BitDefender 2011 installation file from the Internet or from a CD, you need an active Internet connection to activate the product. This allows the latest BitDefender files to be downloaded and the license key to be activated.

The setup wizard will guide you through the installation and configuration of your product.

  1. The BitDefender 2011 End User License Agreement will be displayed. Please read it and check the license agreement box to proceed with the installation. Click Next to continue.

  2. BitDefender will run a quick security scan to detect running malware that could impede the installation.  Although it is highly recommended to allow the scan to be performed,   you can click Cancel to stop it and proceed with the installation. If no security threats are identified  on your computer, you can press Next to continue.  If active malware is detected, it will be automatically moved to the quarantine folder so that the installation can proceed. To make sure your entire system is free from malware, we recommend you to run a full system scan at the end of the installation as well.  BitDefender will check for any conflicting security solutions installed on your system.  For optimal performance we recommend that you remove all other security software from your PC. Click Start Uninstall so that the software removal tool starts uninstalling the security software detected on your system, one by one. A reboot may be necessary to complete the uninstall process. The BitDefender setup wizard will resume after each reboot. If conflicting security software fails to be removed, BitDefender will redirect you to the Customer Care Team to help you prepare the system for installation. If you are installing BitDefender Internet Security or Total Security, we advise you to turn off any other firewall protecting your system. The BitDefender firewall will be turned on once the installation is complete. Click Next to proceed to the product registration stage.

  3. You can choose to evaluate BitDefender 2011 for 30 days or register BitDefender with a license key. If you want to try the software first, select evaluate BitDefender 2011 for 30 days and click Next. If you have purchased BitDefender from a retail or online store, select the Register BitDefender with a license key option. Enter the license key and click Register now.  You will be notified if the license key could not be validated or if it corresponds to another product (for example, Internet Security ). Help options are available in both cases. You can find your license key on the product registration card, or in the online purchase confirmation e-mail.  Click Next to continue. You must create an account with BitDefender to get access to BitDefender’s online features, such as product updates, help and support, online backup, online parental control. You will be able to create a new account or sign in with your existing account. In trial installations, account creation is a mandatory step. If you have purchased BitDefender, you can waive the account registration for 30 days, but it becomes mandatory after this grace period.  To create a new account you need to supply your e-mail address and add a password. There are three available mailing options: Send me all messages, Send me messages about the product’s status only and Don’t send me any messages. BitDefender Total Security 2011 includes 2 GB of online backup.  However, if you store pictures, documents, and videos on your computer we recommend that you upgrade your backup account now. For instance, to back up 6000 pictures you typically need about 10GB.  To upgrade your backup space, click the pop-up message displayed when you choose to activate online backup. You can activate Online backup or do it later. Press Submit.  Click Next to continue.

  4. Next, you can choose how complex the installation process should be. EASY INSTALL allows you to install and configure the program in a few simple steps. CUSTOM INSTALL allows advanced users to configure the product features in detail and to change the installation path. The Get Help link allows access to video and audio tutorials on the product installation, configuration and usage. The Show steps tab provides captions for the described actions.  After clicking EASY INSTALL, you can choose one of the product views available in BitDefender 2011: Basic View or Intermediate View.  Click one of the screenshots provided to make your choice, then Next to continue.

  5. Next, you will be able to personalize the Dashboard shortcuts by adding or removing links to the features that are most important to you. These features will be easily accessible from My Tools section. For more information, move the mouse over your preferred feature. Parental Control will let you control and monitor your children’s activity on the computer. To use this feature, it’s recommended that you create a separate Windows Account for each child. Game mode will help maximize your gaming experience while playing resource-intensive games. When set in Game Mode, BitDefender opens the firewall and does not run any resource-intensive processes. You will be able to turn Game Mode on and off by right-clicking on BitDefender icon in the system tray. Laptop mode will help conserve your laptop’s battery life by turning off resource intensive processes when your laptop is not plugged in. This feature is displayed only if you are installing your security solution on a laptop. Home Network management will help you detect other computers in your network and populate the network map automatically. If you selected parental control to be added to the My Tools section, you will next be shown how to set it up. You will have three options.  If you share your computer with your children it is highly recommended to create different Windows Accounts for each of them. To do so, choose option "Set parental control on children accounts". If you prefer to have only one account for all the users of your system, choose the "Set parental control on the current account". In this case, you will need to set up a password to the Parental Control settings so that your children will not be able to disable them. Once the installation is finished, you can select the appropriate age for parental control filtering by opening the Parental Control module in the My Tools section.  If you prefer not to configure Parental Control for the moment, choose Skip setup for now. Press Next to continue.

  6. The next window is dedicated to how you’d like to receive  in the product. This is where you can enable or disable the Smart Tips and specify a different E-mail address for communication with BitDefender by filling in the provided form. Press Next to continue.

  7. Finally, a summary window will be displayed, informing you about the standard and extra features selected.  Here you can choose to perform a full system scan once the installation will be completed, to detect any stealth malware residing on your computer. This window also allows you to schedule maintenance scans. Press Finish to complete the installation.

  8. The setup wizard will detect the network and will let you classify it as home - office or public. Make your choice and press ok.