# Help please, Windows ME and AVG **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243 "2008-06-25T23:06:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/1 "2008-06-25T23:06:23Z")
Hi folks, my parents are running Windows ME and can’t install the AVG8 upgrade. I know Windows ME is now unsupported, but does anyone either know of a fix to allow AVG8 to operate, or know of a good (preferably free) home Anti Virus program that will work with Windows ME? Their only other option is to upgrade their whole system and they just don’t have the $$ right now. Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/2 "2008-06-25T23:08:23Z")
It can’t be run on ME. Wanting and needing it to won’t make it happen. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/3 "2008-06-25T23:10:54Z")
I think [Avast!](http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-free-home-antivirus-antispyware.html) still supports WinME ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/4 "2008-06-26T00:04:05Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] It can’t be run on ME. Wanting and needing it to won’t make it happen. [/QUOTE] Wanting it to happen allowed me to find the correct upgrades I needed to make my XP system compliant - sometimes the effort pays off. They’ve looked at Avast, but the page they found seemed dodgy - spelling errors and wanting rather more info than they were comfortable with. I’ve sent them the link above as it’s obviously the official home. Thanks for your help. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/5 "2008-06-26T00:20:24Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] I think [Avast!](http://www.avast.com/eng/avast-free-home-antivirus-antispyware.html) still supports WinME [/QUOTE] What is amazing is it supports Windows 95! ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/6 "2008-06-26T00:32:16Z")
[QUOTE=maggenpye] Hi folks, my parents are running Windows ME and can’t install the AVG8 upgrade. I know Windows ME is now unsupported, but does anyone either know of a fix to allow AVG8 to operate, or know of a good (preferably free) home Anti Virus program that will work with Windows ME? Their only other option is to upgrade their whole system and they just don’t have the $$ right now. Thanks in advance. [/QUOTE] AVG8 will only work with XP SP2, (is actually requires the SP2 as well). Avast is a good program, don’t let the site spook them, they are anti virus guys, not web guys. ---
**Author:** ![Rael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rael)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/7 "2008-06-26T02:57:39Z")
[QUOTE=maggenpye] Their only other option is to upgrade their whole system and they just don’t have the $$ right now. Thanks in advance. [/QUOTE] BitTorrent is your friend 😃 ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/8 "2008-06-26T05:29:06Z")
Avast has been downloaded on my parent’s machine and seems to be working well. AVG8 still works fine on mine even though I don’t have SP2 as far as I know. Mods, please feel free to close this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/9 "2008-06-26T07:17:44Z")
[QUOTE=Rael] BitTorrent is your friend 😃 [/QUOTE] So you can download actual hardware from bittorrent now, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/10 "2008-06-26T11:39:15Z")
[QUOTE=maggenpye] AVG8 still works fine on mine even though I don’t have SP2 as far as I know. [/QUOTE] That is easy to determine; right click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”. On the “General” tab, it will list the service pack installed on your operating system. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/11 "2008-06-26T11:40:16Z")
[QUOTE=maggenpye] Avast has been downloaded on my parent’s machine and seems to be working well. AVG8 still works fine on mine even though I don’t have SP2 as far as I know. Mods, please feel free to close this thread. [/QUOTE] Nice ending! If your parents have the sound on and happen to be in another room, they might be startled by a voice suddenly jabbering away. It’s just the website telling them that the Avast! software has been updated. Scared the doodoo out of my wife and daughter not too long ago. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/12 "2008-06-26T18:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] Nice ending! If your parents have the sound on and happen to be in another room, they might be startled by a voice suddenly jabbering away. It’s just the website telling them that the Avast! software has been updated. Scared the doodoo out of my wife and daughter not too long ago. [/QUOTE] Mine updates at least once a day. I am no longer shocked. I am very happy with Avast!. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-please-windows-me-and-avg/454243/13 "2008-06-26T21:17:10Z")
Thanks for the warning, I’ll let them know (probably \*after \* it’s happened! Heh.)