Before installing ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 3.0 on a computer running Microsoft Windows 2000, you must first upgrade the computer to Service Pack 4 (recommended) or install the Windows Installer 2.0 program for Windows NT 4.0/2000. This will prevent the Windows Installer dialog box from being displayed and stopping the installation.

The Early Warning System allows your computer to become an active warrior in a war against computer security threats. Its principle lies in the rapid transmission of newfound infiltrations from your computer, directly to ESET's malware experts. This process speeds reaction to virus threats and contributes to overall security in the virtual world.

If the installation of ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 3.0 ends prematurely, ends with a specific error message, or performs a rollback to a previous system state, then it may be necessary to create a log file to further troubleshoot the issue. This is done by running the installation with a special parameter to create a log file with detailed information about the error encountered during installation.

If you receive the following message (or similar) when installing ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 3.0; "This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package." The Windows Installer service may need to be restarted or repaired. The Windows Installer service adds, modifies, and removes any applications which are provided as an .msi package. If this service is disabled, any services that depend on it will fail to start.

Any significant antivirus function performed by ESET Smart Security is recorded and stored in the log files. Event logs show if the system has been updating properly, Personal firewall and Threat logs document threats as they attempt to access your computer, and On-demand computer scan logs display scanning and cleaning events.

File-level scanning of some email servers, backup software, gaming applications, etc. can occasionally cause abnormal system behavior. To exclude specific applications or folders from the ESET NOD32 Antivirus real-time scanner, see the step-by-step instructions below:

Occasionally, during the troubleshooting or installation of third party software applications, you may be prompted to temporarily disable your antivirus software. If this is necessary, please remember to immediately re-enable antivirus and antispyware protection after the installation of other software applications is complete. To temporarily disable ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus, follow the steps below:

If the Windows Security Center reports that antivirus protection in your ESET security product is disabled, even if it is activated and all its features, including antivirus protection, are enabled and working properly, please see the following solution: This problem is likely caused by corruption to the database in the C:\Windows\System32\Wbem\Repository folder. This area is used by the Windows operating system to manage the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service. In turn, the WMI service is used by Windows to obtain and correctly display information related to the Windows Security Center.

ESET Remote Administrator (ERA) allows an administrator to deploy and manage configuration changes of ESET security products across multiple computers. Examples of these configuration changes include updating client workstation username/passwords, installing the latest virus signature updates, or configuring/removing scheduled tasks.

If you request a free trial of ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 3.0 through our online form, we will send you an email message to verify your email address. If clicking either of the links in this email displays a page without a download button, please see the following steps: