Removing Officescan

Jokke

I have computer running vista, with officeScan installed. I am renting this computer from my school, and they have set up the system. I am the legal owner of the computer, altough it is registered to my school. The problem is the antivirus sort of thing, officescan. I can't seem to uninstall it. Running the uninstall.exe doesn't work, because I need a password to uninstall it. Does anyone know of a way around it, so I can remove it from my computer? Or am I stuck with this piece of crap, blocking my bittorrent and certain sites (no, not sites of disputable reputation or containing images of naked people).

Shorty

Yes.

http://esupport.trendmicro.com/support/viewxml.do?ContentID=EN-124054&id=EN-124054

However, if you were connecting onto my network and I discovered you had removed the approved, tested and managed anti-virus solution from a client machine.... I WOULD KICK YOUR ASS.

I am sorry if you find that opinion grating but large scale network management is a hard enough job without people trying to remove important pieces of security software like firewalls and antivirus. If you are RENTING the laptop, then you not the owner.

Jokke

Well, I don't know how to say it. I AM responsible for everything that happens to the computer, and for the content in it. I AM responsible of keeping it free from viruses and the like. However, I AM paying the school to keep it... It's renting, isn't it? But I own it. If I break it, I'll have to repair it.

Now for the antivirus. I have Ad-aware, SpyBot and SuperAntiSpyware. I have AVG Antivirus, in addition to regularly Kaspersky Online tests. I have the ZoneAlarm firewall. I have used all of these programs before, and have found them to be effective. Is it then so bad to remove OfficeScan?

Shorty

Ok, let's break this down.

Did you pay for the laptop?
Is it effectively on loan to you and you pay an amount of money per week/month/term to keep said laptop?

My work provide me with a laptop, I am responsible for everything that happens with it. Not too disimilar to yourself.

I understand that you would rather have your own apps on there but corporate/educational machines are built for a specific reason with a tried and tested image. Officescan cannot exist correctly without a central server to talk to. That server will be monitored by your school admins.

Do you take your laptop to school and plug it into their network?

I'm not trying to offend you and I apologise if my first post was not overly polite. You have to understand that corporate/educational machines are provided configured a specific way for both your safety AND that of the network to which it is a member of. It is not just about your personal machine

Jokke

Yes, I pay a certain amount every month. Hmm, maybe removing it would be a bad idea. I do connect to the school network, and if I can possibly upset someone by removing it, maybe I shouldn't. Are there any way to sort of shut it down, so i just IS, it's just not doing anything? Like it's asleep. I usually shut it down through Task Manager, but it rarely helps. I do not wish to put neither my system, nor the school network at any risk, but I would like to download torrents...

Shorty

Ok, so it sounds like you understand my point

It's a tough one to be honest. I can understand your frustration in being provided a piece of equipment that cannot meet your requirements. The software is to blame rather than specifically your admins.

It's hard to explain sometimes the utter frustration that IT support staff go through with users who change things on their loaned equipment. It breaks several IT policies (security being the biggest one).

I will put a case in point:

1. A tech-savvy user was annoyed at his corporate IT departments choice of anti-virus and user policy.
2. User takes laptop home and resets local administrator password with Linux password CD-rom.
3. User installs own anti-virus of choice and unknowingly contracts a virus that said users anti-virus cannot clean.
4. User goes back to work with laptop and successfully infects corporate network. Network disinfects all clients and no outbreak occurs, huge amount of effort from admins to trace original machine with virus.
5. Admins realise user broke IT policy and beat user to death in car park).
6. Admins get 10 years for murder (out in 5 for good behaviour).

Between resetting passwords, dealing with users who cannot cope with Microsoft Office and senior management demanding that their wireless is enabled... admins don't need people tinkering with their packages!

The article above tells you the name of the processes and services for Officescan. Tread carefully when disabling/stopping them

Jokke

Hmm. I doubt I'll be beaten to death in a parking lot over it, but I get your point. I will drop doing something rebellious like force-remove it, and talk nice and calm with the schools IT-department. I doubt I'll get anywhere, but it's better than breaking any policies, and the worst I can get is a no, and a kick in the butt. Thank you Shorty, for enlightening me on this matter, I will report how it goes on monday.

Shorty

Jokke wrote:

Hmm. I doubt I'll be beaten to death in a parking lot over it, but I get your point. I will drop doing something rebellious like force-remove it, and talk nice and calm with the schools IT-department. I doubt I'll get anywhere, but it's better than breaking any policies, and the worst I can get is a no, and a kick in the butt. Thank you Shorty, for enlightening me on this matter, I will report how it goes on monday.

If only more users took your pragmatic approach

I think you would find that they will be more likely to help because you asked them rather than just doing it

Vicar

Now that was resolved nicely boys. Listening and compromise is the way to go:)

Shorty

Vicar wrote:

Now that was resolved nicely boys. Listening and compromise is the way to go:)

Of course, that is how we roll here

I know it may seem like I was being harsh but so many times, I see threads with people asking to bypass installs/security/services that have been created by an organisation!

Jokke

I thought of the possibility to get a reaction like that. I mean, It's like going to the EA support site asking how to mount an ISO, and where to get the NOCD-crack! But I figured, if you don't ask, you don't get an answer. And the worst that could happen is someone yelling at me.

primesuspect

If only more people had your sensibilities, Jokke

Jokke

Well, finally got a hold of support. He said that if I uninstalled OfficeScan, I would be responsible for any damage that might occur. I might just better leave it alone then... I wouldn't be able to use bittorrent anymore, but I guess I need to learn to buy my games and DVD's. They're just so damn expensive!