Antivirus Downtime

Phrixos said:

Occasionally, as one does, I change my antivirus vendor. Universally, the advice is that before changing, make certain you completely uninstall the old antivirus before reinstalling the new one. In most (if not all) cases, however, users must remain connected to the internet throughout the changeover process. This leads, as far as I understand it, to a five or six minute gap between the efficacy of the old antivirus and the efficacy of the new one. (One thing is for certain: if you disconnect at all during this period it might just be at that moment when connection is vital.)

Is there any better advice out there as to how best avoid "antivirus downtime"

Here's what I do:
Download the new AV installer. Uninstall the old AV. Reboot. Clean out the registry from any leftovers. Install the new AV. I stay connected to the internet the entire time.

Assuming the old AV is *not* Defender, the uninstall of the old AV will put Defender back on the job. After the reboot, Windows Update can update the definitions for Defender. The new AV install will then disable Defender.

If you are behind a router, you'll be fine; I wouldn't worry about the few minutes you are unprotected. Just be sure your system is completely clean of malware before doing the uninstall of the old AV. You could run an ESET Online Scan. Of course, you'll need to disable your current AV before running it. :)

Cheers!