Desktop Security - FAQs

Does the Charter Business® Desktop Security product work with other antivirus or firewall products installed on my computer?

No. You cannot have two antivirus products from different vendors installed on your computer. The Charter Business Desktop Security product automatically detects and removes your old antivirus and firewall products during the installation. You can also manually remove any other antivirus or firewall products before installing the product.

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Which operating systems does Charter Business Desktop Security support?

The product supports the following operating systems: Windows XP and Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit), and Windows 7. However, the product does not support the server versions of the operating systems mentioned above, Windows XP 64-bit or Mac OS.

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What kind of computer do I need for using the Charter Business Desktop Security product?

Your computer must meet the following requirements:

  • Processor:
    • On Windows Vista: Capable of running Windows Vista 32-bit (Intel Pentium 4 2 GHz or higher recommended).
    • On Windows XP/2000: Intel Pentium III 600 Mhz or higher (Intel Pentium III 1 GHz or higher recommended).
  • Operating system:
    • Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit: Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, Enterprise.
    • Windows XP Home/Professional/Media Center Edition (Service Pack 2 required for full functionality).
    • Windows 2000 Professional SP4 and newer (Update Rollup 1 recommended).
  • Memory:
    • On Windows Vista: 512 MB of RAM (1 GB or more recommended).
    • On Windows XP/2000: 256 MB of RAM (512 MB of RAM or more recommended).
  • Disk space: 600 MB free hard disk space (800 MB recommended).
  • Display:
    • On Windows Vista: 16 bit or more (65000 colors).
    • On Windows XP/2000: 8 bit, 256 colors (16 bit, 65000 colors, or more recommended).
  • Internet connection: An Internet connection is required to validate your subscription and receive updates.
  • Browser:
    • On Windows Vista: Internet Explorer 7.0 or newer.
    • On Windows XP/2000: Internet Explorer 5.0 (Internet Explorer 6.0 or newer recommended).

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How do I uninstall Charter Business Desktop Security?

To uninstall the product, do the following:

  • Click Start.
  • Select Control Panel.
  • Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
  • Locate your Charter Business Desktop Security product, and click Change/Remove.
  • When you are asked to restart your computer, restart it.

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I have a shared Internet connection. Can I use Charter Business Desktop Security on all the computers?

Yes, you can use the license for [x] installations in the same network.

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I am experiencing technical difficulties with the Charter Business Desktop Security product. How can I proceed?

Before contacting our technical support, please see Customer-Support to find out what you should do. If you cannot find the answer to your problem, this page also contains the phone numbers of our technical support. They will assist you in solving any technical difficulties you may come across.

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How can I create and send an FSDIAG file?

If you have technical problems with your security product, you can create and send an FSDIAG file to our technical support. The file helps us solve technical problems specific to your computer.

You can create the file by using the Diagnostic Utility tool. The tool gathers vital information about your system and creates a group of log files. These log files contain information about your security product, as well as operating system logs and system settings. In some cases, this information might be considered confidential. All data collected by the Diagnostic Utility tool is stored locally on your computer. To create and send the FSDIAG file:
  • Click Start.
  • Select All Programs > Charter Business Desktop Security > Diagnostic Utility.
  • In the Diagnostic Utility tool window, click OK. The tool starts gathering information. It creates the output file on your desktop.
  • Attach the FSDIAG.TAR or FSDIAG.TAR.GZ file to your support request. The technical support handles your request and contacts you. Please wait for our reply.
Note: Once you have sent your support request, you receive an email reply from us. The reply contains the ticket ID of your support request. Please save the ticket ID because you need it later for reference.
You can also download and run the Diagnostic Utility tool from the following location: http://www.charterbusiness.com/desktopdownloads.aspx

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The product shows that the virus definitions are out of date. What can I do?

The Charter Business Desktop Security product updates itself automatically, and you do not have to do anything. However, the clock has to be set correctly for the updates to work. If your PC clock is off, the virus scheduler will not update. If you are using a modem, the product is automatically updated every time you connect to the Internet. If you have a broadband connection, updates are checked once per hour.

You can also manually check for updates. To open the product, double-click the product icon at the bottom right corner of your screen. To check for updates:
  • Click the Automatic Updates tab.
  • Last update check displays the time of the latest update.
  • Click Check now. Automatic Update Agent connects to the Internet and checks for the latest updates. If the protection is not up-to-date, it retrieves the latest updates.
Note: If you are using a modem, or have an ISDN connection to the Internet, the connection must be active to check for updates.

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Is my computer protected against spyware with the Charter Business Desktop Security product?

The product uses real-time spyware scanning, which is turned on by default. It is integrated to the antivirus protection. You can also run a separate manual scan for spyware.

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Every time I scan my computer, I find a lot of spyware. Why?

Most likely, the majority of found spyware items are so-called tracking cookies. Cookies are items in the web browser that websites use to save some information on the user’s computer. Such cookies can compromise your privacy.

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How do I change the security level in the Charter Business Desktop Security product?

To open the product, double-click the product icon at the bottom right corner of your screen.
To change the security level:

  • Click the Internet Shield tab.
  • Next to Internet Shield and the current security level, click Change.
  • Read the security level descriptions carefully.
  • Select the appropriate level from the list and click OK.
The Internet Shield page now shows the new security level. The firewall rules and Application Control settings change according to the selected security level.

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How can I open a port through the firewall?

You can open a port through the firewall if you want to allow some Internet traffic and you know the port number that you want to open.

You may not be able to add your own rules to all security levels. Select the security level to which you want to add the new rule before you open the port.
When you open a port through the firewall, you create a new firewall rule and two new services.
  • Click the Internet Shield tab.
  • Click Open a port.
  • In the Name field, enter a name for the new firewall rule.
  • In the Port number field, define the responder port for the rule. The responder port is usually mentioned in the product documentation.
  • Click OK.
The new rule is added to the firewall rules list and two new services are created on the firewall services list for both the TCP and UDP protocols with the specified port number.

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How do I know that I have the latest updates?

When automatic updates are turned on, Automatic Updates keep the product up-to-date any time you are connected to the Internet. You can also check that you have the latest updates. To open the product, double-click the product icon at the bottom right corner of your screen. To check for the latest updates:

  • Click the Automatic Updates tab.
  • Last update check displays the time of the latest update.
  • Click Check now. Automatic Update Agent connects to the Internet and checks for the latest updates. If the protection is not up-to-date, it retrieves the latest updates.
Note: If you are using a modem, or have an ISDN connection to the Internet, the connection must be active to check for updates.

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How do I submit a support case?

Complete appropriate portions of the Web to Case / Support Form

For other questions and detailed help, please view the "Help" link at the top of the webpage in your control panel screen. The "Help" section is unique to the current page that you are viewing in the control panel.