BitDefender 9 Standard Fails to Update

I'm using Bit Defender 9 Standard, Build 9.5, Engine 7.06655 on a computer
running Windows XP Home Edition. I recently noticed I did not have virus
definition automatic updates enabled on BitDefender and, as a result, my
existing virus definitions were about two months old. When I noticed this,
I immediately enabled automatic virus definition updates. Now, it looks
like BitDefender checks for automatic definition updates every few seconds
while I'm online. However, since I turned on automatic updates, BitDefender
has apparently not found any updates. I'm somewhat concerned about this
since, as I said, it looks like the current virus definitions are a couple
of months old. I find it hard to believe BitDefender has not come out with
any virus definition updates over that length of time.

I previously had Kaspersky on my computer but found the lengthy scan times
and high number of false positives Kaspersky generated to be annoying, thus
the switch to BitDefender. I still have the most recent version of
Kaspersky I downloaded on my computer and am considering going back to it if
I can't get the problems with BitDefender resolved. Any opinions from
others on how Kaspersky stacks up against BitDefender? Finally, does anyone
have any experience with and/or opinions on freeware AV apps like AVG or the
freeware version of Avast? Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

"Zigmund Zagg" <ziggy DeleteThis @nospamzagmail.net> wrote in message news:f01e6$44b05330$438ccd4d$6607@ALLTEL.NET...

> I previously had Kaspersky on my computer but found the lengthy scan times
> and high number of false positives Kaspersky generated to be annoying,

This surprises me. What are you referring to as false positives re Kaspersky?

Over the years, Kaspersky has been the cream of the crop.