I am trying to uninstall bit defender 8 and install bit defender 9 trial but when I uninstall BD8 the four items that run on start up aren't deleted and I seem unable to delete them. I have tried removing trhem from starup list and also in registry but when I go back in they are still there . How can I remove these pesky blighters.

Hi there johnevans4 and welcome to PHCF.
Using the stand-alone uninstall tool

If you use an operating system without the System Restore feature, you can use the stand-alone uninstall tool:

1. Download the uninstall tool and extract the contents of the archive.
2. Double-click the cleantool.exe file.
3. Delete the files extracted during the first step and restart the computer.

Removing manually BitDefender 8

Follow these instructions:

1. Download, install and run Windows Install Clean Up to remove specific registry keys for BitDefender. After install, click Start, point to All Programs and click Windows Install Clean Up. Select from Installed Products list BitDefender 8 and click Remove. Click OK to accept removing the registry keys.
2. Delete BitDefender's registry keys. The registry is a vital operating system's configuration database. To open Windows Registry Editor click Start, then Run, type in the command: regedit and press Ok.
   Editing the registry can have important consequences that might prevent the system from starting and require reinstalling the operating system. Modify only the registry keys presented in this document.
   Each slash in the descriptions below represents a level in the registry hierarchy. In order to unfold the current level and advance to the next level, double-click the name (ie. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) or use the right arrow on your keyboard when the current level is already selected. To fold it up double-click the name again, or use the left arrow on your keyboard.
   Go to the registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run
   and delete the values BDMCon, BDNewsAgent, BDOESRV (Professional Plus only), BDSwitchAgent.
3. Delete these registry keys:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\bdss
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\FILESpy
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\REGSpy
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\VSSERV
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\XCOMM
   Close Windows Registry Editor when finished.
4. Unregister BitDefender Shell Extension. Click Start, then Run and type in the command:
   regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Softwin\BitDefender8\bdshelxt.dll"
   When BitDefender is installed in a location different from the default folder modify the path accordingly.
5. Unregister the antispam modules for Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. Click Start, then Run and type in the command:
   regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files\Softwin\BitDefender8\bdo.dll"
   This is required only for Professional Plus. When BitDefender is installed in a location different from the default folder modify the path accordingly.
6. Restart the computer.
7. Delete all BitDefender files, folders, and shortcuts. Delete BitDefender 8 from the following locations:
   %AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\BitDefender 8\
   where %AllUsersProfile% represents C:\Documents and Settings\All Users; %ProgramFiles%\Softwin\
   where %ProgramFiles% represents C:\Program Files; %CommonProgramFiles%\Softwin\
   where %CommonProgramFiles% represents C:\Program Files\Common Files; %windir%\system32\sockspy.dll
   where %windir% represents C:\Windows %windir%\system32\xcomm.dll

Good luck, Bram

I think you can also stop them showing up on start up using:
Start -> Run -> 'msconfig'
On the startup tab, make sure the box before these programs are not checked.

You can do so bluefish, but the services that are started will not be removed that way ;-)

True Btalman, thanks!