Alright, i finally decided to update my ad aware from 1.03 to 1.05. I go to their site and download the 1.05 update, and follow the instructions: Unzip the archive, replace the existing file and restart Ad-Aware\Ad-Watch. You can also use the webupdate component implemented in Ad-Aware to install this update. so.... i unzipped the download and it leaves me with a file called defs.ref. i do not know what to do now. the webupdate isn't updating my ad-aware, either. culd someone help me out? thanks, Stan