NOVELTY - Triazole compounds are new.    USE - For controlling harmful fungi; for protecting the fungi, their habitat or materials or plants against fungal attack, and for treating the soil or propagation material comprising seed; for the treatment of cancer or virus infections or for preparing an anti-mycotic medicament; and for combating zoopathogenic or humanpathogenic fungi (claimed); for controlling harmful fungi on various cultivated plants e.g. cereals, beet, fruits, leguminous plants and fiber plants, on field crops e.g. potatoes sugar beets, tobacco, wheat, rye, barley; for controlling plant diseases e.g. white rust on ornamentals and Alternaria leaf spot; and for treating virus infections e.g. retrovirus infections such as HIV and Human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV), influenza virus infection, rhinovirus infections and herpes.    ADVANTAGE - The triazole compounds are more effective, less costly, less toxic, environmentally safer and/or have different modes of action; and have a better fungicidal activity and/or a better crop plant compatibility.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Triazole compounds of formulae (I), and (II) and triazole compound of formula (IV) excluding compounds (where R1-R3 and L2-L4 are H, L1 is F, Br, -OCH3 or CF3 and b is a double bond; R1 and R2 are both CH3, R3 and L2-L4 are H, L1 is F, Br, -OCH3 or CF3 and b is a double bond; and R1-R3, L1, L3 and L4 are H, L2 is CF3 and b is a single bond) or their salts, are new.    L1 and L4=H, F, Br, I, 1-10C alkyl, 1-10C haloalkyl, 1-10C alkoxy or 1-10C haloalkoxy;    L2 and L3=H, halo, 1-10C alkyl, 1-10C haloalkyl, 1-10C alkoxy or 1-10C haloalkoxy;    R1-R3=phenyl or phenyl-1-4C alkyl (where phenyl group in both optionally mono- to penta-substituted by R8), H, 1-10C alkyl, 1-10C haloalkyl, 1-10C alkoxy or 1-10C haloalkoxy;    R4=T1 or T2;    T1=H, 1-10C alkyl, 1-10C haloalkyl, 2-10C alkenyl, 2-10C haloalkenyl, 2-10C alkynyl, 2-10C haloalkynyl, 3-10C cycloalkyl, 3-10C halocycloalkyl, or 5- or 6-membered saturated, partially unsaturated or aromatic heterocyclic ring containing 1-3 N, O or S as ring members (where the heterocyclic ring optionally mono- to tri-substituted by R8);    T2=Z1 or group of formula (III);    Z1=-C(=O)R5, -C(=S)R5, -S(O)2R5, -CN, -P(=Q1)R6R7 or M1;    R4a=T1 or Z1;    R5=phenyl, phenyl-1-4C alkyl or phenoxy (where phenyl group in all optionally mono- to penta-substituted by R8), H, 1-10C alkyl, 1-10C haloalkyl, 1-10C alkoxy, 1-10C haloalkoxy, 1-10C aminoalkyl, 3-10C cycloalkyl, 3-10C halocycloalkyl, 5- or 6-membered saturated, partially unsaturated or aromatic heterocyclic ring containing 1-3 N, O or S as ring members (where the heterocyclic ring optionally mono- to tri-substituted by R8) or NR9R10;    R6 and R7=1-10C alkyl, 1-10C haloalkyl, 2-10C alkenyl, 2-10C haloalkenyl, 2-10C alkynyl, 2-10C haloalkynyl, 3-10C cycloalkyl, 3-10C halocycloalkyl, 1-10C alkoxy, 1-10C haloalkoxy, 1-4C alkoxy-1-10C alkyl, 1-4C alkoxy-1-10C alkoxy, 1-10C alkylthio, 1-10C haloalkylthio, 2-10C alkenyloxy, 2-10C alkenylthio, 2-10C alkynyloxy, 2-10C alkynylthio, 3-10C cycloalkoxy, 3-10C cycloalkylthio, phenyl, phenyl-1-4C alkyl, phenoxy, phenylthio, phenyl-1-4C alkoxy or NR11R12;    R8=halo, nitro, CN, 1-4C alkyl, 1-4C haloalkyl, 1-4C alkoxy, 1-4C haloalkoxy or NR1314;    R9=H or 1-8C alkyl;    R10=H, 1-8C alkyl, phenyl or phenyl-1-4C alkyl;or    R9+R10, R11+R12 and R13+R14=linear 4- or 5C alkylene bridge or -CH2CH2OCH2CH2- or -CH2CH2NR15CH2CH2-;    R11 and R13=H or 1-8C alkyl;    R12 and R14=H, 1-8C alkyl, phenyl or phenyl-1-4C alkyl;    R15=H or 1-4C alkyl;    Q1=O or S;    M1=metal cation equivalent or an ammonium cation of formula (NR1aR1bR1cR1d)+;    R1a-R1d=phenyl or benzyl (where the phenyl group in both optionally mono- to tri-substituted by halo, CN, nitro, 1-4C alkyl, 1-4C haloalkyl, 1-4C alkoxy, 1-4C haloalkoxy or NR13R14);    n=0-3;and    b=single or double bond.    Provided that:    (1) at least one of L1-L4 is not hydrogen; and    (2) when n is 0, R4 is T2.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for the following:    (1) new, 5 intermediate compounds as given in the specification e.g. compound of formula (V) excluding the compounds (where R1-R3, and L2-L4 are H, L1 is F or CF3 and b is a double bond; and R1-R3, L2 and L3 are H, and L1 and L4 are F and b is a single bond) and compound of formula (VI) excluding the compounds (where R1-R3, L2-L4 are hydrogen, L1 is Br and b is a single bond); and    (2) seed comprising the triazole compounds, in an amount of 0.1 g to 10 kg per 100 kg of seeds.