Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free

Subject: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: pyewacket
Date: 13 May 08 - 10:41 AM

I received notification that AVG will no longer be updated after May 31, 2008. I have used it for years and found it to be a great program. I'm wondering what others will use in the future. Has anyone made plans yet? I believe the price will be $54 per computer.
Thanks,
pyewacket

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Rasener
Date: 13 May 08 - 10:54 AM

Well I have downloaded version 8 free

here is the link for downloading Version 8 Free

It will uninstall previous version,before setting up the new version.

http://free.grisoft.com/ww.download?prd=afe

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: nutty
Date: 13 May 08 - 11:54 AM

Version 8 gives you a lot more cover and it's still free.

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: LesB
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:01 PM

I use Avast free anti virus, which I find O.K. (better than Norton), & it uses very little resourses & ticks along quietly in the background & updated itself daily.
Cheers
Les

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:03 PM

I've just downloaded 8 too, which I really like, and have received no email about anything being discontinued. Pye, have they specified which version they're discontinuing free updates for, or does that include all their free versions? This is the first I've heard of it -

PS: Anyone notice the similarity of the four colours in the new v.8 logo to A Certain Other logo ?

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Rasener
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:03 PM

Sorry here is the link for AVG 8 Free
http://free.grisoft.com/ww.download?prd=afe

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Rasener
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:04 PM

I think they are discontinuing the older versions

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: pyewacket
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:47 PM

Thanks all for your input. I have a friend who downloaded Version 8 and he said it will expire in 30 days and you will have to go with the pay version..
pyewacket

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 May 08 - 01:08 PM

Are you sure he didn't download the "free TRIAL" version by mistake? Because I almost did that. You have to go on a bit of an easter egg hunt to find the real free one (which doesn't use the word 'trial'). Ask your friend to try Villan's link, though I don't know if he'll have to manually uninstall first. I have only recently downloaded this myself and nowhere did I get any messages about anything expiring. But, as I say, I nearly tripped up and took the Free Trial one by accident, which gives you a test-preview for the Pro version that will do more stuff but must be paid for.

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bill D
Date: 13 May 08 - 01:24 PM

Bonnie is correct...even though they DO still provide a free version, they make it confusing....which I'm sure they are aware trick some folks into giving up and paying for the not-free version.

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Rasener
Date: 13 May 08 - 01:25 PM

The link I provided is for the pucker free one and automatically uninstalls the older version and insatlls the new version and doesn't tell you that you have X days left.

How do I know? Well that's the link I used and it worked for me.

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 13 May 08 - 01:27 PM

It worked for me too but it IS a bit obscure, and I had to revert to the site map to find it: Go to www.grisoft.com then click the "Site Map" link at the bottom in tiny grey letters, then the "AVG anti-virus free edition" link near the bottom under the first heading ("Get protection").

THEN: Scroll down to the two big red "Download Now" buttons which are for the paid versions, and to the left of them you'll see "free for private use only" and a "learn more" link, in smaller unhighlighted printing. Click "learn more", go to the bottom left of the screen and click the "Download basic protection" link, which takes you to the page Villan has provided above. That should do it.

What version were you told would no longer be supported?

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Geoff Wallis
Date: 13 May 08 - 02:03 PM

Yep, I installed this too, but mistakenly clicked on the button adding the AVG toolbars to my browser. However, I discovered a very quick way of removing them - see http://www.tech-forums.net/pc/f9/removing-avg-toolbar-firefox-174335/
for details.

Villan, it's 'pukka', not 'pucker'. Think of half-time pies!

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Rasener
Date: 13 May 08 - 02:12 PM

yes you are correct Geoff :-) Maybe I mean't Puker, or maybe not :-)

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: BB
Date: 13 May 08 - 02:56 PM

Shouldn't this be BS?

Barbara

No---Tech questions as they affect all of us to some degree are always up top first. At some later date, depending on the subject, they may go below the line, but in most cases this is the right place.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Folkiedave
Date: 13 May 08 - 04:07 PM

The quick way of removing the unwanted AVG toolbar is view>toolbars> uncheck.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bill D
Date: 13 May 08 - 04:34 PM

I'd think that would just not display them..(I do this with various toolbars at various times). Uninstalling takes other steps.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 May 08 - 04:22 AM

I use the full version that you pay for. It's superb, beats Norton hands-down - no slowing down at boot-up, frequent updates, great stuff.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 14 May 08 - 04:23 AM

And when I installed it, it found viruses that Norton hadn't.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 14 May 08 - 06:08 AM

I used to have the free version but found it wasn't preventing Trojan infections getting through every time I logged onto the internet, buying the version with Firewall seems to have got round the problem!

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 May 08 - 07:36 AM

Whoa, that's interesting to know, Jim! How did you know you were being invaded? I mean, was there some sort of warning flag or did you just learn about it by getting lumbered with its horrible results? (Or hate letters from everyone in your address book? ;-)

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 May 08 - 07:37 AM

PS: Presumably, other firewalls would offer the same protection as the AVG one...? Windows & Zone Alarm, etc?

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 14 May 08 - 09:05 AM

Yes Bonnie, The AVG free edition did flag them up but I couldn't heal them!

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 May 08 - 10:10 AM

I've been seeing (and ignoring) the warnings about updating to the new free AVG. Thanks for taking the trouble to provide a link to the right version. I have to do this on my son's computer also (he has been complaining about that warning, and he's liable to download the 30-day version just to get it to stop if I don't set it up for him.)

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Gulliver
Date: 14 May 08 - 12:23 PM

I used the free version for a few months at the beginning of the year but found it was slowing up my system--in particular Word and Excel files took ages to open, even tiny files. So I got rid of it and the system response is back to normal (this problem was discussed on another thread a few months ago). Before that I went 3 years without an anti-virus app, and never had a problem (just lucky, I guess). Don

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bill D
Date: 14 May 08 - 12:28 PM

I had downloaded it a week or more ago, but just got 'round to installing it yesterday.

Note...It 'may' need some settings tweaked to run as YOU wish...(I like to control update times and do scans manually at my own pace, rather than accept default daily scans that interfere with my schedule.)

All-in-all, it does seem to be improved.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 14 May 08 - 12:29 PM

I haven't had any slowing-up problems with it (Norton was a far worse culprit for that, at least on my puter). I'm using it with XP, if that makes any difference.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,belt 'n' braces
Date: 14 May 08 - 12:40 PM

I've been using AVG Anti-Virus Free 7.5
and AVG Anti-Spyware Free 7.5
for manual system scans.
Seeing as from now on the separate anti spyware freebie is being withdrawn,
will the new version 8 anti virus [which will now include anti spyware scanning]
offer the same level or less anti spyware protection ?

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bernard
Date: 14 May 08 - 01:53 PM

Version 8 is a fully integrated package, still free, and seems to be working very well - I've got a paid for version of Webroot's Spysweeper, yet AVG has already identified couple of threats Spysweeper missed...

They will discontinue support for version 7.5 at the end of May, but this has happened regulrly since AVG Free has been available.

Okay, they are slightly devious in the way they don't make the free version easy to find, but hey...!

The good thing is AVG doesn't make your PC grind to a halt the way Norton often does these days. I used to be a Norton supporter, but I'm afraid they haven't kept up with the times.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 May 08 - 02:17 PM

It has taken a while to get both computers updated today. I updated to the new version of Spybot and dumped AdAware on the other computer (it has been absent from mine for several months now, since it introduced the new version. THAT is what slowed my computer too much).

My computer is still being scanned and it has gone over an hour. No way I would do this every day; I'll fiddle with what it scans and how often. I have my son's computer scanning now, and will set it by default to not scan. We'll do it manually. It's finding a lot of junk, but I also expect to have to log on to some sites after if finishes.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: nutty
Date: 14 May 08 - 03:02 PM

One new component of AVG version 8 is the scanning of sites in Google. It tells you which pages are safe to access.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bill D
Date: 14 May 08 - 11:25 PM

It won't do that in Opera...only in Firefox & IE. (It does add a special toolbar...be sure you're willing to have that)

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 May 08 - 11:30 PM

I didn't opt to load the toolbar. What do you think of it, Bill? This one sounds like it might have some actual usefulness.

You can literally fill up the entire browser with all of the toolbars that programs want to layer in. I use Google, but I don't use Earthlink or eBay or Yahoo or all of the others that have tried to load themselves.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 15 May 08 - 12:56 AM

And then there's the matter of the new version shutting down Firefox completely without warning or provocation. I'm not happy with AVG, Free or not.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 May 08 - 06:37 AM

AVG 8 will not work on Win9x. So will need a replacement.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bill D
Date: 15 May 08 - 11:12 AM

I only tried the AVG toolbar briefly in Firefox, as I use Opera most of the time. It does seem to work, though I never 'needed' it. That is, I have other 'protection' enabled. I will give it some test runs later.


(You can hide most toolbars until you need them...I have the in Firefox also)

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 May 08 - 11:51 AM

I have several loaded that are hidden, so I tend to forget about them. If I let them all display at once they would take up several inches of screen. :-(

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,belt 'n' braces
Date: 15 May 08 - 12:50 PM

anyway; according to AVG FREE Forum

http://freeforum.avg.com/read.php?1,123812,backpage=,sv=


"DEADLINE FOR AVG 7.5 FREE UPDATES 31/12/2008

Posted by: michaelhd - AVG Team
Date: May 5, 2008 10:00AM


This is the official date that support and updates for AVg 7.5 Free will end.

If the date changes we will give you good forward notice."

Last edit at 05/05/08 10:28AM.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,belt 'n' braces
Date: 15 May 08 - 12:51 PM

BTW..

after much too long a wait.....

here's this years updated version of McAfee Avert Stinger [v3.9.9]
free stand-alone anti trojan scanner


http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Irene M
Date: 17 May 08 - 01:21 PM

Had just downloaded version 8 when I saw this thread.
I wonder if it will stay put this time. I must have inunstalled and reinstalled version 7.5 8 times. After so many updates, it always came up with the "something bad happened to etc" message. Nearly drove me nuts.
Anyway, version 8. I ran a scan last night. TWO BLOODY hours!
As I only run the laptop for about an hour a night, I am not scheduling automatic scans. At least 7.5 had the auto-power off option.
Looks like one scan a week at a weekend.
Sigh.........

Subject: AVG computer virus protection expiring?
From: open mike
Date: 27 May 08 - 12:51 AM

I remember seeing this recently but cannot find it in a search. There was some discussion about AVG 7.5 and AVG 8.0. The program makes it look like you have to purchase an upgrade for what used to be a free program. Any one out there have info or a link to the previous thread? (the search feature seems to always find forum entries from 1999, 2000, and older but not more recent ones....)

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Melissa
Date: 27 May 08 - 01:19 AM

Is this the one you're looking for, Open Mike?

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Jim Lad
Date: 27 May 08 - 02:03 AM

The good news is that with version 8 you can now choose the time for your daily scan. Much better!

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 May 08 - 02:09 AM

This page seems to indicate that AVG Antivirus is still available for free, but we got a message that indicated that version 7.5 would not be updated after May 31; and that Version 8 was going to cost a considerable amount of money.
Did I read the message wrong? Will there still be a free version?
Did I goof by installing Norton 360 when I didn't need to?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 May 08 - 02:17 AM

I remover 7.5 and installed 8 over the weekend, and also reinstalled as-aware and spybot S&D - and everything seems a lot slower!

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 May 08 - 03:22 AM

Joe O -

The reading I get from the above, and from some other sources, is that the old AVG version (7.x) will no longer be supported. The new version (8.0) can be still obtained as a free program; but to encourage purchase of the full program they've made it a little more difficult to find the right button to download the free version.

While AVG remains one of the "reliable" AV programs, recent reviews have indicated it hasn't quite kept up with some of the other "free programs." That doesn't necessarily mean that it's not a good choice for most people - only that for this week and until the next reviews come out it's perhaps not the ultimate thing you can get right now. The various programs do "swap places" in the reviews pretty regularly.

I don't think you'll be hurt by having Norton 360. You should get "full support" if you happen to need it, and despite some clumsy web design and a pretty crude "help" site, I've found Norton sufficient and not unreasonably expensive for several years now. The Norton Internet Security retail packages we've gotten most recently allow use on up to three computers (for home users) for one payment, and $23/year per computer seems quite reasonable to me, to have someone I know I can call if I need help. Does Norton 360 (their current "flagship" program) offer the 3-machine license?

RB - I've noted some "different" behaviour in Ad-Aware SE (free version) with the latest update. For one thing, it seems to think my mudcat cookie needs to be deleted. I don't run it as a "real-time" thing, so it doesn't affect anything unless I initiate a scan. My Norton IS has good anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and all the other anties and unkies so I find AD-Aware useful only when "annoying but mostly harmless" crud builds up and needs cleaning.

Since some of the advanced help sites still request a run of Ad-Aware and Spybot S&D, before submitting a HiJack This log to request assistance, it's still a good idea to have all three on your machine, in case of dire emergency; but it's doubtful that any of the three actually adds much useful runtime protection if you have an up-to-date full-suite AV.

I haven't seen reports on whether AVG v8 slows anything down. Changes in the kinds of threats, and inclusion of protections against new kinds of stuff, have made most protection programs/suites somewhat "intrusive," but it's mostly a necessary evil if you want the expected levels of protection.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 27 May 08 - 03:59 AM

Yes, you can still get the free one. Look in the messages above for 13th May, re-read these posts:

Bonnie 1:08
Bill D   1:24
Bonnie 1:28

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 27 May 08 - 04:01 AM

Sorry - meant also to include The Villan @ 1:25

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 27 May 08 - 04:12 AM

Just for the record, neither my partner nor I have had slow-down problems with the new AVG 8 on our computers (he updated, I installed clean, both Win XP). The scan does slow things down, but the Norton ones always did too - I turned off the automatic scheduled one and just do it manually, at a time when I can go away and leave it to do its thing. AVG works well for us, anyway, thumbs up. (John in K, thanks again for your customary invaluable input.)

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 May 08 - 04:24 AM

Well, I have to say that the warning we got from AVG was deceptive. It said nothing about a free version of AVG 8 - and I think the cost they quoted was $54.95 or something like that. I suppose they need to make a living, but I thought the notice was deceptive.

I had a three-license copy of Norton 360 Version 1, so I downloaded Version 2 and used the product key from the old version. My ATT Broadband provides Norton Internet Security for free, but that one computer doesn't have enough RAM to run Norton Internet Security. Norton 360 installed easily, and seems to run quite well without slowing the computer down significantly. Now I'm trying to decide whether I should keep Norton Internet Security, or if I should use the other two Norton 360 licenses.

We have Comcast Internet at the Women's Center. Comcast provides McAfee Internet Security Suite for free, so I installed that on all of our computers there.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: ard mhacha
Date: 27 May 08 - 04:42 AM

Bonnie I installed the AVG V8 and the brakes went on good and hard, my Athlon 64 PC was running smoothly until a friend told me to install the V8, and now it has slowed down to such an extent that I will dump AVG V8
and try another system.
I asked the friend a few days after I installed V8,had his PC slowed down, he told me it had, that`s friends for you.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bonnie Shaljean
Date: 27 May 08 - 04:48 AM

Hi Ard - I wonder if it might be an operating-system related thing? I don't know anything about Vista, Luddite that I am -

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 27 May 08 - 05:40 AM

I have the full-blown AVG v8.0.93 (that I pay for, not a freebie) and it's slower than the full-blown v7.5 that I upgraded from (also a pay-for-it version, not the freebie), but MUCH faster than NIS, (which used to cause my PC to take 20 MINUTES to boot up - apparently it fought with Norton Ghost 10.0, how can you have confidence in a software company whose product even fight with one another??).

However, v8 is much more of a product than v7.5, looks better and is far easier to use and understand. There's a certain amount of 'fine-tuning' and 'tweaking' of things like scan frequency scheduling, update scheduling etc., but I have far more confidence in it than I ever had in NIS - as I said earlier, AVG found threats that NIS had missed when I first installed v7.5

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 May 08 - 05:54 AM

Antivirus programs have always been my main cause of sluggish computer performance. In the last year, I've souped-up four computers by adding a gigabyte of RAM. That took care of the sluggishness quite well, and made me feel like I had a new computer for fifty bucks or less.
I added RAM to a couple computers a few years back, and didn't really notice any change in performance. Sure did the trick this time, though.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 May 08 - 06:01 AM

The fastest I have used was Avast - but it let me get infected once and I think the new versions have more bloatware in. Fastest firewall was Tiny Personal Firewall, but way out of date now.

Adding RAM is not so useful for 98SE machines as 98SE cannot address larege RAM efficiently.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 May 08 - 07:32 AM

Richard -

When Win98 first came out, the recommendation was that you not exceed 2GB RAM, (recommended max was 1 GB) although lots of machines that were running it could take more than that. The problem is that Win98 (and most other systems) read until the RAM is full, but after that stuff has to be "paged" in and out of RAM to keep the current stuff handy. Of course part of the RAM has to be used to keep track of where the pages were and what was in them. Win98 memory paging was inefficient, so that pretty soon - with large amounts of RAM - the pagefile bookkeeping took up more of the RAM than the programs did, and the machine slowed down - sometimes drastically.

There was talk about some "improvement" later in the Win98 life cycle, but I never saw much real confirmation that it got better. (With Win98, there wouldn't be much reason for most people to need more than 1GB of RAM, and it was confirmed that "more than enough" could slow things down.)

Nearly all of the AV program builders have had some problems with Vista, and there have been some reports of very significant difficulties in isolated cases with WinXP SP3. Charges have been traded - diplomatically of course - between Microsoft and the AV people about who's responsible.

It's hard to get a real line on truth and beauty in this contest; but it's quite clear that Microsoft has far more (or more experienced) "diplomats" to defend them than some of the AV people have been able to match up to. Thus far, all that I've seen leaves it unclear what - if anything - can really be expected to work "as we should expect" with Vista or with XP SP3, although most people don't seem to have much problem with either of them, using any of the well-known AV programs or suites.

My only problem with AV is that I've got too many files to be scanned, so the weekly scheduled full scan (on the two hard drives normally connected) runs for about 7+ hours. I'm almost never off the machine for that long, so it does "inhibit my time wasting," although Norton runs quite satisfactorily in background and doesn't really slow things down too noticably while a scan is running.

Office 2007, on the other hand, automatically takes 4 to 12 times as long to do almost any operation, compared to what I've been used to in earlier Office versions - not counting the fight with the totally f***d up menu/toolbar system. (Probably just due to program bloat.) Just bringing an empty minimized Word window up to view takes 14 to 26 seconds, as a trivial example, on my WinXP machine. Four to 7 seconds was typical on the same machine for Word XP, for a Window with an 80 MB document in it - including the Norton scan of the document.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 27 May 08 - 07:33 AM

I've already got 2Gb of Ram, and I was gobsmacked at how badly NIS 2007 affected it. AVG is much, much better in the boot-up, although the scan is quite slow - about 1hr 40m currently (but that's scanning 2 x 250Gb HDDs, one internal and one external, about 350Gb of Progs and data total).

Is that good or bad? I have no way of knowing.

The updates are far better IMO, much more frequent than NIS, much faster running in background, and don't seem to degrade the performance of whatever foreground job I'm doing quite so much.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 27 May 08 - 07:33 AM

That's using XP Media Edition BTW.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Victor in Mapperton
Date: 27 May 08 - 07:34 AM

I put the Norton 360 on my computer and I can thoroughly recommend it. I never have a problem.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 27 May 08 - 07:39 AM

My 'Onspeed' data compressor seems to be working against my AVG 7.5 (or vice-versa) when the whole idea of it is to speed things up! I'm also finding that the phishing filter & 'Spybot' seem to be an additional brake on processing.

And yet we are constantly being advised that these things are essential!

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 May 08 - 08:44 AM

Re JiKs comments on WIn98 - the version of 98SE I have allows one to set things so that it doesn't hog the RAM - I'm not on my machine now, but I also have an addon that untangles RAM and that means with my 512Mb that I never run out of RAM. Now 'Resources' - GDI etc, that's still a chronic problem with Win9x.... :-P

"'Onspeed' data compressor" - any prog that compreses and uncompresses data is going to slow the processor down if the CPU needsto look at it...

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: ard mhacha
Date: 27 May 08 - 08:59 AM

.Bonnie I am using Windows XP

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Bill D
Date: 27 May 08 - 11:12 AM

"...now it has slowed down to such an extent that I will dump AVG V8..."

There are several reasons why slowdowns occur....often it is just settings - that is, what you ask it to do.
It is a good idea to look carefully at ALL the default settings and see if any are not what you need.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 May 08 - 11:50 AM

I've been using the AVG free version 8.0 (read the directions--you don't have to buy it). As with all of these programs that worked perfectly in their previous form but they wanted to make it new and improved, I don't like it as well. It slowed down my relatively recent HP computer with XP Pro, and I went poking around to find out why. It has a feature called Link Scanner that slowed my Internet browsing down to a crawl. It has never been fast, so this change was noticeable. I have wondered if it upgraded itself to a free trial of the fee version, but so far I haven't received a bill. I prefer the simple free one.

I disabled the link scanner and I set the scan parameters so it doesn't spend hours search the entire computer. Today I went in and took out the Resident Shield to see if that makes a speed difference. I don't like the redundancy with the spyware scan, Spybot Search&Destroy already does that, but there isn't a way to turn off that feature. You do have to look at a red arrow in the system tray, it doesn't like having parts turned off and doesn't give you the option to do so without raising an alarm.

I could use a free AV software provided through the university, it was Norton AV for a long time, though I think they've changed to a different Norton product. It didn't play nicely with some software but I suppose I should check it out again now.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Slag
Date: 27 May 08 - 10:32 PM

Note: Norton IS a virus! It takes over and dominates your machine and you can never get it totally uninstalled. AVG works for me!

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 May 08 - 11:30 PM

I believe this link will take you directly to the page where you can start the download of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1 at
CNET Download.com. (Watch out, though: there are multiple buttons on that page to download different stuff.)

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,caitlín
Date: 28 May 08 - 12:00 AM

People, read the thread. Villan provided AVG's own free link two weeks ago. There's also a description above of how to get to this page.

Subject: RE: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: The Villan
Date: 13 May 08 - 12:03 PM

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,caitlín
Date: 28 May 08 - 12:02 AM

Dunno what happened to the fada in my name - that's supposed to read caitlín

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 May 08 - 09:16 AM

Maybe you are tired and beginning to fada way...

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 May 08 - 12:38 PM

My link gets you to exactly the same place in one less step.
Not that it matters much, but I assume "people" was addressed to me.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,belt 'n' braces
Date: 28 May 08 - 12:47 PM

"People, read the thread. "



..yeah.. and i told y'all on 15 May that;


AVG 7.5 FREE UPDATES


have now been extended until later deadline

31/12/2008..

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,Sue Allan
Date: 28 May 08 - 03:57 PM

Stilly River Sage I had the same problems as you with AVG 8 b(free): the Link Scanner was really slowing things with Internet Explorer, so I disabled it. Accordingly it now shows as an error in the system tray, so I tend to check that each day just to be sure everything else is OK.

I also opted NOT to have it do a full system scan on a daily basis, which it wanted to do. That also slows things. I'll schedule it in once a week, at my convenience (if you get a free antivirus programme you expect to do a little work and not have everything automatic)

My only remaining problem is that the scheduled automatic updating doesn't seem to kick in as it should ...

I have to say I much prefer the previous version, even if it didn't have spyware detection (I have Spybot in any case). How have they got things so wrong at AVG? Or is it just the case that in attempting to be more and more security conscious we end up with programmes being OVER-cautious?

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,caitlín
Date: 29 May 08 - 02:23 AM

No Jim my comment was not aimed specifically at you. It was just a build-up of deja-vu that was setting in from questions being asked & answered in the later part of the thread that had already been covered earlier, not only your post. Yours just happened to be the last message. And mine comes across harsher than I meant it to, sorry.

> My only remaining problem is that the scheduled automatic updating doesn't seem to kick in as it should

That happens (or rather doesn't happen) to me too. But I actually prefer it this way because the old updates used to butt in the minute the computer had finished booting. They slowed everything down and I never like to do too much when anything important is downloading because sometimes I screw things up. So it always meant sitting there and waiting, something I am pretty bad at. Now I just click on the icon in the tray (which grows a red exclamation mark as a memory-prod) and do it at a convenient point in my session, like when I have to get up to go make tea, or deal with the logical consequences of that tea, or something. So choosing when I get the updates works better for me.

AVG updates are also way WAY quicker than the old Norton ones used to be, which didn't come nearly so often and took a thousand years. How can there be such a difference? It is little-&-often vs. fewer-&-bigger? No contest there.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 May 08 - 11:17 AM

If the 7.5 updates have been extended then I may go back to that for a while. I think they'll see that as the vote that it is at Grisoft. 7.5 played nice with the other programs and didn't slow operations.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: open mike
Date: 29 May 08 - 01:22 PM

i did download version 8 free..and now there are scanning features that check web sites and e-mail....slow, but when i compare to the detours caused by getting virus, and other infections, i'll be patient with it.
thanks to the clones who inserted my post in this refreshed thread.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 May 08 - 03:30 PM

A news note of general interest to AV program users.

Microsoft is in the process of downloading WinXP SP3 to all users who accept automatic updates.

A "minor bug" has been discovered that thus far has been reported primarily by Norton AV users.

In classic manner, reminiscent of multiple Windows versions in which Microsoft released backup utilities that make perfect WOM backups (WOM = Write ONLY Memory = you can write it but you can't restore anything from it) beginning at least with Win95 and variably present in other versions including early WinXP, the WinXP SP3 installation creates "temporary registry entries" used during installation which are then intended to be deleted when the installation is completed.

While they apparently present the proper "certifications" to permit the creation of the new registry entries, they neglected to "cert" the subsequent deletion of the same registry keys, resulting in several thousand excess "garbage entries" in the registry - for some users. This essentially "trashes the registry" and causes a number of "performance decrements."

Symantec has identified the specific bit of code in the WinXP SP3 installation (fixccs.exe) that creates the registry entries and is intended to delete them but doesn't. The failure of the deletion can be avoided by turning off AV/Firewall protection against external unauthenticated registry changes prior to installation of SP3.

Symantec is also preparing a self-standing repair utility to delete the garbage from the registry for those who have been afflicted, but no date for release has been published.

News media are reporting this as a "Norton problem" but it would appear to be a likely effect for any AV/Firewall product that requires authentication for registry changes. Any AV/Firewall product that doesn't protect against unauthorized reg changes is a bit too wimpy (IMO) to be considered as providing full protection, so similar problems with other systems should be expected.

Microsoft, characteristically, has no comment.

To date, downloads of WinXP SP3 have added pre-load checks to block installation for users of a variety of CPUs, OS OEM versions, and a few individual programs with which it has been found (by users) to be incompatible. No word from Microsoft as yet whether Norton users will be excluded or even checked, or whether they'll find a competent programmer or two (if they still have any) to take a look at SP3 before continuing distribution.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: ard mhacha
Date: 30 May 08 - 04:14 PM

Proof that AVG 8 was slowing my PC down by removing it and downloading Avira, my PC is back to normal and I will take my chances with Avira.

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 May 08 - 08:38 PM

Re the "Norton problem with XP SP3" (a couple of posts up) - we received "special" updates from Norton today on four computers. Updates are automatic (daily) if they don't require you to reboot, but usually Norton asks if you want to download anything that will require a reboot. This update did require reboot to complete the installation.

While the update didn't indicate why it was coming I did note the presence of an "update to foreign security certificates" that could mean that they convinced Microsoft to "certificate" SP3 registry deletions and part of the update was to allow recognition of Microsoft as having "authority" to f**k with modify the registry entries.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: AVG Anti-Virus Free
From: GUEST,old dave
Date: 10 Jun 08 - 10:35 PM

avg free 7.5 worked great. i went to 8.0 but the automatic updates dont work, i cant turn them on and i cant do a manual scan or chage any options. What the heck is wrong????