AVG anti virus

thebaz

anyone else using avg anti virus (free ed. !) on XP, i've been using it for 6 months , and think its great . Seams to do job for me, still clean anyone had problems with it . After getting infected a couple of years ago, i paid up to semantec , which cleaned machine, and did the job for a year . Just wonderin is there any catches with avg , or should i continue enjoying the free time.

stepbar

Ive been using avg for bout 3 months and my friend has been using it 4 bout 6 no probs so far so yes I would keep usin it I am goin 2!

jrey1981

I use AVG myself - before I had F-Secure for a year - whose anti-spyware still seems to work and so I still use it - no complaints so far.

I use the WIndows XP Malware Remover every month as well.

So far so good...no catches that I know of. When it runs out I plan to try getting F-Secure again for free for a year if it will let me.

NutJob

Im using it over a year or so

No problems avg + spybot and a little paranoia seem to work for xp

Ridire_Dubh

Just keep in mind that no one programme will safeguard you from all the malware that is created daily. Run a bundle of compatible programmes to be safe.

da4i's

I USED to use AVG, until i came accross Avast (free ed)

It's unbelievable, WAY better than AVG, real time scanning in the background aswell (It scans the files that you open and/or browse through.

Check it out: http://avast.com

It's Brill.

Dave

kippy

Before this thread gets out of control......
There are multiple threads of a similiar/exact nature in this forum.
People ask whats a good AV, whats the best way to protect their PC, whats better and why etc etc......
Some people prefer one piece of software to another for various reasons....
Bottom line. Tonnes of posts in here already topics such as this.
I doubt there is much new to add.
On a personal note, I have used AVG for years, combined with keeping my operating system patched, use of Windows Antispyware (since beta stages) and common sense computing, I have never had an issue with spyware or virus'.
Others use a different combination. I think the key is keeping the operating system up to day and common sense computing.....granted common sense when it comes to computing has been built up over the past few years so it may not be that common.
I have written about four posts at least outlining this.

Blowfish

tbh personally I think sensible browsing does more to stop threats than anything else, if you click on any 'free pr0n' popups, of course you're get something coming at you. Of course, like all other methods it still doesn't stop everything

aido_2006

da4i's wrote:

I USED to use AVG, until i came accross Avast (free ed)

It's unbelievable, WAY better than AVG, real time scanning in the background aswell (It scans the files that you open and/or browse through.

Was never a big fan of avast, find it slows the computer down big time...

Ive been using avg quite a while now and have never had a problem with it... i also use ad-aware and spybot...

Ruu_Old

Have used AVG for a few years, but switched to AntiVir a couple of months ago because one of the AVG files got corrupted.

Black Swan

How is the AVG anti virus programme for heuristics; i.e., anticipating new malware based upon the characteristics of past malware and blocking them? According to PC Magazine, there are from 70 to 100 new malware programmes released everyday, staying ahead of solutions by AV programming companies. Heuristics seems to be where a lot of research is going as preventative measures against viruses and other types of malware.

Diarmiud

Its quite an arms race. Trying to keep track of flanking attacks by these virus releasing geeks. (and other geeks:) )

da4i's

aido_2006 wrote:

Was never a big fan of avast, find it slows the computer down big time...

Ive been using avg quite a while now and have never had a problem with it... i also use ad-aware and spybot...

That was the old version; try the new version

scojones

Seeing as there is already an AVG thread I won't start a new one. For some reason my AVG won't update anymore. I just get an error " Update Unsuccessful" when trying the auto-update from the internet feature. I've downloaded the update files manually, and tried to update using those (telling the update feature to point to the folder they are in instead of checking the internet) but it says that the last update failed and gives me the "Update Unsuccessful" message again. I've tried to uninstall AVG, however the uninstaller tells me that AVG isn't even installed. The last successful update was on the 6th of April 2006. My definintion is 7.1.385 268.3.5/303 06/04/2006/16:00

Has anyone experienced similar issues?

aidan_walsh

Does AVG work properly apart from this? Does it still scan properly? Are any background services that it might have installed running properly?

Ruu_Old

sjones wrote:

Seeing as there is already an AVG thread I won't start a new one. For some reason my AVG won't update anymore. I just get an error " Update Unsuccessful" when trying the auto-update from the internet feature. I've downloaded the update files manually, and tried to update using those (telling the update feature to point to the folder they are in instead of checking the internet) but it says that the last update failed and gives me the "Update Unsuccessful" message again. I've tried to uninstall AVG, however the uninstaller tells me that AVG isn't even installed. The last successful update was on the 6th of April 2006. My definintion is 7.1.385 268.3.5/303 06/04/2006/16:00

Has anyone experienced similar issues?

Exactly what it done on me. It would still scan and run fine, all services attached to it were running but would refuse to update.

Fanny Cradock

da4i's wrote:

I USED to use AVG, until i came accross Avast (free ed)

It's unbelievable, WAY better than AVG, real time scanning in the background aswell (It scans the files that you open and/or browse through.

Check it out: http://avast.com

It's Brill.

Dave

it, like AVG, a very good free AV progromme. i actually use both AVG and Avast together as they cause no conflict with each other.


Here is a handy review of AVG, Avast and AntiVir
http://antivirus.about.com/od/antivirussoftwarereviews/a/freeav_2.htm

I used to run AntiVir (excellent programme) but I wasnt compatible with Avast. I realise it's not recommended to run 2 antivirus packages but as i said, Avast and AVG seem to cause no confilcts.

NutJob

Fanny Cradock wrote:

it, like AVG, a very good free AV progromme. i actually use both AVG and Avast together as they cause no conflict with each other.


Here is a handy review of AVG, Avast and AntiVir
http://antivirus.about.com/od/antivirussoftwarereviews/a/freeav_2.htm

I used to run AntiVir (excellent programme) but I wasnt compatible with Avast. I realise it's not recommended to run 2 antivirus packages but as i said, Avast and AVG seem to cause no confilcts.

That must slow the **** out of ur system 2 real time av progs at once



one question why ?

Fanny Cradock

you would think so, bt i find that AVG's real-time protection is pretty much non-existent.

to answer your question "why?". well, i run two AV programmes for the same reason that i scan my hdd with a number of antispyware programmes, i.e. no one piece of software guarantees 100% protection. also i'm paranoid as hell

scojones

I ended up manually removing AVG and downloading Avast. Having fun so far

tck

Was using AVG,

but started using Antivir (free for windows or linux)

Damn slick too!

_CreeD_

For those having problems with AVG/Updates/Saying it's corrupted etc. I've found the single most common cause is disabling the background services - I did this quite a few times and was scratching my head wondering why AVG kept messing up...was it a retrovirus, was the HDD knackered...nooooo....just overkill on my part with service tweaking. Set them to manual (Though I keep the Email scanner active at all times, the rest are only on an as needed basis).
I agree wholeheartedly with the posts saying that the single best defense is sensible browsing/email habits (of course coupled nowadays with a good Firewall to prevent Worms). I've had PCs of one type or another now for 9 years and never had a virus infection (Had a few thrown my way and caught, but nothing escaped to do damage) and I've only used an AV program for the last 5 of those years - being warey goes a long way. But for peace of mind and mostly verification of suspicions AVG is superb imho.