Is AVG Free an effective and safe antivirus download?
Is the not-for-free AVG Internet security pkg worth the money?

No

Try Free Antivirus like Avira
Way better

And is also posted in our 8-step Virus\Malware Removal Guide

For yours (and others convenience) if AVG is presently installed:
Uninstall it normally through Add\Remove programs, then run the appropriate removal tool

Here is the 32Bit version (most users): http://www.avg.com/filedir/util/avg_...avgremover.exe
Here is the 64Bit version: http://www.avg.com/filedir/util/avg_...removerx64.exe

Like so much advice, we all have an Opinion.

AVG is SAFE. The Link Scan stinks (just turn it off).
The Resident Protection is heavy (ie too much work) - just turn it off too.

The Purchase package (if you order the CD) has extra benefits as the CD will boot
(and thus is runnable on several different Windows systems, eg win2k, win server 200x, Vista, XP.)

I had a friend just yesterday extract a virus on win2k which contaminated chkdsk using the CD

Yes it is my strong opinion (also backed up by many online reviews, that Avira is better than AVG)

Thankfully I also see the many bad threads with users having AVG (which I always say remove)
I also support in the Virus and Malware forum regularly, I'd say 10 times a day, for months and months
Jobeard I notice that you don't; I'm sure that you could (so not implying that you cannot) But it would be best for Virus\Malware regular support members to post on this topic, I feel.

I always object to ABSOLUTES -- they overlook so many other alternatives.
It's like (imo) saying "Every body knows ..." which is an intimidation technique and
a appeal to authority.

I very much respect those posting with "imo ..." but such absolutes leave me cold.

Many people willingly acknowledge that there's no single solution and multiple tools
have their place. (yea we also know you can't run 2 firewalls or A/V scanners at the same time )

No disrespect intended to you Kimsland -- you do good work -- just wish you could be
more "open".

enough -- this is way off topic. PEACE?

Apologies
I am still upset regarding another thread in the feedback forum
Nothing to do with this thread
I apologize again, and will sign off, to cool off.

after removing norton corporate on my aging laptop and trying various other anti-viri to speed up my system, I became quickly dismayed at how many were actually "not free" but were trial ware and that they were in fact, not faster than norton corporate - in some cases worse at hogging system resources. So in the end, I switched back and reinstalled NC end client. Turned out with the latest flavor it ran a little faster this time. Perhaps the registry just needed a good cleaning. One antivirus i used - and if I remember correctly it was avast- actually blocked all my legitimate email in thunderbird. What a pain in the rectum!

So as of right now, I have not found an anti virus program that can be NC in terms of speed and system resourcing or compatibility.

Sometimes a great product will initially put speed bumps in your road which later are found to be configuration issues. XP/SP2 was like that due to the presence of the new firewall which needed to allow print/file sharing.

In this case, Avast *may* have only needed to allow ports 25+110 or to properly configure its "Generic SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 scanner".

The bottom line is to HAVE and use an A/V (especially to scan inbound email) and
to be sure to keep it up-to-date with the virus definitions.

Could you report the product/version you are please with for the benefit of others?

Here is a small list of some common Antiviruses and their abilities, including email scanning (or not): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...are#Comparison

Avira (even though without Email scanning) is still my preferred Antivirus, and thankfully is mentioned in the guide as one of the 2 best free Antiviruses to use

It's an absolutely outstanding program. It does a far superior job than any other free alternative on the market. There are certainly paid ones that are better, but AVG 8 Free is simply superb.

Last year I didn't like it and pushed Avast as the superior product. This year, though, AVG 8 included the antispyware component, a benefit from them purchasing Ewido, which was the best darn free antispyware software out there, period.

I've seen a couple things slip by AVG, but overall it's an amazing program (as mentioned, it even scans and cleans the System Recovery folder, something the other freebies don't do).

Get it. You'll love it.

Please note AVG8 was removed from the proven working UPDATED 8-step Viruses/Spyware/Malware Preliminary Removal Instructions
As it corrupts on many Virus infected computers (similar to the other horrible one Norton)
Thankfully AVG have created a removal tool (posted above) only because it does corrupt
Note: the free Avira does not have one of these removal tools (and I have never seen it corrupt)

Also working on the Virus\Malware removal forum since way before AVG8 existed, I have confirmed that Aviira free Antivirus finds and removes more Virus\Malware than AVG.
This proved by scans completed with AVG
Then AVG removed
Then the free Avira installed and updated
Then system scan finding more infections and then removing them

Everyone who has installed this, has been surprised and thankful that I have suggested this free Antivirus software.

Try it yourself

I was using Avira on my internet computer, and got infected with a goofy piece of malware that shut down access to all my optical drives. or (!) as you prefer.

I posted this in a software forum, where raybay told me that the motherboard in my computer was going bad, since it is an Emachine T-5026.

I reformatted the machine, installed AVG8, and for the past few months I have been living happily uninfected ever after.

So, I guess the moral of the story here is that AVG8, while being an inferior product will prevent more malware from entering my particular computer, and reinstalling Windows will repair your motherboard.

lol

Now try this. Do a full updated scan with AVG8
Then uninstall it
And then install and update free Avira, and then do another full scan
It would be nice to see a happy surprised look on your face, for a change

Why, it would be so out of character.

Go back and look at what you said and how we replied.
You have been on this list long enough, Captain Cranky, to know that you have to reach a long way to defend an eMachines computer with that kind of info.
AVG 8 has wasted a lot of tech time... with little positive results. It simply cannot do the work, with accuracy and speed, that Avira can do...
It is best that you prove it to yourself with identical setups, operating systems, bus speed, and memory.

Does this mean I should buy another Emachines T-5026 for a double blind study?

Now you are being silly. Use the same machine and change the components... That is a step above what you described a while back.

Avira and Avast! are better alternatives to AVG 8. AVG 7.5 is a different story altogether though, and a far better product IMO than its newer incarnation.

However, regarding paid AV programs, there is nothing better than Kaspersky or NOD32 out there. Even the new Norton is pretty good.

Well, I actually did that, since I had the Avira installed and got badly infected, whereas I don't seem to with AVG8. As I said it's a lousy product, but it works for me. Apparently, it (AVG8) doesn't work for people that know better. If you had read my earlier post I said that.

I think it's easier to get infected at "Facebook" than by downloading "risque" photos. My son and his bride are Facebook afficianados , their computer has 68 running processes, (at last count) while mine has 41, you do the math.

Anyway, I installed Avast on that machine a while back, and it was disabled when I returned a month or so later (it wouldn't take the serial number). My T-5056 was infected using Avira, and is fine now with AVG8.

Now, you can go on as much as you like, but these are my true experiences, so why would I do it your way, when that hasn't worked for me thus far.

But, as you so like to point out, it's probably just dumb luck. Anyway The 5026 will be 4 years old the 14 th of February, bad motherboard and all. Please stop by and wish it a happy birthday

@ Rage, during the summer, Newegg had NOD32 for $9.95. What a steal. I would have bought it, but I figured it would cost a lot more to renew it, so I begged off. , What can I tell you, I'm cheap.

@Jobeard; I read your thread about the worm infecting 9 million computers. Pursuant to that, I downloaded the security patch and the M$ January Malicious Software Removal Tool. Ran it, in quick scan, and it didn't find anything either.
More dumb luck, I suppose. I think I'll keep the AVG8 in my machine, if only to court disaster of course.

lol cranky. Your posts make me laugh. We can certainly expand on your experience with hundreds of PCs. We've also noticed that AVG scans slow, but that the protection it offers is quite unparalleled for a freebie.