Thinkpads Forum

I just noticed that AVG Anti-Virus Free 9.0 is out. Has anyone already tried it out? Maybe they have brought back all the qualities of the good old AVG 7.5

I'll be the guinea pig for this one with my CF-R4 which needs an AV anyway after a fresh OS re-load...

Stay tuned...

I just got a pop-up a few hours ago about this. I might also download a copy and see if it's faster than 8.5; or in other words, as fast as 7 was .

So far so good, doesn't seem to be choking the machine too much...will keep on observing...

I tried AVG 9 on my 240Z (500MHz, 256MB) but it made the computer soooo slow that I had to switch back to Avira, which is a pity because I hate Avira's extremely unreliable update server. All of my other (much faster) machines are running AVG 9 perfectly fine though.

Thanks for the heads-up
I am using Avira because I've read it's more resource efficient but it eats like 2-to-10MB of Memory and 64MB (!) of Virtual Memory (avguard.exe process in task manager) ...
How does AVG 9.0 behave in the Memory aspect ?

Dare I even mention this?
Is someone willing to try the Microsoft Security Essentials and report back?
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

I tried it (MS Security Essentials) on the aforementioned CF-R4 and wiped it after one day. It was slowing the system down tremendously.

In all fairness, it may perform much better on a faster/newer machine (this is a ULV Pentium M after all).

I'm not by the Panasonic at the moment, but will report back the RAM results once I have them.

I tried MSE on my X300 and I did not notice much slow down.

RealBlackStuff wrote:Dare I even mention this?
Is someone willing to try the Microsoft Security Essentials and report back?

I was considering it, until I discovered there is no way to opt out of sending information to Microsoft when a Trojan or virus is detected.

OK, here we go with the RAM use regarding AVG:

avgtray.exe............756K

avgwdsvc.exe........4,1816 K

avgcsrvx.exe..............2,788 K

avgrsx.exe...............556K

avgemc.exe..............616K

avgnsx.exe............1,520K

Hope this helps.

.

I finally got so sick and tired of waiting for Avira to get on the ball re: their update servers I got rid of it and installed Avast!

RealBlackStuff wrote:Dare I even mention this?
Is someone willing to try the Microsoft Security Essentials and report back?
http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

I ditched AVG for MSE, no problems, i like it.

OK
Brand new install XP sp2, ran fine without a AV, but worry wart me needs, requires one. Loaded AVG, because I have been using AVG for years. Since 98se, all kidding aside, and have loved it. Till I got the R40. All kidding aside, the HDD ran non stop for hours, and that was when it was not scanning. Talk about dead dog slow, I could go have a snack before the next window would open. So I have dumped it for AVAST, Ill keep you posted.

Ron

goofyGAguy wrote:I discovered there is no way to opt out of sending information to Microsoft when a Trojan or virus is detected.

In that case I assume you get a trojan or virus on a regular basis?
Can't see the harm in sending that info, nor the breach of privacy that you imply...

RealBlackStuff wrote: In that case I assume you get a trojan or virus on a regular basis?

No, because I'm not using Microsoft's anti-malware products.

a satisfied Avast Professional user here!

I've been using Avast for two years now and can say I have not had a machine I use go down b/c of a virus yet.

*knocking like crazy on wood*

It seems to detect things pretty decent. I also use Spybot for a little extra protection.

emeraldgirl08 wrote: I also use Spybot for a little extra protection.

Worthless.

Worthless.

Could you elaborate why???

While I am not the supreme oracle of Windows- I am open to any suggestions which would like...uh totally keep any malicious attempts at making my computing life a living heck!

Gracias

Time seems to have passed Spybot S & D by. Early versions were some of the best programs of its kind, but it seemed to me each successive new release got more buggy, and less adept at finding and removing malware. There are far better choices out there now, such as these two :

http://www.filehippo.com/download_malwa ... ti_malware

and

http://www.filehippo.com/download_superantispyware

Of course, as always YMMV.

2-3 years back I'd used both Avast & AVG Free. But I noticed Avast used to slow the system & especially anytime I RAN an Application.

I removed Avast and went with AVG. I have heard good words for Avira & Kapersky on TP Forums.

Should I give Avast another try or go for AVG 9?

crashnburn wrote:. I have heard good words for Avira & Kapersky on TP Forums.

I had Avira on exactly one of my machines, and removed it just a few days ago because I found its popup prompts for purchasing the non-free version were too large, frequent, and obtrusive. That's just a personal preference issue. I now have a mixture of AVG and Symantec Corporate (which my employer provides for free) on all the machines. I find the hundreds of thousands of disk I/Os done by Symantec on its startup scan to be obnoxious, but that specific product is mandatory in order to connect to the corporate network. Otherwise, AVG has caused me no problems on any of the machines. I normally install AVG on any computer given to me by friends for updating or disinfecting.

Art

ArtShapiro wrote:
I had Avira on exactly one of my machines, and removed it just a few days ago because I found its popup prompts for purchasing the non-free version were too large, frequent, and obtrusive.

Art, those pop-up ads are easily disabled. The biggest problem I and a whole bunch of other folks have with AntiVir at the moment is that it WILL NOT update.

goofyGAguy wrote:
The biggest problem I and a whole bunch of other folks have with AntiVir at the moment is that it WILL NOT update.

I removed Avira as well but only partly because of the update problem. The number of false positives was way over the top and that was the most objectionable problem. I have lots of programs and files archived from the DOS era and Avira thinks many of them are virii. They are not and I have no intention of gutting my archives because of a malfunctioning antivirus program.

Just in case anyone is interested, there is a new version of AntiVir available here:

http://www.filehippo.com/download_antivir

The update function seems to be working again.

My biggest problem is that Cisco Clean Access Agent (required for connection on my college campus) does not detect AVG 9.0 even though it does detect AVG 8.0. It does detect the software, but not the updated software definition. Any ideas?

Still running the AVG on everything but the R40's with no issues. On the R40's Im not impressed.The Avast seems fine on the R40's so for the time being Im leaving it on them.

Ron

After upgrading my wife's computer 3 weeks ago from AVG 8.5 to AVG9, she told me the computer freeze sometimes when browsing on the internet and she had no choice than power off/on. This did not happen with AVG8.5. I realized that the computer freeze not randomly but on specific pages. Moving from AVG9 to Avira solved the problem.

I had a problem with AVG8.5 on my computer too - on heavy multitabbed browsing, at some point the internet browser (Internet Explorer FYI ) stopped working. After a few failures I moved to Avira. No problems anymore, the update fails rarely.

Hi,

Exactly how are the Avira pop-up ads disabled?

Thanks and good health, Weogo


"Art, those pop-up ads are easily disabled. The biggest problem I and a whole bunch of other folks have with AntiVir at the moment is that it WILL NOT update."