WARNING if you install free AVG 8.0

[RealBlackStuff]

When you install the free AVG 8.0, it is by default set to "Automatically heal/remove infections".

The Problem:
If you are not aware of this, and run your first scan, it can remove or wipe out required programs or parts thereof!
I had e.g. an older Broderbund Family Tree pgm, that uses and needs DSSAgent.exe.
AVG decided this was a trojan and moved it to the Virus Vault.
It also removed an important part of my Zencart installation and some other unmentionables.
And it deleted some files completely without giving you, the user, a chance to undo this!
That is very bad behavior!

The Solution:
Before you run AVG for the first time, right-click the AVG icon in the System tray, and click on Open AVG User Interface.
In the top-left corner of the AVG screen, select Tools/Advanced Settings. Then select Scans.
In both Scan whole computer and Shell extension scan
UNtick the first option: Automatically heal/remove infections. Then click on Apply at the right bottom.
If you don't do this, you may lose important files!

At the end of the scan, make sure to check the resulting list.
If you don't do this, you'll never see that list again, and you don't know what damage AVG has done.

Side remark: AVG seems to fill out numerous logs, with gibberish. Way too many I/Os for my liking. I think the days of this once fine FREE program are numbered, as far as I am concerned.

[mgo]

<snip>

Thanks much for the tip. I'm a AVG 8.0 user. No problems yet, but one never knows.

[Kyocera]

I've been using AVG freeware for years and the network server edition for over year and have had no such issues with any programs.

[carbon_unit]

So far I like the 8.0 version better than the 7.5.

[erik]

So far I like the 8.0 version better than the 7.5.

+1

[Dodge DeBoulet]

I purchased AVG 7 Pro 2 years ago, and had very good luck with it overall. Updated to 7.5 when it became available, and the only issues I saw were that my scheduled scans would still be running when I got to my computer in the morning. I excluded some directories that I felt were reasonably static and safe, and all was well.

I received an offer about 6 weeks ago to extend my license for virus updates, or upgrade to 8.0 at a discount. Rather than just jump on the offer, I did a little research, and found that 8.0 has been almost universally panned because of the major performance impact it can have in its default configuration.

I emailed Grisoft and asked them how long I could expect to continue receiving virus signatures for 7.5, since I did NOT want to upgrade to 8.0 given all of the negative feedback. When I didn't hear back from them for 4 days, I decided that customer service wasn't their strong suit, uninstalled AVG and downloaded/installed NOD32 (a package that's received highly positive comments here).

All I can say is . . . WOW!

NOD32 provided a dramatic improvement over even 7.5, which had been considered an excellent performer by many; my laptop is snappier, applications load quicker, files open faster, and scan times are dramatically reduced. I'm very impressed.

I did eventually hear back from Grisoft, 3 days after installing NOD32. They claimed there were no performance problems with 8.0 (many, many publicly-available reviews held the exact opposite view), and that I would be unable to receive 7.5 signature updates past the end of 2008 so I'd be forced to upgrade to 8.0 regardless.

I politely let them know that they'd already lost a customer, hoped that my experience/observations would assist them in improving their customer service, and that I was very happy with my decision

[Kyocera]

AVG has been very very good to me. I also use ESET and it is OK, tried it when the forum had the discount.

I've never had a virus while using AVG freeware so I saved a ton of money over a lot of different TP's and PC's.

Side remark: AVG seems to fill out numerous logs, with gibberish. Way too many I/Os for my liking. I think the days of this once fine FREE program are numbered, as far as I am concerned

General Comment:
I guess if it does not work for you then the best thing to do is pay to find another vendor.

[Dodge DeBoulet]

AVG has been very very good to me. I also use ESET and it is OK, tried it when the forum had the discount.

I've never had a virus while using AVG freeware so I saved a ton of money over a lot of different TP's and PC's.

So let me ask you this (and any other AVG Freeware users are welcome to chime in as well):

You do realize that the freeware version is for non-commercial use only, right?

I can't help but wonder how many people are using it on laptops and desktops that have been purchased (and expensed) for work purposes. I pretty sure I'm legally unable to use the freeware version, and I certainly have no desire to pay for the commercial version, based on all of the reviews I've read.

[Kyocera]

You do realize that the freeware version is for non-commercial use only, right?

Kind of a no brainer. Since the Original Post was referencing the freeware version I'm not sure where this is going.

[carbon_unit]

I am aware of the restrictions on the free version and I am a reseller for the paid version. The work machines have the paid version and the home machines (The few that run Windows) have the free version.

[Dodge DeBoulet]

Kind of a no brainer. Since the Original Post was referencing the freeware version I'm not sure where this is going.

Yup, it does seem to be a no-brainer. But I see a lot of business-related email with the "AVG Free Edition" tag attached. I'm just wondering how many folks actually play by the rules.

ThinkPads are generally business-oriented machines, so I think it's a bit odd that I see the non-commercial version of an antivirus software package promoted here.

Does that make the direction of this inquiry any more obvious?

[Kyocera]

ThinkPads are generally business-oriented machines, so I think it's a bit odd that I see the non-commercial version of an antivirus software package promoted here.

No business's that I know of are promoting freeware AVG on anything, and nobody I know here is promoting AVG free to people on their business machines or corporate network, if you see any please advise them to check with thier IT folks.

Any business that is using free AV software is not really what I would consider an actual corporate or business type infrastructure. Cases like that are usually a few machines hooked to a wrt54g much like my home network, they use yahoo for email and think AOL is great.

[hellosailor]

What a nasty default.

I suspect (but have't confirmed) that AVG8 was part of my "let's get Vista drunk" problem, and have no plans to reinstall it. Have heard there are some other problems as well, and as of earlier this week that Grisoft was still referring to v8 as "beta" product.

That and their schizted out "Upgrade now, the world is ending! But the old stuff will work for another six months" policy really makes me think they've grown big enough that the freeware version is something they'd rather not support any more. I think they forget--they still owe something to all the cheapskates who used the freeware and recommended the purchase to others.

[l2karl]

<<So let me ask you this (and any other AVG Freeware users are welcome to chime in as well>>

I had AVG7 Pro (trial) and it was overkill. Went to AVG7 free and felt bad. Managed to get ahold of sales department and offered them a 20 buck payment to use the free version. They sent back a note that they couldn't accept the payment, but that seeing as how I was such a fan to look in the mail. A couple weeks went by and a hat and a T-Shirt showed up. Tossed the hat, but wore the shirt until it died.

Tried AVG 8 and hate it andequally hate the stooopid marketing blurb which kept on insisting that AVG 7.5 will stop running "any day now" but really won't until 12/31/08.

Many little things no longer work right and it is now Suite code, aka bloated and slower. Whatever they did in their reorg, they killed the pooch and so I'm on to AntiVir whenever AVG 7.5 free finally kicks the bucket.

Sad. In my biz? Nod32.