Beware of AVG Free v9.0

[Richard]

Just a heads up to AVG users. This morning, I got a notification that my virus definitions had failed to update. This is AVG's not terribly friendly way of saying that there is a new major release and you have to update. Having been through that before, I just saved all my server config information and installed the new version. Standard install, appeared to go fine.

On reboot, Thunderbird failed to connect to gmail. OK, I thought, they still haven't managed to get the installer to remember previous settings. Annoying, yes, but not a big deal if you have prepared for it. When I went to reset the server settings, though, I found that there was no menu choice for servers. Catch 22. Check mate.

I have used AVG for years and though installation has always been an a PITA, the product itself seemed to be OK. I will update this thread when (and if) I figure out what the hell is wrong. In the meantime, I suggest that AVG users just run 8.x ignoring the warnings until they get 9.0 to install correctly.

Sheeesh! It's enough to make a guy switch to Mac.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Richard

Sheeesh! It's enough to make a guy switch to Mac.

[Richard]

OK, with some help from the AVG forum I got it sorted out.

The problem was that the standard install only covers Microsoft Outlook as an email client. This is a change from previous versions and left me high and dry--well, dry anyway--since I use Thunderbird. So here's what you need to do (as of build 9.0.698):

If you are using Outlook, I think you can just run the standard install. Otherwise, select custom install and make sure that you include the Personal Email Scanner Plugin. If you (like me) just went ahead broke the thing by doing a standard install, you can re-run the installer in add/remove component mode to add the personal plugin. Once that was installed, all my old config info was imported automatically and I was back in business.

In the end, my opinion of AVG is unchanged: the product is fine but installation is a PITA.

[Kyle D]

My AVG 8.5 is still updating fine on all five of my computers....2x XP, 1x Vista 64 and 2x Win7 64.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Kyle D

My AVG 8.5 is still updating fine on all five of my computers....2x XP, 1x Vista 64 and 2x Win7 64.

Cool. Hopefully they'll get the kinks worked out of the installer by the time you have to update.

[agunther]

You could give Avira Antivir a try. Its free too. I have it on my netbook since it is rumored to be less resource hungry, which I can't confirm nor deny.
On all other computers I have AVG, but I only use Gmail online. Never got a virus through email either.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by agunther

You could give Avira Antivir a try. Its free too. I have it on my netbook since it is rumored to be less resource hungry, which I can't confirm nor deny.
On all other computers I have AVG, but I only use Gmail online. Never got a virus through email either.

AVG is not at all resource intensive unless you are doing a full system scan, which I only do seldom, when I start to get paranoid about something. Once it's running it's fine, but I sure wish they would get their installation act together.

[Kyle D]

I'm sorry that you're having so many problems with AVG. I've never had an install problem with AVG on all the computers I've installed it on. Never on any of mine or on any of my friends, or any of the clients at work (I work for the on campus IT department at my University at their help desk). Then again, I've never had to deal with any email clients beyond outlook or outlook express.

[Art Scott]

Maybe it is time to change to AVAST! ....... I have never had a problem with Avast! or AVG......but uninstalled AVG and ran just Avast! before i got new computer cause the 2 of them were dragging my resources into the depths of the great rift.....after new computer I forgot to re-install AVG and I have not had a bit of problems so I see no need for AVG now......still helping out my Czech friends by using Avast! ..............

[Richard]

Just to be clear, my purpose in starting this thread was not to start a debate about which anti-virus product is the best. I just wanted to give a heads up to any AVG users about a problem I had and how to avoid it. I know that Avast and other products have good reputations, but as far as I'm concerned, AV software is like an air filter in your car--just don't let it get clogged and get on with life.

[Kyle D]

Good point!

[Philip Goh]

No one has mentioned this yet, but you might want to give Microsoft Security Essentials a look. I'm using it on my home PC and it works very well. Very unobtrusive, you don't get nagged about upgrading and it gets updated regularly.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Philip Goh

No one has mentioned this yet, but you might want to give Microsoft Security Essentials a look. I'm using it on my home PC and it works very well. Very unobtrusive, you don't get nagged about upgrading and it gets updated regularly.

On advice from a friend, I installed it on three computers in our home. Like you say, it's free, it installs with no hassle, and isn't nagware. In fact, it's so copacetic that I wonder if it's actually doing anything. Well, curiosity did get the best of me and I attempted to download a test virus, and it caught it just fine. Looks like Microsoft is trying to do to the antivirus market what they did to the browser companies. Not sure I like it from a philosophical standpoint, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

[Pupator]

Originally Posted by kdog

Looks like Microsoft is trying to do to the antivirus market what they did to the browser companies. Not sure I like it from a philosophical standpoint, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Ditto. It's been running well on several of my computers for months now. Yet I feel dirty for using it!

[Richard]

It looks fairly clear that the AVG 9 link scanner interferes with the SmugMug drag and drop uploader. While trying to upload a batch, the uploader showed files being transmitted at an impossibly high speed, while the upload log showed "wrong number of bytes received" errors. Eventually, most of the pics did arrive intact. Disabling the link scanner before uploading seems to have fixed the problem. I have also seen upload problems using the Bridge/CS3 uploader and suspect that they too were caused by the link scanner, but have not tested that yet.