can't download; AVG anti-virus dropping free version

agmantoo · #1 05/02/08, 07:33 AM

Got a message stating that at the end of the month the current free version of AVG will not longer be supported. The purchase version will be $55. To me this is somewhat expensive. Any good alternatives for AVG available?

bumpus · #2 05/02/08, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Got a message stating that at the end of the month the current free version of AVG will not longer be supported. The purchase version will be $55. To me this is somewhat expensive. Any good alternatives for AVG available?

I am actually downloading the new FREE 8 version while I am typing this post.

It popped up on my computer today.

bumpus
.

**ladycat** · #3 05/02/08, 08:22 AM

There is nothing on teh AVG website about them dropping the free version. There's even a new free version:

http://www.grisoft.com/ww.811.ndi-93836

Gary in ohio · #4 05/02/08, 08:38 AM

I know AVG is dropping support for windows 98 and ME. The Dropping is for version 7 not the product. Version 8 (free and pay) was just announced http://www.grisoft.com/ww.811.ndi-93836

ALso even if it was a move to free $55 is a 2 year cost not 1 year and NOT a bad price considering mcafee is wanting $40/year and wants to take over the PC.

Nevada · #5 05/02/08, 11:06 AM

It's spam.

oldgaredneck · #6 05/19/08, 10:32 PM

IMHO, Comodo is way better than AVG, and it is also free....

Nevada · #7 05/20/08, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldgaredneck

IMHO, Comodo is way better than AVG, and it is also free....

I'll test it. I'm not happy with the increased overhead that AVG 8.0 has introduced. It's really slowing down certain processes, particularly the browsing and email experiences.

Ann Mary · #8 05/25/08, 09:36 PM

The current AVG free edition will not offer updates after the end of the month. So I TRIED to download the new 8.0 version...and after an hour and getting to 21% and the internet shutting itself off I gave up! Can anyone tell me how to get a cd so I can try and load it? Thanks! Or, is there another free good virus program out there that loads faster? I am on 'terribly slow dial-up"

Nevada · #9 05/25/08, 10:34 PM

You don't want it. It's a nightmare. I've been a happy AVG user for years but AVG 8 simply has too much overhead. I suggest that you download Avast! instead. It's much smaller and won't take over your computer the way AVG 8 will. Download it here.

http://www.download.com/Avast-Home-E...dlPid=10841442

vickinell · #10 05/26/08, 11:50 PM

I also got the message that they were no longer free, so I came here to see if you all could advise me. This is where I learned about AVG free. Thanks for your help

Nevada · #11 05/26/08, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vickinell

I also got the message that they were no longer free, so I came here to see if you all could advise me. This is where I learned about AVG free. Thanks for your help

I tested Comodo but wasn't happy with it. Avast is a good alternative.

MeanDean · #12 05/27/08, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Got a message stating that at the end of the month the current free version of AVG will not longer be supported. The purchase version will be $55. To me this is somewhat expensive. Any good alternatives for AVG available?

That's been coming for some time.

Here are three free anti-virus apps - none of which I have experience with

Your mileage may vary.

Nevada · #13 05/27/08, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeanDean

[*]ClamWin[/list]

It was my understanding that clamwin didn't include an active antivirus shield, so was basically just a scanner. I haven't tried it for that reason. Anyone here tried it?

**ladycat** · #14 05/27/08, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevada

http://www.download.com/Avast-Home-E...dlPid=10841442

Do you know of a direct link for that that I can put in my download manager?

When I click the link you posted, it's a redirect and comes up in my windows download thingy, but it's over 20mb and I can't download it that way.

Gary in ohio · #15 05/27/08, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevada

You don't want it. It's a nightmare. I've been a happy AVG user for years but AVG 8 simply has too much overhead.

What overhead issues are you seeing, About the only thing I dont like is the search engine "link ok icon" that is added. You cant get rid of it unless you want the exclamation mark on your avg task bar icon.

Nevada · #16 05/27/08, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary in ohio

What overhead issues are you seeing, About the only thing I dont like is the search engine "link ok icon" that is added. You cant get rid of it unless you want the exclamation mark on your avg task bar icon.

I disabled the "link OK icon" right out of the gate.

The next issue was dumprep.exe taking over my machine. At first I thought it was related to SP3, since I installed both at around the same time, but I sent a CD with AVG 8 to a customer a week or so back and his machine started being taken over by dumprep too. That customer is still using SP2. Microsoft has a known issue with dumprep.exe but I couldn't implement their fix because the indicated entries didn't exist (nor did they exist on the customer's computer).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899870

I did find a satisfactory workaround for the problem by disabling error reporting.

******
Right-click on the My Computer icon and select Properties. Select the advanced tab. Click the Error Reporting button. Check "Disable Error Reporting".
******

While I have no authoritative references to offer, I have a strong suspicion that AVG 8 is the culprit. (I suspect Dean will probably get some search engine traffic from this post).

At any rate, with error reporting disabled I went back to using AVG 8, but my machine was in slow motion. I played around with disabling the various services AVG 8 has, but the overhead was still untenable.

I finally uninstalled AVG 8 and installed Avast. I got my computer back.

I'm not saying that everyone will have the same experience that I had, since I'm running a laptop with limited resources right now (XP Pro, 1.2 GHz, 768mb RAM). But hey, if you have the resources to run AVG 8 that's fine; if not I suggest you use Avast instead.

Gary in ohio · #17 05/27/08, 12:28 PM

I always disable dumprep.exe so I never saw any issue with that. I have not seen any slowness, but my machine is a bit more beafy, 2.8ghz and 2gb ram.

The Kb is correct to disable error reporting. Basicly bring up system property from my computer, select the advanced tab and at the bottom of the page is error reporting, below perormance, usewr profiles and startu/recovery. click on error reporting then disable error reporting button. click ok and work you way out. never seen a system that doesnt have it.

Nevada · #18 05/27/08, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary in ohio

click on error reporting then disable error reporting button. click ok and work you way out. never seen a system that doesnt have it.

I've never seen an XP machine without that either, but that's not what Microsoft says to do. They say to remove the dumprep entries form msconfig and the system registry, which did not exist in my machine.

Ann Mary · #19 05/27/08, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladycat

Do you know of a direct link for that that I can put in my download manager?

When I click the link you posted, it's a redirect and comes up in my windows download thingy, but it's over 20mb and I can't download it that way.

Thanks all! ANy ideas on this issue before I try it myself?

Gary in ohio · #20 06/03/08, 10:01 PM

WOW, I finally saw you folks are seeing, I pulled out an older P3 laptop out of the closet for a project and noticed the AVG was the v7. I put 8 on it and it was a pig.... I tried the avast and very nice. I am going to give it a try on the laptop for a while and see how it does.