AVG Antivirus V9 Free Version

This post was written by admin on November 18, 2009
Posted Under: Antivirus,Security Tools,Technology

AVG version 9 is a big improvement as far as free pc security applications are concerned. It has a familiar and easy to use interface and is less cumbersome than versions 8 and 8.5.

It’s a big download, coming in at 74MB and installation takes a while, but this applies to the majority of antivirus programs. AVG state that the free version is for use on ONE computer for personal use.

I have used this through beta into release, and it’s much lighter on resources and scans are quicker than previous versions and has basic anti-rootkit protection, phishing protection, email scanner, antispyware and the LinkScanner, which will warn users to dangerous pages.

During installation it will check the system status and if it finds other security apps that may cause incompatibility issues it will ask users to uninstall them. I had Microsoft Security Essentials installed and initially AVG would not install, so I disabled MSE and clicked ‘Skip’ which AVG does not recommend, and allowed the installation to continue without any problems.

There is also the option to untick the AVG Security toolbar and the change to Yahoo as the default search engine. I unticked both as I am quite happy with my default search engines and I don’t want any more toolbars and this is something that many vendors are now starting to incorporate and try to force on to users.

During the final stage of installation the program updates itself with the latest definition files and then users have the option to carry out an Optimization Scan, now this is a good idea as it will speed up future scans by identifying trusted files, and users can work normally on their machine while this scan is being carried out. There will be a shortcut to the program on the desktop and an icon in the system tray.

The main user interface is pretty much unchanged from earlier versions, although to access any of the components it requires a double click on the icon whereas a single click would have been better, but that is just a minor annoyance. There is also an advert at the bottom of the interface and users just need to click ‘Hide notification’.

Under the Tools tab is Advanced settings where users need to make some minor changes. For most users the default settings can be left as they are, but you may well want to reduce the allocated space for the Virus Vault which is preset to 10%., which can be quite a lot on today’s modern large drives.

Under Scans, if you use usb devices click on Removable device scan and tick Enable Removable device scan.

Under Scheduler scans can be scheduled at a time to suit the user as can definition and program updates. Resident Shield gives users the option to exclude to include specific files, folders and drives.

Under Update, if users have a Proxy Server then it can be left to Auto-detect or the user can input the necessary details. Dial-up users will need to tick the ‘Use dial-up connections’ box. After each action in Advanced settings click Apply.

I visited a few new malware sites and AVG was quick to pick up rogue scanners and block access to the sites, I also downloaded malware which included a password stealer, a pdf exploit and an executable trojan downloader. AVG was quick to pick most of these up on download and the Resident Shield opens to alert users who then have the option to remove the infected items to quarantine.

It did not pick up the JAR file on download but the right click context scan did find the malware within it and that was also placed into quarantine. In each case the icon was also removed from the download location to where the files were saved.

I am also using Avast 5 which is in Beta and will cover that when it is released. AVG has certainly gained some ground over their past releases which were a step backwards as they became bloated and less efficient.

It can still be a bit buggy as in previous releases and the Linkscanner Toolbar can slow your browser. Scans are quicker though especially if users carry out the ‘optimization scan’ after installation.

Many users will stick with the old familiar names, ZoneAlarm, Lavasoft Ad-Aware and AVG anti-virus, which may not be the fastest or most accurate free antivirus program, but it does get the job done and can add to a layered approach to security.

It is not for me to tell users what to use, it is for users to make informed choices and use what they are comfortable with.

AVG does have a few update problems as it did with earlier versions and the best way to deal with this is to uninstall AVG, reboot and re-install the program.

Whatever users choose to use, remember that there is no 100% security solution and the biggest danger to compromising computer security is the user.

Download AVG Free Here - Version 9.0.707 -- 74.2Mb

Installation problems? Click here

Manual Updates available here

AVG user manual available here - English only, pdf format -- 4MB

Systems:
Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7 -- 32Bit and 64Bit included

LinkScanner technology is compatible with Internet Explorer and Firefox

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Avira AntiVir - Free