A newer version of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- Average user rating: stars out of 19937 votes Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
Full user review
-
57 out of 62 people found this review helpful
4 stars
Version: AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1
"AVG8 Some problems, better with tweaks"
Pros: Decent virus scanner.
Cons: I've had AVG 8 for 2-3 weeks now. Everything seemed okay at first, it took up between 10,000-40,000k in memory, most of the time closer to 40,000k. But still, it seemed okay. However, when I opened multiple browser windows (4 to be exact) of a content/media heavy page (ie ufc.com), it started to lag and become unresponsive. When I right clicked the context menus were very slow, and usually I'd have to ALT+CTRL+DEL, End Task, on the browser (didn't matter if it was Firefox or IE).
I figured out that the Resident Shield was bogging me down, so I disabled it. Now it runs at a loss less memory (less than 10,000k) and I can run multiple browser windows no problem. For the record my PC is a Pentium 4, 1.6 GHZ. For me, I'll take my chances with doing a full scan every so often (which you have to do anyways), rather than 24-hour Resident Shield, which is basically as bad as having a virus, the way it lags me up. To get rid of the "Resident Shield Disabled" warnings: Tools > Advanced Settings > Ignore Faulty Conditions > Uncheck Resident Shield.
I've also used other tweaks, one that got rid of that nagging Drop Down Notification box. Below is a quote from a website (between the asterisks).
********
To get rid of the "Dropdown Notification" simply change 2 files in the C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8 subfolder:
Rename the file "avgresf.dll" to something like "avgresf.dll.disabled"
Rename the file "avgmwdef_us.mht" to something like "avgmwdef_us.mht.disabled"
********
Most guides suggest renaming "avgresf.dll", however I kept this one as is, and it still works by just renaming the "mht" file. I'd rather not mess with the DLL just in case. Do whatever works for you.
Another tweak that got rid of the link scanner upon installation:
********
avgfree8.exe /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSurf /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch
********
I tried posting some AVG 8 tweak links, but CNET does not allow links, so do the following for the links:
Google these strings and it should be the first result (NOTE: copy and paste everything to Google, the quote marks and + sign, that way Google searches exactly):
1)
"More Perspectives and Tips on AVG Free version 8" + "Grand Stream Dreams"
2)
"AVG 8 Free Better Than 7.5 After Tweaking" + "dslreports"
3)
"avg 8.0" + "tweakguides" + "new AVG8.0 Antivirus Free Edition "
- 4 replies to this review
-
This problem does occur with IE 7 with tabs. I can run 2 tabs at a time and every time after a certain length of time it will freeze and need to be restarted using task manager. It i the amount of memory being used. I am still looking for a good fix.
-
opps i forgot i was going to say the with all that running in avg it is only using 18736KB, which is as you probably know 18.6MB roughly. your review was still very helpful though.
-
I have one question what is the web browser that you are using(IE6, IE7, Mozilla)? because if you are using Internet explorer 7 or mozilla they both have a thing called tabs, these were built in to the web browser because the use less of your pc's Memory and processor. and if you have internet explorer 6 you should update to 7 unless you are running a pirated ver of XP in which case you can't because they start dectecting for authentication at internet explorer7 now. in that case move to mozilla as a last resort.lol. Seriously you should never have so many brower windows up because each one uses so much mem. Mozilla does use the least out of them all. And also i am running avg 8 right now doing virus scan and everything is enabled resident shield, anti-virus, anti-spyware, email scanner. it might also be your ram. how much do you have. i have 1GB in this one, and 4GB in the other two.
-
Great review with lots of good info. Thanks!
I haven't upgraded to ver. 8 as I've heard bad things about it. so your review was VERY helpful indeed.
But I think it wasn't the resident shield that gave you the
problem, I think it may have been "Linkscanner". I've had lagging IE problems while running Linkscanner (standalone) and when I disable it from automatically scanning websites, it went away! I can only imagine it doing the same as part of AVG. Don't get me wrong, I like Linkscanner, but I do the checking manually, as it takes forever sometimes for it to scan pages of Google searches.
Did you notice this improvement before or after disabling Linkscanner? If you did both, you may want to re-enable the Resident Shield. THAT part of AVG is an important part of the package. Kind of defeats the purpose not having it running.
Thanks!
Submit your review
You must be 13 years of age or older to submit personal information to CNET Networks. In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, CNET Networks does not accept name and e-mail address information from users who are under 13 years of age.
All submitted ratings and written comments become the sole property of CNET Networks, Inc. (CNET) and may be used at CNET Networks' sole discretion. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days in batch groups, not in real time. However, CNET Networks reserves the right to remove or refuse to post any submission for any reason. You acknowledge that you, not CNET Networks, are responsible for the contents of your submission.
CNET Networks is not responsible for the content of the publisher's descriptions or user reviews on this site. We encourage you to determine whether this product or your intended use is legal. We do not encourage or condone the use of any software in violation of applicable laws. CNET Download.com does not sell, resell, or license any of the products listed on the site. We cannot be held liable for issues that arise from the download or use of these products.
