AVG Anti-Virus 9.0.704

• Quick specs
• Price: Free to try (30-day trial); $34.99 to buy
• Operating system: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
• Date added: November 11, 2009
• Total Downloads: 5,495,239
• Downloads last week: 32,471
• See full specifications

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Tested spyware free

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on October 05, 2009

AVG's most popular product is its free antivirus, but the company also makes two enhanced security suites that are geared for users who don't mind paying for additional protection--as long as it's worthwhile. AVG Anti-Virus 9 introduces a few new features, claiming faster scan times, faster boot times, and other under-the-hood improvements.

Users who've used AVG 8 will find the interface nearly identical, and generally it's easy to use. From the main window, though, you must double-click to get further information on any feature, whether virus scanning, firewall protection, or updating. We'd like to see this streamlined, since there's no reason to click on any of them without wanting more details; it is a spare interface, otherwise. You'll find a full-blown scheduling utility for automating tasks and checking for new definitions as often as you'd like. Other perks include technical support and the ability to run on multiple operating systems. Should a virus create serious system problems, AVG creates a rescue disk to scan your computer in MS-DOS mode. The program doesn't obviously tax your system when scanning or when running in the background. There's also a new identity-theft assistance service, available for free and provided by a third party.

AVG Anti-Virus lacks the firewall, identity protection, antispam, and system tools that come in AVG Internet Security, although it's definitely more robust than AVG Free. In empirical testing, scan times were slower than expected, and the new firewall database proved to have autoapproval problems with some well-known programs. It also detected some image files as threats, when two other scans decided they weren't--we decided these were false positives. AVG might not be the fastest or the most effective available security option, but it still gets the job done and you're better off with it.

Publisher's description

AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 is faster, safer and easier to use. The combined anti-virus/anti-spyware scanner in AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 runs up to 50% faster than earlier versions. It is rock solid protection that doesn't get in your way. AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 also delivers new anti-phishing detection techniques, which can quickly and accurately determine whether or not a web page is hosting a phishing attack.
AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 has a secret weapon other anti-virus products don't have. It has AVG LinkScanner. LinkScanner takes over where your anti-virus doesn't go -- into the depths of web pages you haven't even visited yet. LinkScanner gives you a vital extra layer of protection you won't find in other anti-virus software. And you can use it in combination with firewalls and anti-spam products from other companies with no loss of protection or PC performance. Most web threats these days are literally here today, gone tomorrow. So the only way to protect yourself is to use software that checks the page behind every link at the only time that matters - right before you click on it.
Whenever you're on the web, the moment you go to click on a link, LinkScanner analyzes the page behind that link to tell you whether there's something nasty hiding there. For added peace of mind, you also get safety ratings for your Google, Yahoo! and Bing/MSN search results.
Additionally, to improve ease of use AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 installation process has been shortened by 50 percent and comes with a new look & feel.

CNET Editor's Note: The Download Now link will download a small installer file to your desktop. Remain online and double-click the installer to proceed with the actual download.

To learn more about AVG products and to ask questions and receive answers from AVG company representatives, please visit CNET's dedicated AVG Forum.

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