AVG free download is a con-AVOID

Advice -Find another company that offers a free anti virus/malware/spyware program.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INSTALL AVG

Ive been using it for about a year now.It was recommended by a friend[computer phd level] and recommended by his professor of internet security at uni.

All is well with my edition probably because ive disabled it in start up.
However
Dear old Mum bought a netbook,but she didnt have any security on it so today i went and downloaded the avg free edition.
During the install it had the usual boxes asking if we want there default browser and as normal i unticked the box.Quite happy with google/chrome/firefox.
As soon as it fully installed i opened chrome only to find the browser has been hijacked by avg.This is despite me unticking the box :evil:
So far ive tried everything to get shot of it but to no avail.Please dont say try the settings because avg has designed it so there are no settings for you to check and untick.
A quick google or avg safesearch as it now is, reveals this is a major problem for many many others[avg forums class these hundreds of people as a 'few']

this is really worrying me on getting shot of it.Forum answers point to the hijack still being there even if you uninstall avg completely,seems it creates a back up when you uninstall it so you cant get rid of the browser hijack.
Im really stuck and im really worried to the point i havent slept.Hence this post at 5am after searching the web looking for answers.
Anyone offer some sort of help ?


This is exactly what avg are meant to protect against but instead theyve become malware themselves.
Since sent them an email threatening a personal visit :shock: im that upset by this behaviour.Totally without morals.


Also need someone that knows their onions to explain the about:config change in address bar

uninstall put on something like Avast...

For free / home use, I can't find fault with Microsoft Security Essentials.

In the past I used Avast (put that first just for rhyming reasons...) and AVG, but over time have moved all my home PCs (and ones I look after for family members / friends) to MSE.

I always do a custom install without surfshield and safesearch and Secure Search and what not, mainly because the way they increase traffic (when you're on a page with links, they'll scan ALL those in advance).
Without them, AVG still detects virusses as you enter an infected page, and will stop the threat.

That being said, I don't use AVG on my main PC, or any other active antivirus program. Responsible browsing is enough to keep that one virus-free.
I do scan the PC every month or so, and haven't had a single problem in the last 4 or 5 years.
My laptop on the other hand is used for recovering data from infected system disks etc , and that one has the AV lighting up like a Christmas tree whenever I use it.

As for the best free AV, I prefer ClamWin over any other, especially in its portable guise. When I need to disinfect people's computers, I just plug in my USB stick, launch ClamWin from there and it always finds stuff that AVG, Avira, Avast and Kaspersky failed to spot

To remove it properly I would use revo uninstaller.

Unlike the windows add/uninstall revo does a second sweep after it's removed it to find any hidden bits left by the programme you want to remove.

Try c.net downloads to safely find and download it free.

Raging_Bulls":10wtarps said:

I always do a custom install without surfshield and safesearch and Secure Search and what not, mainly because the way they increase traffic (when you're on a page with links, they'll scan ALL those in advance).
Without them, AVG still detects virusses as you enter an infected page, and will stop the threat.

That being said, I don't use AVG on my main PC, or any other active antivirus program. Responsible browsing is enough to keep that one virus-free.
I do scan the PC every month or so, and haven't had a single problem in the last 4 or 5 years.
My laptop on the other hand is used for recovering data from infected system disks etc , and that one has the AV lighting up like a Christmas tree whenever I use it.
As for the best free AV, I prefer ClamWin over any other, especially in its portable guise. When I need to disinfect people's computers, I just plug in my USB stick, launch ClamWin from there and it always finds stuff that AVG, Avira, Avast and Kaspersky failed to spot

Click to expand...

I did the custom install
2 prechecked boxes one with put a shortcut in the start menu and the 2nd do i want avg safe search to be my default browser.
I left the start menu check but removed the browser one.
DID NOT MATTER it still installed it so the check is a load of bollocks,total lie,checked or unchecked does the exact same thing-Makes your browser AVG.
Its a bit like the bank promising you a free overdraft then when you look at your statement you find youve been charged.'Yes i know we said its free but we decided to f88k you anyway.

I've been using AVG for many years without much issue - never really had a problem

Ditto... even gone for the paid up, 2 year full kahoona package
Slows things down sometimes when updating or downloading a fix, but 100% bug free so far (unlike my stomach for the last 3 days... )

G

i had used AVG for many years on all the household computers, it became greedy and fat and resource hungry, every time I had bsod or something else go wrong the usual culprit was AVG, it was once a good piece of software, it is now IMO a bloated useless intrusive thing that as said borders on malware.

Avast is much better i find, and the lady has a sexy french voice that turns me on

oh trying to get rid of AVG is a laugh too, you will need a specific uninstaller and about 3 reboots, then about 10 runs of ccleaner before it will die

Charlieboy28":1bf8wger said:

i had used AVG for many years on all the household computers, it became greedy and fat and resource hungry, every time I had bsod or something else go wrong the usual culprit was AVG, it was once a good piece of software, it is now IMO a bloated useless intrusive thing that as said borders on malware.

Click to expand...

Agreed on that - I run and look after the odd older, more mature, cigar smoking PC (read: slow and memory challenged) and over time found AVG just slooowwweedd everything down.

Went Avast for a while, but even that kind went a similar way.

MSE has been a revelation in comparison, lightweight, effective, and largely unobstrusive.