Quantcast
Subscribe to magazine
 

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

Version: 8.0

Downloads Count: 1,127,650

License Type: Free

Price: Free

Date Added: Jun 4, 2008

Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista

File Size: 47607 KB

Author: Grisoft

Recommend
this download?

Most Popular in Antivirus

See more popular software»

 
Editor's Review of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

I've been using AVG Free as my anti-virus software for well over a year now. Having had nothing but problems with Norton products, and not liking the myriad processes and services invoked by McAfee, the more configurable AVG has proven a natural fit for my behave-wisely-and only-scan-when-something-seems-amiss philosophy. And, as you might've guessed from the name, it doesn't cost a dime.

My first impression of version 8 was that the company had finally got its GUI act together. Gone were the separate control, test, and vault applets and multiple settings dialogs. All the functions are now under one roof and settings melded into an expandable tree/tab control that makes adjusting the program far more intuitive and far less time consuming. Also, the new look introduced by version 8 is far more attractive than the old one, which often reminded me of Windows 98.

At first blush, version 8 also seemed quite a bit more effective than version 7, though updates to the version 7 virus database helped with that older utility quite a bit when I tested both side by side, as well as versus online scanners such as Trend Micro's House Call and Bit Defender. Unfortunately, as with most AV programs, AVG's false positive rate seems to have gone up as well. That said, AVG8 seemed about on par with the rest of the pack in that regard.

AVG 8 Free doesn't offer the rootkit or full spyware protection that the pay version has, and support is limited to the documentation found on the site and in user forums. However, the free version does offer a new toolbar for your browser to help fight off attacks from that quarter.

For those who share my minimalist philosophy, AVG is still configurable to the point where you can disable it and run it only when you think you've been invaded or have downloaded something suspect. And even when it is running in full auto mode, there are only two services and a system tray applet draining minimal CPU cycles. Alongside the equally low-profile NOD32 (which isn't free) and Antivira, AVG is my favorite AV software

Tip: When things are really a mess, boot to Windows Safe Mode (press F8 when booting) and run AVG 8. As do other AV programs, it will then scan using the command line interface with no nasty services running that might interfere.

--Jon L. Jacobi

Sponsored Links
 
You are browsing Antivirus

  •     PRODUCT NAME
    DATE ADDED
    LICENSE
  • Power Anti-Virus Professional
      13,729
    Jan 24, 2006
    Shareware

    Power Anti-Virus Professional Version 2.5 from Power Softwar


     
  • ViruSafe Web
      33,464
    May 31, 1998
    Free

    Scan your downloads and e-mail transparently and safely.


     
  • CleanCIH
      13,134
    May 21, 1999
    Free

    Detect and remove the dangerous Win95.CIH virus.

     
  • VCatch Basic
      9,535
    Aug 29, 2003
    Free

    Protect your computer from damaging code, regardless of how you're connecting to the Internet.


     
  • AccessIV Virus Utility
      10,248
    Jul 22, 1998
    Free

    Scan for the AccessIV virus, and repair corrupted Access 97 databases.

     
  • F/WIN
      8,090
    Jul 21, 1997
    Shareware

    Detect and destroy known and unknown viruses, including macro viruses.

     
  • Outpost Antivirus Pro
      704
    Apr 15, 2008
    Shareware

    Advanced antivirus, proactive defense and Web safety for all your security needs

     
  • ViruSafe--VDOC
      5,457
    Oct 1, 1998
    Free

    Detect macro viruses in Microsoft Word and Excel files and remove them.

     
  • ZoneAlarm Antivirus
      13,331
    May 26, 2005
    Trial

    Block hackers and viruses both with this security program and service.


     
  • Blink Personal
      2,556
    Jul 29, 2008
    Trial

    This security program for serious techies offers a year-long free trial of antivirus, antispyware, firewall and other features.


     
Downloads FAQ

If you have questions about finding, downloading, or opening files in our library, you'll probably find the answers here.

Visit the Downloads FAQ »

Special Offer
special offer

BitDefender Antivirus Plus v10. (2 users, 2 years)

The purpose of the Antivirus module is to ensure detection and removal of all viruses in the wild. BitDefender Antivirus uses robust scan engines certified by ICSA Labs, Virus Bulletin, Checkmark, CheckVir."/>

More Information

PC World Community

Most Recent Threads

Most Recent Documents

Name City
Address 1 State Zip
Address 2 E-mail (optional)