Protect your PC from viruses with free AVG Anti-Virus 8.0

(Credit: Rick Broida)

Anti-virus software is a necessary evil (unless you're a Mac or Linux user, am I right?), but it doesn't have to be a costly one. Witness Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition, which offers robust virus protection without any money changing hands.

The just-released version 8.0 includes a spiffier, easier interface and a new feature called LinkScanner, which promises protection from malicious links returned by Web searches. Better still, AVG 8.0 adds anti-spyware to the mix, bringing it closer to that other free anti-virus favorite, Avast. (The latter includes rootkit protection as well, which AVG still lacks.)

Indeed, when it comes to free security software, everyone seems to have their favorite. Some users prefer Avira AntiVir, but I couldn't stand its nag screens. The question is, do any of these freebie tools offer the same level of protection as their commercial counterparts? I'm no security expert, but I've been virus- and spyware-free for as long as I can remember--and I use only the free stuff. How about you? What's your security software of choice, and why? Hit the Comments and discuss.

In the meantime, you can find out more about AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 Free Edition in CNET's First Look video.

[mdtabak]

The best Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware protection will always be COMMON SENSE! Too bad you can't download that...

That being said, I have used AVG Antivirus, Sygate Personal Firewall, and (previously Ad-Aware) Spyware Terminator with great results. All Free.

[DoctorDuck]

Several days ago I installed Avira Antivir on my wife's Compaq Presario 2200 laptop running WinXP w/ SP3. The installation seems to be working very well. The Avira Antivir eliminates AVG's sometimes long wait through dialog boxes about downloading and updating AVG's AV product. So far, Avira Antivir is apparently doing its job without drawing a lot of attention to itself.

Have I missed something or is there a surprise later after using the Avira AntiVir for a while? The only thing my long suffering computer widow reports so far is a tiny splash screen during startup which is much less intrusive than AVG's public updating display or Zone Alarm's long initialization dialog box.

I'd hate for Avira to get a bum rap for "nagware" based on a tiny splash screen during startup.

[DoctorDuck]

Several days ago I installed Avira Antivir on my wife's Compaq Presario 2200 laptop running WinXP w/ SP3. The installation seems to be working very well. The Avira Antivir eliminates AVG's sometimes long wait through dialog boxes about downloading and updating AVG's AV product. So far, Avira Antivir is apparently doing its job without drawing a lot of attention to itself.

Have I missed something or is there a surprise later after using the Avira AntiVir for a while? The only thing my long suffering computer widow reports so far is a tiny splash screen during startup which is much less intrusive than AVG's public updating display or Zone Alarm's long initialization dialog box.

I'd hate for Avira to get a bum rap for "nagware" based on a tiny splash screen during startup.

[DoctorDuck]

Oops! Spoke too soon. Wife recorded her first Avira Antivir nagware sighting this evening and worse, she had to call me to where she was working with her computer to help close the window. No close button in evidence. Boo Hiss! While the first exposure was apparently delayed, I won't wait for the second event. Splash screens during startup are one thing, but this full screen ad was something else. That's unfortunate, but it's their software and they can do what they wish. Mea Culpa and all of that. You were right and I was missed by a couple of hours. We'll do a remove and replace in a few short minutes. Thanks for calling our attention to this. At least I knew what was going on when I saw the screen!

[steven5326]

I sometimes forget that you can solve any problem by googling it. Here's a page on how to remove the nag screens from Avira free. http://www.tipsfor.us/2007/08/15/make-avira-antivir-free-edition-more-usable/

[steven5326]

Or use this method from a comment on the above page.

Navigate to the Avira program directory (?C:\Program Files\AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic?, in my case), right-click on avnotify.exe, and go to Properties. Go to the Security tab in the window that appears, and hit ?Edit??. In the Permissions window, go through all the users and click ?Deny? by ?Read & execute?. Then hit OK as many times as necessary and you should be ad-free!

[DoctorDuck]

Thanks for the tips on Avira's additional reminders. I'll try to give the Avira program a "re-run." Wife liked it until the surprise screen turned up. I appreciate your help.

[jean_charbel]

[janofonteslohr]

[janofonteslohr]

i need antivirus i know is very good

[miller00]

[Jerry123453]

AVG does not support it's free software. You may have trouble ever uninstalling it. I have not been able to uninstall it since putting it on. They try to force a purchase of their upgrade by stopping updating the freeware after a time. They provide no way of removing the software. I took the computer to Geek Squad. They couldn't remove it either (at that store), but manages to sell me another anti virus that I can't install until this one is removed.

[ametyst95]

OMG and i wanted to install it......
thx for telling that