"AVG Internet Security 2011" Dec. 1st Update is PROBLEMATIC!

[TVeblen]

I'm running AVG 2011. Never got a restart notification. No issues. No problem.
Updates virus database everyday auto. Currently 426/3300.

I'm special?

 

[mikedl]

I'm running AVG 2011. Never got a restart notification. No issues. No problem.
Updates virus database everyday auto. Currently 426/3300.

I'm special?

Of course you are, TVeblen! Lucky, too.

Mine reads 426/3302 but it might have something to do with the difference between the free version and the Internet Security version?

 

[TVeblen]

It could be that I have my settings to update the database at the end of the day. That would explain why I missed all the "fun" - they had pulled it by then.
It would also explain why yours has updated today and mine is still on 12/6/10 even though we are in the same time zone.

 

[mikedl]

Indeed, TVeblen, you are correct. See, you really are special.

Mine does show an update this morning at 8:23 AM. I have it setup to check every 4 hours but I like your method a bit better. Changing it now, thanks!

 

[TVeblen]

Yeah, I started doing that way back when I had dial up. Updating at the default time was painful. I just got in the habit and made that settings change on every new upgrade of AVG!

 

[swarfega]

Ha! I have Norton, I heard bad things about AVG, this doesn't help them...

Dont be so smug in having Norton....

 

[Skulblaka]

Ha! I have Norton, I heard bad things about AVG, this doesn't help them...

Dont be so smug in having Norton....

No smug intended, your interpretation is inaccurate. Simply sharing which product I use.

 

[Aonghus]

As already so often in the past, AVG seems to have more trouble:
AVG Free - FAQ - System crash after the recent AVG 2011 update 3292 (BSOD)

Holy cow what a mess, I can't say that I'm surprized in the least. Yesterday a problem with McAfee today it's AVG, when will it end?

Hmmmm.....I have always used AVG and been quite happy with it. This crash thing is the first thing that's gone wrong.

One wierd thing though, I somehow ended up with a McAfee desktop icon on my laptop a couple days ago, no idea where it came from. I didn't think too much of it till you said something about McAfee. I removed the program through the control panel and now I am getting the "This copy of Windows is not genuine" message...and it seems to be pretty buggy the last day or two. What the hell is going on here? Any ideas?

 

[sandeep108]

I stopped using AVG since their version 7, I think, more than 3-4 years ago. What used to be a nice compact, lightweight AV and optional equally light e-mail scanner for OE/TB turned into a monstrous bloat aka Norton (which is why I switched to AVG in the first place). Their Link scanner tried to check the entire Internet on loading any page and slowed down my connection tremendously.

I stuck with it for a while, but it let through some malware as well from a USB stick. I was running on a limited a/c and thankfully it could not get deep enough into my system to do major damage. This malware/virus was identified more than 3 months prior to me getting infected, but AVG did not detect / prevent it. On a routine scan, it identified (falsely) a virus in an old e-mail in thunderbird and promptly deleted - without asking - the entire mail folder with tons of e-mail in it. Their forums are terrible and support consists of canned answers of uninstalling, rebooting, downloading the new installer and re-booting, besides treating you like a computer illiterate.

That was it - strike 3/4/5 - time to dump AVG. I switched to avast! So far I have not had any major problem (other than some false positives). Subsequently I read that AVG has caused similar glitches several times - I used to lurk around the forums hoping they would improve and then stopped bothering.

MSE I believe has improved but I will still wait a while before ditching avast for now, since avast latest version 5 is much better than their old 4.8.

 

[JMH]

Their forums are terrible and support consists of canned answers of uninstalling, rebooting, downloading the new installer and re-booting, besides treating you like a computer illiterate.

Now to balance the report above..

Support here where I am is excellent.
Local - yes a real person, polite & informative,caring even to the point of phoning back at a convenient time if needed.

As for the Forums. Well all Forums have their followers & complainers.

 

[DustSailor]

On January 7, 2010, Microsoft Security Essentials won the PC Advisorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_Advisor's Best Free Software award.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Security_Essentials#cite_note-32

Thats recent, folks.

Now, the beta release of MSE 2 is ready for download. Its old, new, and potential future features:
Integration with windows firewall, better than the first mse including better removal capabilities, faster, an updated protection engine, protection against web-based threats and a network intrusion detection system that works on Windows Vista and Windows 7, and more.

Excuse me when I claim that MSE is the best. Its only cause its true. Though no Anti-Virus is fail proof, and different ones may catch different viruses better than others, this one seems to always come out on top. And its FREE. Whats not to like? Just saying. Don't have to save money if you don't want to. Don't have to change if you don't want to. Just recommending. Strongly lol

 

[TVeblen]

One wierd thing though, I somehow ended up with a McAfee desktop icon on my laptop a couple days ago, no idea where it came from. I didn't think too much of it till you said something about McAfee. I removed the program through the control panel and now I am getting the "This copy of Windows is not genuine" message...and it seems to be pretty buggy the last day or two. What the hell is going on here? Any ideas?

We are being plagued today by what I call "suckerfish" programs. These are secondary programs that come along with another program - the one you wanted to download and install. They are usually installed because a check box on one of the installer pages is checked on by default and we must take the time to carefully check to find these check boxes and uncheck them.

The McAfee suckerfish comes attached to one of the browser video add ons, I can't remember which one right now (need more coffee). I'll post an edit if it pops into my head.
EDIT: Adobe Flash - http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/515/cpsid_51559.html (mmmm - good coffee!)

Carefully uninstall all offending programs and then do a System Restore back to a date before you noticed McAfee showing up.

 

[TVeblen]

Their forums are terrible and support consists of canned answers of uninstalling, rebooting, downloading the new installer and re-booting, besides treating you like a computer illiterate.

Now to balance the report above..

Support here where I am is excellent.
Local - yes a real person, polite & informative,caring even to the point of phoning back at a convenient time if needed.

As for the Forums. Well all Forums have their followers & complainers.

I think the poster is confused regarding the difference between the Free version of AVG and the paid version.

It is made very clear when you download the free version that you are getting a limited program and there is limited support. That's the deal peoples!

I use the Free version. I can get any "support" info I need from other web sources (like SevenForums) and I can plug the performance holes with other free programs. Works for me.

 

[AussieColin]

I see that according to the link to AVGs forum given earlier the problem's been fixed. I must say I'm very glad that mine seems to have updated successfully and I missed out on the drama.

That sort of thing will NOT win them customers! I bet someone's being rapped over the knuckles severely.

 

[Dave76]

That was it - strike 3/4/5 - time to dump AVG. I switched to avast! So far I have not had any major problem (other than some false positives). Subsequently I read that AVG has caused similar glitches several times - I used to lurk around the forums hoping they would improve and then stopped bothering.

MSE I believe has improved but I will still wait a while before ditching avast for now, since avast latest version 5 is much better than their old 4.8.

You can run Avast and MSE together, was posted by one of the 'Admin's and 'Super Moderators'.
Avast and MSE worked together on it.

Latest version of Avast Antivirus post #213

MSE is more if a anti-malware program with antivirus protection to replace Windows Defender, while Avast is a more dedicated antivirus program. That, and better protection since no one scanner can catch everything. MSE and Avast have been certified to work together as well.

I have been running both for several months now, no problems.

 

[sandeep108]

You can run Avast and MSE together, was posted by one of the 'Admin's and 'Super Moderators'.
Avast and MSE worked together on it.

Latest version of Avast Antivirus post #213

I have been running both for several months now, no problems.

That is true, I am aware of it, but why run two at the same time and take a chance on complicating the system. Defender anyway is running by default. I also use the paid version of avast with the sandboxing feature.

I believe MSE v2.0 is due for release shortly. I will try that on my home PC and then ditch avast free on that PC, if I like MSE. Avast is also due to release an important version update to their AV as well.

 

[DustSailor]

Defender anyway is running by default.

Defender is turned off when MSE is installed, as well as AVG. Not sure about others.

 

[sandeep108]

In my system, Defender is running along with avast Pro.

 

[Dave76]

Defender was generally not well thought of, MSE relaces it and is much better than Defender according to many forums.

Of coarse, run what you feel is best for you.

 

[DustSailor]

Yea, I am very curious about that. How come Microsoft is able to run defender but not MSE? MSE has real time protection over defender or something? Is it not okay just to have defender and firewall on a system? I know MSE is awesome, but how does it compare to Defender?