# AVG Free or AVAST?



## Laurie52

My Norton 2006 will run out in 15 days and want to replace it. This was a three month trial package installed in my new Dell 530 when I ordered it.

*Been looking at AVG 7.5 Free or Avast as free anti virus programs* until I can buy either Kaspersky or Bitdefender for fuller protection. I realize AVG and AVAST do not have separate firewalls like Norton does. Something I would miss but was Just tired of Norton's resource hogging that slowed down my new PC to think of renewing it.

But which free one would be better?

This computer is a huge business investment for me after using less than decent computers in the past. Since I also do more than "occasional" gaming (and act as a PC gaming website admin), this one will have to last me for several years if possible.

Dell Inspiron 530
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2ghz
320 HD gig
1 gig RAM
512 Nvidia 8300GS video card

My ordered my computer with WinXP SP2 instead of VISTA

Although I have IE7, my browser of choice is FireFox. RARELY use the IE7.

Ad Aware 2007 is my anti spyware program (used LavaSoft for years) I use my local ISP provider's McAfee "Postini" to filter my email for any virus/spam. WildBlue satellite has just become available to me. But still use dialup occasionally.


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## CrazyComputerMan

Laurie52 said:


> My Norton 2006 will run out in 15 days and want to replace it. This was a three month trial package installed in my new Dell 530 when I ordered it.
> 
> *Been looking at AVG 7.5 Free or Avast as free anti virus programs* until I can buy either Kaspersky or Bitdefender for fuller protection. I realize AVG and AVAST do not have separate firewalls like Norton does. Something I would miss but was Just tired of Norton's resource hogging that slowed down my new PC to think of renewing it.
> 
> But which free one would be better?
> 
> This computer is a huge business investment for me after using less than decent computers in the past. Since I also do more than "occasional" gaming (and act as a PC gaming website admin), this one will have to last me for several years if possible.
> 
> Dell Inspiron 530
> Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2ghz
> 320 HD gig
> 1 gig RAM
> 512 Nvidia 8300GS video card
> 
> My ordered my computer with WinXP SP2 instead of VISTA
> 
> Although I have IE7, my browser of choice is FireFox. RARELY use the IE7.
> 
> Ad Aware 2007 is my anti spyware program (used LavaSoft for years) I use my local ISP provider's McAfee "Postini" to filter my email for any virus/spam. WildBlue satellite has just become available to me. But still use dialup occasionally.


I have Avast! and i love it... Blocks you from downloading a virus file. AVG doesn't do that.


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## sup2a

avast for sure, much better detection and overall better program (my opinion)


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## MysticEyes

Well seeing as you want to game get another GB of RAM while it's cheap. AVG or Avast are basically the same as far as protection. Choose the one that plays nice with your system. I would also get one of the Norton clean tools to totally uninstall it when you replace it.

I also run a-squared Free now and then.

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/

As far as firewalls I currently use Comodo 2.4 (held off on ver. 3), it seems to work well and passes all the major leak tests.

http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/


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## CrazyComputerMan

MysticEyes said:


> Well seeing as you want to game get another GB of RAM while it's cheap. AVG or Avast are basically the same as far as protection. Choose the one that plays nice with your system. I would also get one of the Norton clean tools to totally uninstall it when you replace it.
> 
> I also run a-squared Free now and then.
> 
> http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/free/
> 
> As far as firewalls I currently use Comodo 2.4 (held off on ver. 3), it seems to work well and passes all the major leak tests.
> 
> http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/


Norton Removal Tool link

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

And i use Comodo Firewall...


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## guitar

i've been using avg for 10 years no probs


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## CrazyComputerMan

guitar said:


> i've been using avg for 10 years no probs


So do you manage the AVG pop-up update and automatically scan... That's the reason i didnt like it.


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## guitar

i make it scan at 4am and i update as soon as i go online i also use firefox portable in sandboxie this has worked well as in testing i went to malware/virus sites only once did something screw firefox but as it was sandboxed i just delete the sandbox reopen firefox in sandboxie as if nothing happened by the way adblock plus addon for firefox and windows defender plus spybot works well with all my comps


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## j-mcallister

i use avast myself, very gd program and i would recommend it to anyone


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## mtzlplex

I have used both, toss a coin.


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## sup2a

yea thats one of the main reasons i dont like AVG the auto stuff can supposedly be stopped but i have tried everything, i much prefer AVAST!, ive noticed (mostly novice) people saying AVG is great! i ahvnt had a problem since it has been installed, but then i run programs on their computer and they are heavily infected, i suppose AVG didn't pick up a thing... and thats just one case...


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## AV1611

Avast by far. It has a higher detection rate


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## avengeda7x

Avast in (in my opinion) the best free av out there, with its incomming and outgoing email scanner, real time protection and more thourough scanning than avg, user-friendly interface, and the abotion of downloading connection if a virus is detected.
been using it for years without a hitch.

*God, reading over that i sound like a freaking Avast representetive*


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## Gizzy

between the two avast or avg I would go with avast the detection is better it has shields you can turn on or off and I heard they'll be putting heuristics in v5 so I'm assuming the detection in avast will only go up.


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## DarklykraD

> between the two avast or avg I would go with avast the detection is better it has shields you can turn on or off and I heard they'll be putting heuristics in v5 so I'm assuming the detection in avast will only go up.


im use both of them on my vista(piracy lol)with avg and xp with avast

and i have few problem on avg 
how to disable avg shield? how to disable automatic updates? 
and i got problem when downloading updates for avg (waste my time) 

and AVAST work fine on my XP updating, stopping shield, manual update.....


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## TroyR

I used AVG on my sisters PC and cleaned it out of several Trojans,viruses and many malwares. She had DSL with no firewall...! I've used it for years too.:up:


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## into9rod

yeah i think is a great program Why
theres a free version that can be better than other AV like panda ...etc 
in my case i use the free version mixed with AdAware Antispy u can get both in www.downloads.com
both do the upgrade automatically

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html
Imagination rules the world / napoleon


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## Yoshi123

my dad had Avast.

Used it for 2 months.

Scanned the computer with Penicillin 

Had 23 real viruses,worms, and trojans!!!!

I would say its the best free... But not as good as paid ones.


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## Gizzy

do you happen to have a link to Penicillin? I've never heard of that one and would like to take a look at it.

thats a lot of virus's to pick up in 2 months your father must be a high risk web surfer.


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## into9rod

I Highly recommend Ad-aware go to www.download.com and see it for yourself and its free  Most poplular #1 and 2# AVG ...
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2007/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?tag=pop.software

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http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html
Imagination rules the world - Napoleon


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## calvin-c

I think he means PC-cillin, from Trend Micro IIRC. And I haven't used that for something like 5-6 years. I quit because at that time it reported too many false positives. Based on the rep Avast has I'd suspect it still does that. (I use AVG rather than Avast, both paid & free, so I can be quite certain that AVG's free protection is every bit as good, in its area, as the AVG paid protection. The main difference is how they're bundled, i.e. the paid version I use (AVG Internet Security) includes a firewall & all protection services are installed/run together. The free version installs & runs AV, AS (anti-spyware), and AR (anti-rootkit) separately.)


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## r3drock3t88

I personally haven't bought a firewall or antivirus program in years. The free world has been keeping my computer safe much better then Norton did! . I guess that's why vista based computers seem to come standard with norton now a days...

Nevertheless, for antivirus I personally use avast! and my firewall is Sygate Personal Firewall, never had a problem with it and I enjoy the way it runs.

Check around! There's plenty of programs, give them a test run and see how they work for you.


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## Yoshi123

calvin-c said:


> I think he means PC-cillin, from Trend Micro IIRC. And I haven't used that for something like 5-6 years. I quit because at that time it reported too many false positives. Based on the rep Avast has I'd suspect it still does that. (I use AVG rather than Avast, both paid & free, so I can be quite certain that AVG's free protection is every bit as good, in its area, as the AVG paid protection. The main difference is how they're bundled, i.e. the paid version I use (AVG Internet Security) includes a firewall & all protection services are installed/run together. The free version installs & runs AV, AS (anti-spyware), and AR (anti-rootkit) separately.)


Yes, I meant that


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## Gizzy

Yoshi123 said:


> Yes, I meant that


I figured you might have meant what calvin-c said thanks for confirming, :up:

yeah I've heard of them before.


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## jonmcc33

Based upon my test here and that a virus ate right through AVG on my server forcing me to reformat the hard drive, I would never suggest AVG to anyone.

If you want something free, get Avast! by far. You can see in my test that Avast! scanned 20,000 more files than AVG did on my server.


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## warrenz

So do you manage the AVG pop-up update and automatically scan... That's the reason i didnt like it.


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## Yoshi123

Based on my threads, this means that:

Norton Antivirus<AVG<Avast! 

Right???


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## AV1611

^Yes that is correct, for the most part.


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## sup2a

Ive run many scans using AVG and nothing! but i just ran a detailed Avast! scan and it picked up a worm... and a good ol' horse...pain in tha rear! but the main thing is it picked it up while the others didnt!


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## CrazyComputerMan

Gizzy said:


> do you happen to have a link to Penicillin? I've never heard of that one and would like to take a look at it.
> 
> thats a lot of virus's to pick up in 2 months your father must be a high risk web surfer.


Perhaps not, Their dad could pick virus from other because before i got no virus protection and i picked the virus from college to my USB and i didnt know how it get there and i suspect my computer doing something wrong and i was panicking i didnt know how i get virus because i got firewall but im was on TechGuy site from lots of time... and rarely to go other site.

I'll like to show you some screenshot that college virus affected my computer.

I think fourth one is serious for you and be aware... See the file called YDA Game Photo... well see the folder name called YDA Game Photo, i usually detect as virus manually.

now i uninstalled AVG and install Avast! because it's a great protection and peaceful.


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## Gizzy

yeah you could get viruses from using a flash drive I didn't think of that I was only thinking about browsing around the web,


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## GoldPirate

I've used AVG Free since forever, and no virus has ever got the better of my system. Sure, it doesn't prevent you from downloading a virus file, but once it detects a virus on your computer - even without a scan, you can get rid of it instantly, or store it in the virus vault for future removal with assistance. But you should also have Spybot: Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware SE, and Spyware Blaster. I can't say ad-aware is amazing, but it's probably one of the better free anti-spyware programs.


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## CrazyComputerMan

I do agree with point there. AVG do detect virus file instant


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## jonmcc33

GoldPirate said:


> I've used AVG Free since forever, and no virus has ever got the better of my system. Sure, it doesn't prevent you from downloading a virus file, but once it detects a virus on your computer - even without a scan, you can get rid of it instantly, or store it in the virus vault for future removal with assistance. But you should also have Spybot: Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware SE, and Spyware Blaster. I can't say ad-aware is amazing, but it's probably one of the better free anti-spyware programs.


I wish I had kept the location of that file I downloaded to show you how good AVG actually is. AVG didn't find a virus in the scan of the file and when I ran the file it corrupted AVG and every other process I had running. That was with the current AVG virus database at the time. :down:


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## Jack1000

I love AVG. Have used it for about 5 years. For the record, I also have Spybot S & D, Adaware 2007, Windows Defender and Spyware Blaster. (SB is NOT a scanner, but a protective shield against spyware, users should update and run the spyware removal scan programs FIRST!) I also do monthly on-line Houscall scans.

For AVG, I have the free anti-Virus, and the root kit remover, as well as the paid AVG Anti-Spyware version. Users with AVG Anti-Virus SHOULD consider adding the root kit remover and the AVG Anti-Spyware package. (You can get the paid anti-spyware full version, which you get for 30 days on a trial basis after installing AVG Anti-Spyware.) The difference is that the full blown version has automatic updates and an always on resident shield scanner, but you can still manually update and do on-demand scans at any time. 

This is helpful after your trial versions of either Norton or McAfee run out. Be sure to uninstall those programs first before using AVG or your system may slow down too much and run into conflicts.

Remember that regardless of the software company, Anti Virus will ONLY protect you from virus threats. You should only have 1 anti-virus program on your computer, BUT you should also have at least 3 good quality malware removal programs on your system for the removal of Adware and Spyware as well as a firewall. An anti-virus program is ok, but it's not good enough for best protection. Users need malware removal software as well, and than once a week to once a month, as often as you can, get the updated definitions for each of your programs, and run those scans to check for malware. If you have several malware removal programs, this can take 1-2 hours, but just do it on a regular basis!

Jack


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