AVG AV Free Edition 9.0 Review

Discussion in 'other anti-virus software' started by JRViejo, Oct 17, 2009.

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  1. bloomcounty

    bloomcounty Registered Member

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    Did this fix the big problem? Just curious... :)
     
  2. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    BC, as far as my rig's setup is concerned, version 9.0.800 did not solve the Internet connection issue. Version 9.0.730 works like a charm.

    JR
     
  3. progress

    progress Guest

    JRViejo, I think it's time to ditch your old ZA :oops:
     
  4. gery

    gery Registered Member

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    yeah why not?
    Avg free is really nice without it
     
  5. Brocke

    Brocke Registered Member

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    why dont you try Comodo?
     
  6. hayc59

    hayc59 Updates Team

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    WOW, does this come with a 'Free' Version of
    Limewire Pro when it goes gold??
    [MOVE]:D [/MOVE]
     
  7. progress

    progress Guest

    I like this one:
    [move]:D[/move]
     
  8. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    OK, all joking aside, let's keep the thread focused on AVG Free Edition 9.0 only!

    As I said before, my non-tech family and friends are all steadily moving away from AVG. At some point in the very near future, as I have done with my Win 7 laptop, I'll stop working with AVG altogether, thereby ending this thread as well.
     
  9. gery

    gery Registered Member

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    my desktop ZA free the last version and AVG free is really going well so far. No problems at all. Only 512 mg ram 84 gig hdd and an AMD processor 1.37 :thumb: :thumb:
     
  10. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Weird things going on with AVG today.

    This morning, a Manual Update revealed (see 1st screen shot) reverting back to version 9.0.791. Checked the Updates page and confirmed that version 9.0.800 was no longer listed, showing the Windows: 9.0.791 file instead.

    Then, a few hours later, received version 9.0.801 (2nd screen shot), via Manual Update. As of the time of this post, the Update page still shows version 9.0.791.

    avg90791B.gif avg90801.gif

    AVG 9.0.801 Free - Release Notes
    Unfortunately, tried to install this new version 9.0.801 and still had Internet & Email connection issues. Reverting back to version 9.0.730 resolves the issues. I'll detail in a later post, what I did differently to see if it would solve the connection problem.
     
  11. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    After updating my version 9.0.730 to 9.0.801 (with Windows Defender and ZA enabled) and not being able to resolve the Internet connection issues with my rig's setup, I wanted to take a different route this time to see if it would make a difference. These are the details:

    1. Disabled Windows Defender via Tools > Options > Use real-time protection.
    2. Unchecked Load ZoneAlarm at start-up via Overview > Preferences tab.
    3. Ran the 32 bit AVG uninstall/cleanup utility avgremover.exe to remove 9.0.801.
    4. Rebooted the computer
    5. Confirmed, via Task Manager, that ZA's vsmon.exe process was not running.
    6. Found and deleted the following AVG9 folders and files (Show hidden files and folders enabled):
      • C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG9 (contained a versions.xml file inside)
      • C:\Documents and settings\All users\Application data\AVG9 (contained a CHJW folder)
      • C:\Documents and settings\Owner\Application data\AVG9 (contained a versions.xml file inside)
    7. Searched for other folders & files that could prevent AVG from working correctly; found and deleted:
      • C:\Program Files\Grisoft\AVG Free (contained avgamsvr.dmp & avgamsvr.err files)
      • C:\$AVG (hidden file)
      • C:\Documents and settings\All users\Application data\Symantec (live subscribe & live update folders from 2004!)
      • C:\Documents and settings\Owner\Application data\Symantec\Shared (contained options.VcPref file from 2004!)
      • C:\Documents and settings\Administrator\Application data\Symantec\Shared (contained options.VcPref file from 2004!)
      • C:\Documents and settings\Default User\Application data\Symantec\Shared (this hidden file contained options.VcPref file from 2004!)
      • C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch (contained avgcsrvx.exe-369d1e21.pf, avgscanx.exe-227ca51e.pf, avgsrmax.exe-3b29f6bc.pdf, avgtray.exe-3209aa20.pf, avgui.exe-0ff140f8.pf, avgupd.exe-1c156b0e.pf files)
    8. Rebooted and Defragged.
    9. Confirmed that both Windows Defender & ZA were disabled and without them (plus no AVG installed), had Internet and Email connections!
    10. Installed version 9.0 build 790 (3/8/2010) as a Custom Installation:
      • Disabled LinkScanner, Additional Installed Languages (Spanish) and Email Scanner/Plugin for MS Outlook.
      • Enabled Email Scanner/Personal Email Scanner (for all other email apps) and Plugin for MS Office 2000/XP/2003/2007.
    11. During the Installation, received a prompt that Windows Defender has been turned off. Left as is.
    12. During the Installation, changed Scans to Never and enabled Automatic scan removable devices.
    13. Version 9.0.790 installed without a reboot.
    14. Asked to do an Optimization Scan, clicked Yes and the process lasted about 10 minutes.
    15. Without tweaking and/or updating the Anti-virus & Anti-Spyware database definitions, tried to connect to the Internet and was unable to do so!
    16. At this point, I did not go any further because I knew that version 9.0.801 had not worked previously.
    17. Turned on both Windows Defender and ZA (load at startup).
    18. Installed version 9.0 build 730 (1/7/2010) as a Repair Installation and was asked to reboot.
    19. After reboot, Windows Defender came up turned off (I turned it on) and confirmed that vsmon.exe was running.
    20. Asked to do an Optimization Scan, clicked Yes and the process lasted about 10 minutes.
    21. Without tweaking and/or updating the Anti-virus & Anti-Spyware database definitions in version 9.0.730, tried to connect to the Internet and was successful!
    Conclusion:
    Thought that my discovery of old Symantec folders would cure the problem, yet it was not meant to be. IMO my connection issues are not a Windows Defender nor a Zone Alarm problem, since version 9.0.730 connects to the Internet with both of them enabled. Whether AVG will admit that newer versions are a problem, remains to be seen.
     
  12. bloomcounty

    bloomcounty Registered Member

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    Nice investigative work! :thumb:

    Would you be up for posting this over on the AVG Forum?

    I think the more proof posted over there that it's an AVG issue and not a ZA issue, the better! (Or, at least, it certainly couldn't hurt!) :)
     
  13. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Thanks BC!

    I used to post in their old forums, however, even in the new forum, you still receive pat answers to any question for the most part, so I rather not. Right now, their standing is that the issue is with ZA and they are not budging from that opinion.

    I have proven, at least to myself, that something changed in the new versions after 9.0.730. Just like AVG disables Windows Defender, there must be something in the program's code that interferes with ZA, no matter how old it is. But then, some of our members are not having any issues, even with new versions of ZA. Go figure!

    AVG used to have a presence at Wilders and they do look here on occasion... maybe there is hope. ;)

    JR
     
  14. progress

    progress Guest

    You are really persistent JRViejo :D
     
  15. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    FYI. AVG weirdness continues. Same thing happened today as I reported in this Post, from 4 days ago.

    Doing a Manual Update, in the morning I saw a Program Update for version 9.0.791 and a few hours later, a Program Update for version 9.0.801. If one does not pay close attention, during one of these updates, you could be reverting back to an older version.

    No clue as to why this is happening and no reports have been posted in the AVG Free Forum yet...
     
  16. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    FYI. Received notification of new AVG Free 9.0.814, via Manual Update today.

    avg90814.gif

    Installation Files page shows version 9.0.814, dated April 14th, 2010 (avg_free_stf_en_90_814a2810.exe), however, Updates page still shows version 9.0.801, dated April 2nd, 2010.

    AVG 9.0.814 Free - Release Notes
    Have not installed this new version, but will do so in the next day or two, to see if the ZA issue has gone away.
     
  17. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    OK, I can report that my ZA conflict issue has gone away! :cool:

    1. I installed the version 9.0.814 update, via Manual Update, without disabling Windows Defender and my old ZA firewall.
    2. I was asked to reboot the PC, which I did.
    3. As soon as the PC came back up, Windows Defender was disabled (as always).
    4. Tried to connect to the Internet (via browser & email client) and VIOLA, success! :thumb:
    5. The Cache Server began running (Optimizing Scan) and that lasted about 15 minutes or so.
    6. During the Optimizing Scan, CPU usage fluctuated between 3% to 24%.
    If this No More Hanging Web Pages ? thread in the AVG Free Forum is any indication, it looks like the problem was due to a memory leak in the Safe Search component. Mind you, I do not have that component installed, so why would it compromise my Internet surfing is beyond me, unless the component remains installed in the background? :doubt:

    I have no time to do a Fast Scan Whole Computer now but will do so, in the days ahead, and report back.
     
  18. Brocke

    Brocke Registered Member

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    great to hear, thanks for letting use know :thumb:
     
  19. progress

    progress Guest

    9.0.814 is ok again :) I'm an AVG fan - however, I still miss the full anti-rootkit-feature in the free version :thumbd:
     
  20. gery

    gery Registered Member

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    they'd better take off the email scanner and implement the antirootkit function
     
  21. progress

    progress Guest

    I send this suggestion to an AVG manager :)
     
  22. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    gery, no way! :thumbd: AVG's Email Scanner has saved several family members from doom! :thumb: Why not use an AntiRootkit program, in conjunction with AVG Free?
     
  23. Tarnak

    Tarnak Registered Member

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    Guess you could say I am a "hold out". LOL.. still good after all these years.

    P.S. Didn't have to reboot before when getting the defintions,...bit of an inconvenience. See screenshot. ...back shortly!
     

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  24. Tarnak

    Tarnak Registered Member

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    I am Back!...you could say I am not the fastest 'booter' or is that 'rebooter' in the west. LOL ;)
     

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  25. progress

    progress Guest

    A lot of animals are sitting in your taskbar :D
     
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