so avg free 8 is out, anyone tried?

[boogeyman]

I gotta say,....what nag? The 5 second Avira splash screen? That doesn't bother me.

 

 

no not that, after you update there comes a nag screen that you have to x out of. thats the one it gets rid of.

[boogeyman]

I never expected the "boogeyman" would come in the evening bearing a possible decision tie-breaker.

Thank you for contributing to our thread and growing accumulation of very desirable "work-arounds".

That eliminates one more forced "toolbar" possibility versus forced "nag screen".

With the "gift" and the personal assessment I guess the "boogeyman" isn't so bad after all.

At least I see a concrete alternative to AVG 7.5,if I need one.

I shall sleep better tonight. A ray of light pierces through the darkness.

davey

P.S. Thanks "boogeyman" you are welcome to drop in more often.

Never thought I would ever be saying that.He was the greatest behavior modification threat there was when I was a kid.Still is,at least for me.

 

 

thanks for the invite davey. i hope you can relax now knowing i am here and not there.

[hazelnut]

Used the nag screen workaround when I first got avira.

 

As I said earlier in another thread the fix carried over from version 7 to 8 without me having to redo it.

[tomcatonnet99]

I thinkk I'm gonna stick to AVG 7 it does its job right, isn't bloated like ver8, don't need a built in Spyware when I have Spybot running anyway .... 50min of scan time is way too long when I don't need a spyware scan

[Anthony A]

A few thoughts on the new AVG 8.

 

I read the help file, all 100 + pages of it. http://www.grisoft.cz/filedir/doc/AVG_Free...uma_en_80_1.pdf

 

After doing so I find AVG 8 to be very similar to AVG 7.5. They changed some graphics but the basic structure is very similar and in fact better laid out IMO.

 

As for bulk/footprint. When I first read the size of the install was 46 MB I was thinking bloat. Than I thought about it.

The AVG 7.5 installer was 35 MB download. It DID NOT include AVG AS as the the new AVG AV does. AVG AS was separate download and was 15 or 20 MB. So if you used AVG AV and AVG AS you are actually getting a smaller package now. Also when I look at the footprint of an app I don't just look at it's physical size on the HD. I look at how many processes it runs and how much CPU and RAM it sucks from my machine.You could have a tiny app that takes up only a few MB of disk space bit it is a massive resource hog. AVG 7.5 was very light on resources and I haven't heard anything different about AVG AV 8 yet.

 

Many people here used AVG AS. As you know it was only a scanner. No real time protection in the free version. It now appears that you get the real time AVG AS protection built in to the AVG AV 8 for free. There are not may free real time Anti Spyware apps available. Windows Defender and Spyware Terminator are the two I'm aware off.

 

The only real negative I see with AVG AV 8 is the tool bar which is totally optional.

[Coronagold]

I don't like blue.

[Anthony A]

I don't like blue.

 

Well there is a good reason to dump it

[Coronagold]

 

After reading your well constructed post I just had to throw that ditty in there. Sorta like a record scratch.

[Vambo]

I get the feeling people are panicking a bit about AVG 8.0 Free. I had my reservations as well. However, on closer inspection its all cool !

and no, there is no expiry of the e-mail scanning, despite all the scaremongering. That was simply confusion over 'Full trial version' and 'Free version'

 

" But we hate all the bloatware and toobars and clunky site scanning "

For those who prefer, and I recommend it - Strip out the 'Link Scanner' and toolbar options. (see below)

 

You will be left with the simple antivirus you know and love. The only difference being that you have additional spyware protection.

Since I would always recommend running at least two anti-spyware progs - what's the problem? Run your favourite and have AVG additional protection.

As for sluggish scanning and bloatware; Well, rip out the LinkScanner and it isn't bloated in performance terms. No more a resource hog than v7.5 The scanning is marginally slower than v7.5, but it's scanning for Spyware as well....... besides, my deep scan's are run overnight so I don't care how long it takes.

(1hr 15 on athlon dual 3600mhz 1gb RAM and 200gb H/d - 32 bit Vista)

Should I want to scan individual files/folders AVG 8.0 Free still gives that functionality.

The only bitch is the fact AVG have removed the ability to schedule specific periodic updates. you are restricted to a single user specified time.

 

So, "How do we strip out the LinkScanner Vambo?" Check out grisoft forums FAQ 1338 : http://free.grisoft.com/ww.faq.num-1241

 

Or, if you don't want to check out the forum - try copying the installation/setup file to the root of your hard disk and running the following command line ; either through 'Run' or at a command prompt 'cmd'

 

C:\avg_free_stf_en_8_100a1295.exe /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSurf /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch

 

(Replace the above with whatever your setup file is named)

 

Then just 'NEXT' through the rest of the installation and that's it.

AVG Free anti-virus is not done yet........ maybe next year, maybe the year after - but not yet ! version 8.0 is fine just fine

[Icedrake]

Hey Andavari,

 

I have a question. How did you make the bar with the Minimize, Maximize and Close button so small? Mine is like 3 times that size. Could you please tell me how you do it?

[Anthony A]

Hey Andavari,

 

I have a question. How did you make the bar with the Minimize, Maximize and Close button so small? Mine is like 3 times that size. Could you please tell me how you do it?

 

That is set in Windows. It's the title bar for all your open apps. You can set the size in the the Display Properties section of Windows. Right click on your desktop and select "Properties" than select the "Appearance Tab". At the bottom right you will see an "Advanced" button. Click it and it opens a dialog. You will see a drop down box called "item". Open the drop down and select "active title bar". You can set the size for the title bar and text in there.

[Andavari]

Could you please tell me how you do it?

Like Anthony A stated with the instructions.

 

These are my exact settings (they're just screenshots):

* Inactive Title Bar

* Active Title Bar

[1984]

i am happy with avast right now, but i would give avg a shot if i decide to change it up....

[Icedrake]

Thanks for the help Andavari and Anthony. Also, in avast! I noticed that it seems to be slowing down the loading of web pages... Is it because of the Web Shield?

[Andavari]

Thanks for the help Andavari and Anthony. Also, in avast! I noticed that it seems to be slowing down the loading of web pages... Is it because of the Web Shield?

To my knowledge you have to manually set the WebShield as the proxy server, i.e.; localhost. I tried it and it does indeed slow down browsing tremendously so I removed the proxy settings. This is the tutorial they have to configure the WebShield.

 

Edit: Nope I'm wrong. According to Avast:

Under certain conditions, it is necessary to bypass the Web Shield's transparent proxy and set things up manually.

[Robbie]

updates for AVG 7.5 are to cease from May 31, 2008. Some people are getting the following nag screen (that is now loading after AVG 7.5 free runs):

 

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm5/LarkB_album/AVG.jpg (link is perfectly safe to click on, is a picture of the new nag screen)

 

I haven't got that one yet, just a nag screen to update with no date mentioned.

[Robbie]

before I install AVG free 8.0 can anyone advise whether I should first uninstall AVG free 7.5?

[hotdoge3]

before I install AVG free 8.0 can anyone advise whether I should first uninstall AVG free 7.5?

Yes take it off reboot & fit new AVG 8 not over good but free nill for Email you may like to look at some test fist >

http://bangsonpc.blogspot.com/ AVG 8 Test ?

PPS If you are interested in knowing more about HIPS programs like PrevX, check out

http://www.techsupportalert.com/security_HIPS.htm

 

http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/...-evolution.html

 

http://winnow.oitc.com/malewarestats.php http://www.av-comparatives.org I suggest you try a few different ones out and see which you like best. If you like AVG 8 it ok is for free all not over good Avast ok dose Email AntiVir no check of Email & ads pop up's & updates not to good.

 

http://www.sunbelt-software.com/ihs/alex/R...D2008m3b_US.htm

 

http://nsslabs.com/reports/all-product-reports

 

http://www.protectstar-testlab.org/

 

http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm

[meitsme]

I have used avg free for a couple of years now, after having finally ditched Norton/Symantec bog-your-computer-downware (which in itself was originally vg).

 

However today I gotted nagged by avg to updtae to 8.0 (as support for 7.xx was expiring in the immediate future...)

 

Folks, don't do it!

 

Blue screen, blue screen on reboot, blue screen on re-reboot.

 

Safe mode; uninstall; reboot.

 

Download the installation package; execute; half-arsed error messages; antivirus doesn't work.

 

Then blue screen again at some random moment.

 

Hours later, just give up. Uninstall, now forever.

 

Have to find something else.

 

Regards.

[Anthony A]

Well congratulations AVG. You have done the biggest noze dive I have seen in a while. Take your place beside Ad-Aware 2007. You should take lessons from Spybot S&D. They upgraded and actually improved an already great app. What a concept. Upgrading and making the program better.

 

I think you will see these clowns back away from their plane to cut off support for 7.5 May 31. AVG 8 simply isn't going over very well and it was arrogant of them to give one months notice ending support for 7.5. I remember when AVG AV upgraded to 7.5 there were many months notice before support for the previous version was cut off and 7.5 wasn't nearly as big an update.

[Robbie]

Well congratulations AVG. You have done the biggest noze dive I have seen in a while. Take your place beside Ad-Aware 2007. You should take lessons from Spybot S&D. They upgraded and actually improved an already great app. What a concept. Upgrading and making the program better.

 

I think you will see these clowns back away from their plane to cut off support for 7.5 May 31. AVG 8 simply isn't going over very well and it was arrogant of them to give one months notice ending support for 7.5. I remember when AVG AV upgraded to 7.5 there were many months notice before support for the previous version was cut off and 7.5 wasn't nearly as big an update.

I've upgraded to AVG 8 and I much prefer 7.5. I prefer its simplicity. It seems that many products seem to have to equate upgrading with bloatedness. First it was Zone Alarm back in May 2006. That was a lovely little firewall that was easy to use and which I had used for years - so it was upgraded to cause all sorts of computer problems, especially with vsmon.exe causing the computer to take almost 4 times as long to start up. Next up was the aforementioned Ad-Aware. Again, simple and straightforward - so it was upgraded to a bloated piece of junk. Finally we have AVG taking a leaf out of the ZA and A-A and turning a nice little program into something I'd much rather not use. Unlike ZA and A-A2007 I have stuck with using AVG 8 - it does have one or two little features that i do like (such as being able to choose an actual time to update). I'm still using the old version of Ad-Aware - not sure how long that will still be updated.

 

But yes, the haste to phase out AVG 7.5 is not a good thing.

 

Don't forget though - when Spybot first upgraded when started it did freeze the CPU at 100% on many machines for 30 secs or more - so even that wasn't a complete success though it is fine now.

[Anthony A]

I have stuck with using AVG 8 - it does have one or two little features that i do like (such as being able to choose an actual time to update).

 

I don't see that feature at all in AVG 8. In fact it's worse than it was in 7.5. Now you pick an hour can't pick the minute. Than it randomly picks a time between the hour you picked and and two hours from it. So some where in the two hour time frame it sets a time . You cannot pick that time it's picked for you. Also it changes that time every day on you. Check when the next scheduled update is for. Not on the schedule but on the update module main screen. It will tell you when the next scheduled update will happen. Once that up date happens it changes the time for the next update. It will not be the same time the next day. It changes every day. Very very stupid move. At least in 7.5 what ever time was randomly selected for you stayed the same every day.

 

 

But yes, the haste to phase out AVG 7.5 is not a good thing.

 

They had better change that. They will suffer major damage IMO to their reputation. Check their forum out. It's good for a laugh. They are getting some major negative response for 8.

[Augeas]

'DEADLINE FOR AVG 7.5 FREE UPDATES 31/12/2008

 

Posted by: michaelhd - AVG Team (IP Logged)

Date: May 5, 2008 10:00AM

 

This is the official date that support and updates for AVg 7.5 Free will end.'

[Anthony A]

'DEADLINE FOR AVG 7.5 FREE UPDATES 31/12/2008

 

Posted by: michaelhd - AVG Team (IP Logged)

Date: May 5, 2008 10:00AM

 

This is the official date that support and updates for AVg 7.5 Free will end.'

 

Yeah we know that. I posted that last week. It will be mistake if they follow through with that IMO.

[elvis19359]

I have AVG 8.0, the paid version. Two things that don't work so good. One is the web shield. Number two every time i start up my pc, i have to go in and fix the firewall setting. Even if i save the setting, i still have to go in and fix them. AVG 7.5 was much better, had no bugs in it.