CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. For true penny-pinchers, Grisoft offers AVG 7.
AVG Anti-Virus 7. It is also available as a day, Next, AVG's First Run Wizard launched automatically, giving us the option to download the latest virus definitions and program files; create a rescue disk, which boots a disabled Windows 98 or ME system into a DOS environment to remove viruses and restore system files, and scan our computer using either Low Priority fast or High Priority slow scanning methods.
While the rescue disk wizard is easy to use, it creates a rescue floppy disk--not a CD--and that's bad news if you're using one of today's floppy-free PCs. The basic interface screen provides quick access to AVG's tool set along the left side, allowing you to scan the entire computer or select components, such as a CD or a floppy, with a couple of clicks. AVG's underlying malware protection, shared among all AVG and Avast Windows antivirus programs, scans files and memory for known malware and looks for the early indications of an attack by unknown malware, such as the encryption of key files.
Anything suspicious is uploaded to AVG's labs for analysis. The program ferrets out spyware, spam and phishing attempts; examines email attachments; and blocks known malicious websites. AVG calls its full-system scans "Deep Scans" and its quick scans "Computer Scans," and either can be started two clicks from the main interface window.
The scans go pretty quickly, but when they're done, they present you with all sorts of "advanced issues" with your PC, including "sensitive items" that are "prime targets for attack," a vulnerable webcam, a weak firewall and so on. There's a button to "Resolve Now," which tries to get you to sign up for paid AVG antivirus programs. Likewise, the interface tells you that your computer is slowing down. How could you possibly speed it back up? AVG's malware engine provides adequate, but inconsistent, protection.
That's good. But it also detected less than Windows Defender's scores were more mixed, but with 16 perfect months, it still did better than AVG. As for Avast, its detection rates were virtually identical to AVG's.
From July to October , Kaspersky stumbled, with an average of only Bitdefender led the pack with a London-based SE Labs ' scores are more nuanced and take account of how an antivirus program handles a piece of malware after detection.
Bitdefender was not tested. Yet that's about it. To check AVG AntiVirus Free's impact on system performance, we used our custom benchmark test, which measures how long a CPU takes to match 20, names and addresses in an Excel spreadsheet. Before we installed AntiVirus Free, the computer finished the benchmark task in That completion time rose to 14 seconds after AVG was installed but before a scan was run. That equals a passive performance loss of 5. This makes AVG one of the slowest scanners among free antivirus products.
Worse yet, that scan time doesn't decrease as the program gets to know your system over time. There's also a free version. AVG Anti-Virus doesn't include firewall or antispyware tools; the rescue disk is floppy-based only; you can't customize the scans. But you'll need to purchase antispyware software and a firewall for complete protection. For true penny-pinchers, Grisoft offers AVG 7. If you do buy it, however, you'll still need to purchase antispyware software and a firewall for total security.
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