AVG Anti-Spyware

Hi,

Quick question, I have installed AVG Anti-Spyware and it is active in my profile - I'm administrator - but my kid has a limited account and the AVG Anti-Spyware icon at the bottom right corner is greyed out in her profile.

Where do I go in my computer (Windows XP) to enable AVG Anti-Spyware in her profile?

Thanks

 

As far as I know, AVG's anti-spyware was discontinued when AVG released the new AVG v8. AVG v8 is an anti-virus and anti-spyware combined.

I used to have AVG spyware and AVG anti-virus separately prior to downloading the AVG 8. When downloading their new version 8, it removed their separate anti-spyware version automatically. I removed the new version because it was imo too bloated and the scanning time was more than doubled.

So my guess is that AVG anti-spyware is no longer supported and that's why it shows grayed out.

PS: I don't understand why yours is shown as active and not on your kid's?
Here's a link that says AVG anti-spyware is no longer available. http://free.avg.com/ww.download-avg-anti-spyware-and-anti-rootkit

 

In addition to the reasons stated above, it could be that AVGAS was installed for the admin only, or has internal settings that can only be accessed by the admin account and are therefore greyed out in all other accounts.... anyway, it's probably in your best interest to uninstall AVGAS and install the new version 8 referenced above. If you had the paid version of AVGAS, you should contact Grisoft before you uninstall it and find out about transferring your paid accounts from one app to another.....

 

Thanks Oma, I already had AVG v8 Free but downloaded AVG anti-spyware after being sent to the must-have downloads page on this site. It works fine in my profile but can't work out why it doesn't work in my kid's. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. Maybe I should uninstall AVG anti-spyware for now. By the way there are a number of 'old' or out of date programs listed on the must-have page.. it needs to be revisited & updated.
Do you think that AVG v8 Free is going to cover me as far as anti-spyware goes?

 

AVG 7.5 will be supported for another 6 months by the company. AVG 8 has an anti-virus program integrated and will cause a conflict with the one you use now. The new AVG 8 has not gained much of a reputation. It's not good enough, people say. Malware experts seems to agree.

Best thing is to find a new antimalware program that is compatible with your firewall and antivirus program.

 

This is the download link for AVG AntiVirus Free Edition 8.0.135 with an antivirus program as well as an antipyware program.

 

The link I gave you says this:
"AVG Anti-Spyware and AVG Anti-Rootkit are no longer available"

Therefore, you must have downloaded the AVG Anti-spyware separately when it was still available OR downloaded the commercial (paid) Suite version.

The FREE version of AVG v8 includes BOTH the free anti-spyware and the anti-virus.

Commercial versions are NOT free.

 

AVG 7.5 not available for download at AVG's homepage but it is still supported - it's definitions will continue to be updated for the rest of the year. And you can still download AVG 7.5 from Majorgeeks and other homepages. Link here.

 

That should of cause have been

AVG 7.5 is not available for download at AVG's homepage

But Majorgeeks will provide. :-D

 

Hey thanks guys,

I just am not sure now what to do.. I have roughly 50/50 advice here to either stay with AVG Free 8 or ditch it for AVG Free 7.5. :confused

Been at work and not had time to do anything so still have AVG 8
Today came home & did an Ad-Aware Scan to find: Win32.Trojan-Dropper.Delf

Have had this one before. Removed it with Ad-Aware and then checked with SpyWareDoctor & AVG Free 8 and found nothing.

Shall begin again.. will check with Spybot S&D.

Um.. what is the overall verdict with AVG Free?
:major

 

The verdict is that Avira Antivir and avast! is far better than AVG will ever be. No matter what version of it.

 

Thanks Cordialis,
I'm downloading Avira Antivir & Avast now. Have already uninstalled AVG Anti-spyware and will uninstall rest of AVG Free 8 when I get home from work and give Avira Antivir a try. It's always hard to know what order to do things in. Shall Backup first of course. Have not had time to figure out how Yadis works yet.
Thanks again guys :wave

 

Hey - you can only have one of them! Or else they'll conflict. Avira Antivir is best.

 

Ok.. I'll just try that one then!
Ta!:-D

 

Hi M.A.,

I take your point about following advice, but have to say that the advice on this site is quite varied. As a novice I find it hard to understand where to start, who to listen to and which thing to do in which order. I have your link re: READ ME & RUN ME FIRST, which I am working through. However I am at work most of the time and NEEEED my home computer to work in the evenings without malware so I can pay bills! Otherwise me and my computer will get evicted!!

Originally I stumbled upon this forum after searching for info on a trojan or two. I used AVG free for many years without mishap (love those guys). When I bought my new Dell 3 yrs ago it came with a 12 month subscription to a new anti-virus program. The trouble all started when I tried to renew the subscription and it somehow trashed my computer with viruses. Since then I've been battling away, alternating between free-ware programs, reasonably misshap free until about a month ago. I realised AVG was out of date and I downloaded the latest version and found 73 Trojans!! They kept coming. On advice from IT people at work and in sheer desperation a few weeks ago I purchased Norton Antivirus. It didn't find anything new, nor did it prevent further trojans appearing so I ditched it in favour of my old friends AVG, S&D, Ad-Aware, which all seemed to be better at finding & removing malware. Recently I'm adding some new programs I found suggested on your site. (mostly from the Must Have page - either you or Tim sent me the links).

I am trying my hardest to follow the advice given here. So I now have AntiVir PE Classic and have uninstalled my AVG for now. AntiVir found a thing or two, but as at todays date I think Ad-Aware has been finding the trojans most reliably. However, I'm now being introduced to the concept of 'False Positives' in your post. I had long suspected this and now have a name for it.

Other programs I have (and will probably have to uninstall??) are: Yadis, Spyware Doctor, Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, Secunia PSI, Diskeeper Lite and RegCure (I've not used RegCure yet being a novice).

Will have to work out what Yadis is supposed to do. For now am doing manual backup to an external hard drive.

Truly I appreciate this forum and all the advice. I hope you can bear with me while I begin to understand what I'm dealing with. (Guess I've always been spoiled by having an IT department at work.) This is a great site and I'll be using your advice to educate my kids at the same time so nothing is wasted here.

Many thanks to all. :major

 

You won't find agreement here for any product! Too many people come and each computer is different. What works well for me might slow down your computer horribly so you would hate what I love.
With that said, to prevent nasties from getting on the computer to start with, less clening to do, grab a copy of the free spywareblaster http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
It is off so it will not cause any slow downs. It gets updated about every 2 to 3 weeks so bout every 3 weeks, just open it up and check for updates.

 

Thanks Plodr,

I think I have so many downloads now they will gang up on each other. I'm off to work on the READ & RUN ME FIRST GUIDE but rather than uninstalling everything maybe I'll turn a few things off and try running one at a time.
Wish me luck!
:wave

 

Hey, just to be helpful, I've got this free program called Secunia PSI (personal software inspector) which is great because it identifies any insecure or end of life softwear which makes the PC insecure.

Anyone have any opinions on this one? I took a while to understand how it works but I think it's pretty cool now. Have just finished cleaning off a bunch of stuff.

Keep you guys posted.
:major

 

Secunia PSI RC3 is one of my favourites. I dream and pray that they would start including my drivers, bios and such stuff. :-D I have this weakness for service. :heart

 

He heee Cordialis, :-D
Things are going good so far.. friday nite here & i am powering through the cleanup process.

I’ve just been through the READ&RUN ME FIRST GUIDE.
Happy to say I’ve had no mishaps so far.

Programs I currently have on my PC which seem to be getting along OK are:
SpywareBlaster
Diskeeper Lite
AntiVir PE Classic
Secunia PSI (RC3)
Ad-Aware
Spyware Doctor
Spybot S&D
Ccleaner
Iobit Freeware
Advanced Windows Cleaner

Can you please advise if you think I should remove any of the above. So far I think they are all very helpful tools.. But if you happen to know any particular two which are incompatible I’d appreciate to know.

I apologise if I seem to be repeating my questions sometimes.

Many thanks for your support everyone!
:major

 

I think Advanced Windows Cleaner 1.00.1 should go. CCleaner, ATF-Cleaner and Microsoft's free online service Windows Live OneCare safety scanner is all you should use. Registry cleaners are generally not safe.

I guess IObit SmartDefrag is all right. I stick to the build-in defragmenter that came with my OS. You don't need more that one, however. Diskeeper Lite should go.

Then you have to choose between Spyware Doctor and Spybot Search & Destroy. Frankly, I would keep Spyware Doctor from PC Tools or perhaps let both of them go and download Spyware Terminater.

The rest looks good, but where is your firewall ??? You could arrange something around PC Tools: download PC Tools Firewall and ThreatFire and keep Spyware Doctor. And keep these:

Avira AntiVir Personal Editi- Free Antivirus
SpywareBlaster
Secunia PSI (RC3)
Ad-Aware 2008

:-D

 

An arrangement around some of PC Tools products could be:

Main Security:
Firewall: PC Tools Firewall Plus
Antispyware: PC Tools Spyware Doctor (real time). Ad-Aware 2008 and SUPERAntiSpyware for extra scannings.
Antivirus: Avira AntiVir Personal - Free Antivirus

Extra Security:
SpywareBlaster
PC Tools ThreatFire

Update and maintenance:
Secunia PSI (RC3)
CCleaner
ATF-Cleaner
IObit SmartDefrag

Regular online scanners:
Kasperskys
Windows Live OneCare safety scanner

If you're not the PC Tools type we can put togheter a list without them.

 

Oh Hell!
Just spent 28 hours in hell! PC Tools Firewall does not agree at all with my PC! Had to unload it... my computer froze completely and had to be restarted a bazillion times. Everything else is great, please recommend another firewall!!
:major