AVG 8 Free

aardvaak

I am running AVG 8 Free on a XP Pro computer and I am very pleased by the way this new AVG updates - the 7.5 had more problems updating.

However I have noticed that this version never tells me there is a virus threat possible and I am sure by the number of virus's out there one would try and get through.

Many moons ago I had Norton's and that was aways coming up with threats.

Does anyone know why?

iviv

Norton's a pile of rubbish?

Viruses don't actively seek you out, the only way you would get a warning is if you download a strange attachment from an email, browse dodgy websites, or a things along those lines. You may have seen the firewall flagging up connection attempts, which it may have classed as attacks.

If you are worried about if your AV scanner is working or not, try the eicar test:
Create a new text document somewhere, and copy this in:

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

Then try and save it. If the AV is working, it will detect it as a virus and delete/quarantine/prompt for action, depending on how you configured it.

aardvaak

iviv wrote: »

Norton's a pile of rubbish?

Viruses don't actively seek you out, the only way you would get a warning is if you download a strange attachment from an email, browse dodgy websites, or a things along those lines. You may have seen the firewall flagging up connection attempts, which it may have classed as attacks.

If you are worried about if your AV scanner is working or not, try the eicar test:
Create a new text document somewhere, and copy this in:

X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

Then try and save it. If the AV is working, it will detect it as a virus and delete/quarantine/prompt for action, depending on how you configured it.

Thank you for your reply, I just opened a new word Doc. copied and pasted your code and saved it to a new file in My Docs called Test - nothing happened it just saved I then opened Test and right clicked on file and clicked scan with AVG and it came back with the result no viruses found etc.

What do I do now?

iviv

That may be because you used word instead of notepad.
Try either doing it again creating a text document as opposed to a word document. Alternatively, download it from here: http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm
Scroll to the bottom and download either eicar.com or eicar.com.txt

If they don't flag up, then AVG's not working properly.

aardvaak

iviv wrote: »

That may be because you used word instead of notepad.
Try either doing it again creating a text document as opposed to a word document. Alternatively, download it from here: http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm
Scroll to the bottom and download either eicar.com or eicar.com.txt

If they don't flag up, then AVG's not working properly.

I did put it into a word doc do you mean to use "notepad"?

aardvaak

iviv wrote: »

That may be because you used word instead of notepad.
Try either doing it again creating a text document as opposed to a word document. Alternatively, download it from here: http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm
Scroll to the bottom and download either eicar.com or eicar.com.txt

If they don't flag up, then AVG's not working properly.

I just clicked on that file and AVG did come up saying threat detected I then moved to vault.

Hopefully my AVG is wortking ok - should I now deleted file from vault and how do I do that?

iviv

http://free.avg.com/ww.faq.num-647

#647 at the bottom of the page shows you how.

aardvaak

iviv wrote: »

http://free.avg.com/ww.faq.num-647

#647 at the bottom of the page shows you how.

Thank you very much, I went to the vault in AVG and there were quite a few files there I have now emptied the vault with what appears no lasting affect.

Do I presume that AVG sometimes moves possible infected files to the vault without telling me just automatically?

iviv

I don't use AVG, so can't comment, but I prefer my AV programs to tell me when they find something, and ask me what to do with it. There's probably a setting in AVG to do the same. But as long as its catching the viruses, thats the main thing.