AVG Free update

AVG Free just bumped up to version 8.5. You’ll no doubt see the upgrade notification when you log on.

I’ve come to expect this more and more from AVG: if you follow the links, and you aren’t very careful, you’ll end up installing the free 30-day trial of a PAID version of AVG. You don’t want or need it.

Follow the link on the upgrade notice. Then, at the bottom of the page, click the link that says “Stay protected by downloading our basic free protection today.” You have to click a couple more times, but each time remember you want FREE – not the 30 day free trial.

In the end, you can upgrade with few hassles. But, man, AVG keeps on trying…

AVG Free begging for money

Reader SA writes:

It appears that AVG wants to sell the new upgrade AVG 8.5. The popup warning rather dire looking: threat of no more updates after April (something like 14th). I only want to use the Free edition.

I remember when someone posted a comment, recently on your newly designed website, about how angry he got at another company doing that.

I recall about a year ago, or a bit longer, they did the same thing: giving a date that it will end and then it didn’t.

You noted you like using free AVG in your comment.

The scary warnings are ….scary. They didn’t stop last year.

I still use AVG, although I’m getting less and less enthusiastic about it because of this bogus warning, the attempts to steer you to a for-pay package, and its default installation of a “phone home” component that sends your complete browser history to the folks at AVG. I turn off LinkScanner (that’s the “phone home” piece) through AVG’s control panel, but it’s a pain in the neck.

Seth, who’s a regular here, prefers AVIRA. NOD32 used to have an excellent free package, but it looks like they’ve changed to a free 30-day evaluation only.

It you want to stick with AVG Free – I still run it on most of my computers, including my Windows 7 computers – here’s how to do it:

1. Download but don’t install AVG Free.

2. Disconnect your computer from your network and the Internet.

3. Click Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs and remove AVG Free. You’ll see some detailed instructions about stopping AVG Free before it can be removed, and you’ll have to re-boot your machine.

4. Double-click on the downloaded copy of AVG Free. Follow the instructions to install it.

5. When AVG Free says it wants to check the Internet for updates, then – and only then – plug your compute back into your network and the Internet. Then proceed with the installation.

That’s a generic sequence for uninstalling an old antivirus product and installing a new one, safely and effectively. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well with Norton, which leaves pieces of itself scattered everywhere, and it notoriously difficult to remove completely.

Windows Secrets Security Baseline

This week’s edition of Windows Secrets Newsletter just hit the stands, and Ryan Russel’s Top Story discusses changes in the WSN Security Baseline. (Windows Secrets Newsletter appears in both a free version and a paid version – and you get to decide how much you want to pay for the paid version. The Top Story always appears in the free version and the paid version.)

In summary:

1. Use a hardware firewall. WSN has some good recommendations. In fact, any router you buy these days has a fully functional hardware firewall.

2. Install a security suite. WSN recommends Norton Internet Security. I’m too cheap. I still use AVG Free, or Avira Antivir Free.

3. Check for updates regularly. Watch this site for the latest, particularly on Microsoft patches. Make sure you download, install, update and religiously run Secunia PSI.

4. Select a more-secure browser. WSN and I strongly recommend Firefox.

The PC you save may be your own.