avg antivirus

Download AVG

Grisoft's download page for AVG antivirus is currently on this link. The download site is clearly displayed on their web page. Download to your computer. Should that link address no longer be current then perform the following Google search: Enter these words in the Google search bar: AVG grisoft free virus download. The results that come up will contain pages with web addresses starting with free.grisoft. Go there and you will find Installation File Free Download for Windows (or some such). Download to your computer.

Installing AVG & Doing the Initial Update

The file name is something like avgxyzfreepqr.exe and it ends with .exe Just click on it to open and go with the flow as it installs. Accept all the suggestions by clicking continue, next, accept and so on. There are no hidden tricks. When installation finishes you will be presented with a "congrats" screen urging you to update etc.

Click next and then click check for updates. Tick the box beside "do not ask for the update source next time" and click the option labelled "internet". A screen highlighting various updates in blue will appear. Click the button labelled "update" and downloading will proceed. When it finishes click the OK button and then AGAIN click the check for updates button. When this cycle of updating is finished click next and you will be presented with the option to create rescue disks. In my view the rescue disks are of very little use. I avoid them by clicking next. Keep clicking next until no more options are offered and finally click continue to exit.

AVG General Settings

You will see the scan-computer screen. Choose "scan selected areas". This will allow you to set scanning up for the future. From the options that you see, put a tick in the box beside system locations --> local hard drives. Make sure there is a tick in "scan system areas" before the test starts. That's all you need. Now click "scan selected areas" and your computer will be scanned. Hopefully the scan is uneventful and you can exit after the blue screen labelled "Test Result" appears.

Congratulations. You've downloaded the virus scanner, installed it, configured your computer and scanned it for viruses. Thats all folks (as bugs bunny would say). Now have a look at the Update and Maintenance Routine below.

AVG Update and Maintenance Routine

The virus defiinition file contains signatures of all viruses known to Grisoft. Grisoft keeps adding more virus signatures to the file as viruses are spawned/discovered. So you must keep yours up to date or you will be infected. There is a yellow-black-red-green icon to the right in the bottom toolbar of your computer screen. Click this open and the AVG control centre comes on screen. Click the button "Check for Updates" located in the left panel. The download dialogue will proceed to install an updated virus definition file from the Internet if a new one exists. When that finishes you have the most up to date defence that AVG free can deliver. That's all there is to updating AVG -- a few mouse clicks. Alternatively, you can set ACG to update automatically.

Now for virus scanning: Enable the Test Centre by clicking its button, also located in the left panel. A new dialogue screen called Test Centre opens. Click Scan Selected Areas and check/renew the ticks in Local hard drives and in Check system areas before the test starts. Activate the scan via the lower button called Scan Selected Areas and then wait five minutes or so. You don't have to stay with the computer while scanning is in progress.

After scanning/disinfection has finished, close the AVG screens. That's it for AVG. You must perform this pdate and maintenance routine on a regular basis. It should be done weekly to keep a reasonably virus free computer. If you don't do this on at least a weekly basis you will get trouble from viruses.