Comments on: AVG LinkScanner Problem Solved?

By: Head Geek

Head Geek — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:22:43 +0000

On a mostly-unrelated note, I removed AVG from my development Windows XP virtual machine last night. Not because of any problems with it, but because I set the VM's networking to host-only, drastically cutting the number of attack vectors. The only way malware could get on the VM now is if I put it there, and I almost never install software on that machine.

AVG is still on my dual-boot Windows partition though.

By: Ploni Almoni

Ploni Almoni — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:24:33 +0000

CPU and RAM hogging, yes. 8.x is a lot less lightweight. Someone at AVG really dropped the ball on it in more ways than one. It’s got more features, some of them ill-thought out, and is bloated. IOW, second-system effect. It’s still better than what Symantec, Norton, and McAffee put out though. That doesn’t say much. Avast! or Antivir appear to be the way to go. Plus they have antimalware, though one can use separate utilities for that.

By: Head Geek

Head Geek — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:04:52 +0000

By resource-hogging, I assume you mean CPU-hogging — size-bloat and speed-bloat are two different measurements. AVG stacked up very well against the more-popular virus scanners speed-wise, in tests done a couple years ago (on the previous version). They haven’t been re-run on the new version yet, so far as I know, but I suspect it would still be pretty good.

By: Ploni Almoni

Ploni Almoni — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:45:47 +0000

Although AVG is a nice antivirus scanner, I found that 8.0 was a lot more bloated. (Bloat is important in av programs because they can be resource hogs). I prefer now either Avast! or Antivir. I’m running Avast! on my Windows “Boot Camp” partition now. (Which can double as a VMWare Fusion image. Nice feature!) Avast! also doesn’t have pop-up updating like AVG, though it requires you register it via email with the company every 14 months.

By: Head Geek

Head Geek — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:19:08 +0000

Yup, it was confirmed on The Register early yesterday morning.

By: LukeM

LukeM — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:03:29 +0000

AVG Australia have also posted a response on their website about this. Seems to confirm what Pat is saying. AVG Responds to and Resolves LinkScanner Issues

By: Ploni Almoni

Ploni Almoni — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:31:55 +0000

Ah-hah! Trying to trick me into participating more! That won’t work, I’ll just participate more to spite you!

By: Head Geek

Head Geek — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:50:36 +0000

Hurray! Thanks for the confirmation.

Yes, Ploni, if you post here, my fame will rub off on you. Whether that’s a good thing or not is up to you.

By: Ploni Almoni

Ploni Almoni — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 09:35:54 +0000

I’d better watch what I say, celebrities read this blog.

By: Pat Bitton

Pat Bitton — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:22:24 +0000

Yes, the posting was really from AVG:-)

Pat Bitton Director, Global Communications AVG Technologies