AVG update help needed :(

[winterborn86]

I have AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011, and today I had a pop up saying that I have multiple security problems. I checked my AVG and in the overview section it says that Anti-Virus and Anti-Spywear are outdated, which means I'm open to viruses, trojans and so on. I've attempted the update several times but it keeps stopping and says "Update failed, gerneral error" I don't know what to do, does anyone have any ideas?
I've never had a problem with AVG before. I've run a whole computer scan and it's come back fine, theres no viruses (yet).

[DragonHeart]

Try uninstalling and reinstalling the program.

If that doesn't work, there are multiple other free antivirus programs you can replace it with. I personally got rid of AVG because it was becoming a bit of a resource hog; I use Avira now. I've heard a lot of good things about Microsoft Security Essentials, as well.

~DragonHeart~

[Merlin]

If you choose to use AVG, the best solution would be to check out their site to see if the latest update has been causing problems. I know they have a tech support section for the updates, I just don't recall the web address to it. If the update itself is bad then re-installing AVG could leave your computer even more vulnerable because it will be even more out of date.

FYI: AVG is a bit notorious for pushing out shitty patches which run the gamut from not working at all to thinking Windows is a virus and bluescreening the shit out of it. I left them because I no longer trust them to know the difference between a virus and something innocuous. And yeah, it's a pig too, just not as bad as McAfee or Norton. Those two are absolute bloatware.

[Calvan]

Frankly i'd switch to avast. It's free and it updates it's virus definitions at least 5 times a week.

I've never had a good experience with AVG.

[Victoria]

Yeah, I prefer Avast. I've also heard good things about MSE as well, but I'll stick with Avast for now. It has a browsing firewall kind of.

[Howling Wind]

FYI: AVG is a bit notorious for pushing out shitty patches which run the gamut from not working at all to thinking Windows is a virus and bluescreening the shit out of it.

Wait what? I always thought Windows WAS a virus! =O Well, it must be a bug!

But seriously. Get Avast OR Microsoft Security Essentials (Gawd I can't believe I recommended virus protection from Microsoft!) The irony being Virus, protection and Microsoft in the same sentence.

But seriously. Both are good (MSSE Is better than Avast imho) but both are free and do the job great =D

[Victoria]

Actually MSSE is just that. Essentials. Barebones. Avast is more thorough and has a lot more features. MSSE doesn't have an active browser firewall, I don't think.

It's just a barebones scanner.

[Howling Wind]

^ Oh damn! Well, I suppose I liked it better because it used less system resources. And I always turn active firewall browser stuff of anyway.

But yeah, use Avast unless you don't want/need that stuff.

Whenever I'm on Windows I usually use the lightest piece of crap (literally) I can find and just scan every now and then I guess. This WAS in Vista though, so they had the DCS thing that did a lot of the other stuff.

But yeah, I stand corrected. Apparently Avast is better unless you just want/need a scanner.

[Merlin]

How old is your computer? Avast is sipping less than 3MB of RAM on my computer. Opening Task Manager to look at the processes eats up more RAM than Avast does(4MB).

If you aren't going to run an active scanner, you might as well not bother installing anti-virus software at all, because by the time you find out you have one it is too late. An active scanner like in Avast will keep the virus from ever getting on your computer in the first place.

[Howling Wind]

If you are talking to me, I never had a use for active scanners. I mean, they just annoy me. And in my time of using Windows I never had a virus. Not saying its a good idea for anyone to do. But meh, guess I'm just careful or lucky... maybe both.

[Victoria]

How do you know you never had one? Do you scan manually everyday or something?
And how do they annoy you? They don't really do -anything- until you actually run into a virus and they prevent it. Lol.

[Howling Wind]

I dunno, maybe it had something to with how those Windows computers were set up. It was a while ago I don't really remember it.

I dunno, I'm weird.

Besides I used Linux for a while in school too, my old school. Most of my classes at my new school are Macintoshes and people don't generally put AV software on them, unless its to snatch Windows viruses before sending a file to a windows computer.

But yeah, Avast is better than MSE I mean Vicky has me beat on the whole AV thing. I guess I have been stupid lucky O.O

EDIT

Yeah the virus software at school used to scan before shutdown for viruses. I guess school computers is a bogus example xD

Ermm. AVAST all the way? =D

[DragonHeart]

Anyone who says they've never had a virus just hasn't detected one, chances are good they've had multiple and just didn't know it. Hell, most computers these days ship with malware on them. Company-approved, but still. For all intents and purposes it's no better than the crap you pick up off the web.

~DragonHeart~

[Howling Wind]

^

If that is true than virii scanners must suck xD

Seriously though its not like I have owned a Windows computer for personal use, thats why I said basing my experience of no viruses without an active scanner is moot. Because they are public and I have only used them tops a few hours a week in the past, also, Vicky owns me on knowledge of AV software xD

[GypsyElder]

I'm an avast fan. I tried AVG just to try it and I just uninstalled it last night. It began to get on my nerves with all it's goshdamn questions and pop ups NO I DONT WANT THE DAMN SECURITY TOOLBAR!

[winterborn86]

^ I have the toolbar, although I don't remember choosing too. I keep getting some kind of pop up everytime I log on to my laptop. asking if I want to make something (I don't remember what off hand) my default something else (can't remember what again). I kep selecting don't change it, but it keeps popping up everytime. It's quite annoying really.
Uninstalling and reinstalling did work, but if I have anymore problems with it I will switch to Avast, that seems to be quite the popular one.

[Merlin]

^

If that is true than virii scanners must suck xD

Malware are not viruses. They might be more annoying at times, but they are a totally different kettle of fish, one in which virus scanners are not designed to cover. That is unless you buy some all-in-one bloatware extravaganza. For malware I use MalwareByte's Anti-Malware. I only check that occasionally as using Firefox with AdBlock Plus and never installing software from vendors who sneak it on their installers pretty much eliminates that threat. Never blast through an install of something. Always do your research before hitting "OK" or else you're just asking for it.

[Howling Wind]

Ah my bad. I was aware that Malware aren't virii but I thought scanners would find them. Woe is me.

This thread is becoming an education! =D

[death]

I moved from AVG to Avast as it didn't pick up a worm on my pen drive from college but avast started popping up and nice sounds when i plug it into someone elses pc.