AVG anti virus = virus?

recently i have downloaded AVG anti virus again, in order to attempt to rectify some issues with my PC, however when in installed it and it ran its background scans it proclaimed that pretty much every exe file in my computer was a virus or some sort. it was ridiculous.

also, it removed its own uninstall file and locked me out of the virus vault, which contained several exe files of programs that are now no longer functioning.

AVG is not the super free savior it is thought to be, i would highly dis-recommend it to everyone now.

im trying Avast 4 free, lets hope i have more luck...

I've been using AVG for a bout a year now, and my friends at the computer store have been using it longer. It sounds more like you have a corrupted file or a bad install.

Did you download it directly from the AVG website, or a second party?

as far as i know, the website.

my friend also has been having similar issues. deleted files that are of no threat and the like. he has had a particular problem when AVG kept deleting his downloads unless he quickly moved them elsewhere.

its just the thing with AVG though, if any possible threat is detected then there is no way at all to stop it from being moved or deleted... something which has veered me away from AVG

My opinion for your problem is your PC has already been invaded by some powerful viruses which are able to control some anti-virus software like AVG.

My suggestion is to install some strong software like Norton or Mcfee or Kapasky. Spyware doctor also is good for such problem but I doubt deeply your operational system can be completely recovered.

Do you have recovery disc?

I just downloaded it onto my new XPS about 5 hours ago and everything is working fine...

I have been using AVG for years now and never had even one hiccup in all that time...

Just sayin...

Semper

I have used AVG for a year as well..just updated it.
Never a problem as far as it working.
Just have to be careful to keep it updated.
It sounds to me like you might need to wipe everything and start again.
You got an army of Viruses there.

Avg is a good free antivirus.

That said, I suspect you have a virus of some form that has infected many of your system/exe files.

That is why your avg is showing all your files as infected.

In downloading a program "vlite from a 3rd party site, I found it came with an infection.

By the time Kaspersky saw it, it had infected half the files had been infected and I had to format and reload from backup (always maintain full backups and scan them as well as your conputer)

AVG has worked great for me too. I also have Spyware doctor, and it is good, but truthfully I think Ad Aware (free) is the better spyware program overall. It finds stuff Spyware Doctor misses on a regular basis.

[edit on 1-3-2008 by Illusionsaregrander]

I have never had a problem with AVG, and I have been using it for some 7 years. I have it installed in at least 6 computers with which I work.

When I installed Windows Vista on my computer (at the time was still the Beta version) AVG didn't work with Vista, so I changed to Avast! and I am happy with it, I now recommend Avast!.

well, if i have a virus, then it is a dormant one. i havent had any system malfunctions that couldnt be traced to a non virus related issue...

avast antiu virus hasnt found anything other than a virus on an old HDD and the odd spyware. i only just installed AVG before it almost removed half my PC so thats why i came to this conclusion.

Originally posted by ArMaP
I have never had a problem with AVG, and I have been using it for some 7 years. I have it installed in at least 6 computers with which I work.

When I installed Windows Vista on my computer (at the time was still the Beta version) AVG didn't work with Vista, so I changed to Avast! and I am happy with it, I now recommend Avast!.

Avast are unable to defend Trojan, what will you do?

reply to post by emile


What do you mean? Are you saying that Avast! does not detect Trojan horses? Or are you saying that it detects but does not stop them?

Sorry, I don't understand it.

Both of what you said.

i also have had no issues with AVG. it has actually stopped my system from getting infected. i would second the thoughts that you either have a corrupt installation (unlikely to cause your problem) or you actually have an infection that spread to all of those files. viruses don't necessarily do anything that you will notice. sometimes you have really innocuous ones that pop up a message on a certain day, they can open your system up to be used as a pirated software/porn server, or they can range all the way up to corrupting your system to the point where the only thing you can really do is format and reinstall.

you can also try going to trendmicro.com or another security site that has online scans. the trendmicro site has a "housecall" link that will run a scan on your machine. it won't clean, but it will let you know if there's something wrong. a lot of times viruses can interfere with the scanners by preventing them from running properly or running at all.

reply to post by emile


Could you tell me where did you got that information?

id say go linux and you probably wont have another AV problem ever again.

I use Ubuntu on my laptop and im about to convert my desktop over as soon as I get back.

reply to post by Methuselah


I never make that suggestion in cases like this because it would be like moving to another city and finding a new job just because you have an annoying neighbour.

I always think that it's best to learn how to use what we have and how to solve the eventual problems that may arise than run away from them, in that way we just move from a problem to a different problem without learning how to really deal with them.

Linux:

is faster
is more stable
utilitzes its resources efficiently (not a resource hog)
can run on multiple platforms (portability)
can recognize multiple File systems
is more secure than windows
has more features than windows
is more customizable than windows
doesnt have AV issues
is open source (anyone can report bugs and fixes)
its free (some have cost, but even then its very cheap compared to MS)

AV is not the only reason to switch over.

its not like moving to a different city because you have annoying neighbors, its like moving from an apartment to a house because a house. do I have to list the reasons why one would do that?
didnt think so.



so is this discussion going to turn into one on how to deal with personal issues and experiences or are we going to talk about ways to better your life in the world of computers? just out of curiosity, do you work for MS or something? you seemed to take offense to my suggestion.

[edit on 4-3-2008 by Methuselah]

im taking on board all this linux talk and am installing Xubuntu on a virtual disk as i speak.


had no virus related issues yet, ran avast only to find, nothing. found a couple of red blob thingies on Ad-aware, nothing new.