AVG 8.5 hijacking the 'net on me

[Crusher Disciple]

I downloaded the newest AVG last weekend, and since I got it (and Lord knows I had an alternative ) I've noticed that when I try to go to a new site, I get a redirect from some stupid AVG search that tells me it supposedly can't find the site I'm looking for.

I'm talking about sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, really hard to find ones. The AVG web page, with a white page, links in blue and a big assed "error" page that I get redirected to has a link where I supposedly can go directly to Google or whatever. When I click on that, I can get to Google.

I deleted the first DL of AVG, and then reinsatlled it on my computer. Same thing happened. When I do the setup, I don't click to allow AVG to install its stupid toolbar or whatever it wants to put on my computer, yet I saw last night that it had installed the AVG toolbar.

Has anyone else had problems with AVG pulling this crap? I know it's AVG since the web address starts with AVG.

And on a a possibly related note, the spellcheck for Firefox isn't working.

 

[Plecostomus]

You have a virus.

Dunno which one, a more techno-woot person will arrive shortly.

I just lost a hard-drive to a similar stunt, pulled by a supposed Spybot upgrade.

I run Norton now. Can't trust these free software providers anymore. Apparently you get what you pay for with 'em.

 

[Dr. Horrible]

I'd heard CD was on a Mac these days. Why the AVG?

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I'd heard CD was on a Mac these days. Why the AVG?

I am. The Macbook had to go to the Apple hospital, and my backup is a Vista.

So, did I get the virus when I DLed the file? AFAIK, I got it from CNET.

 

[Plecostomus]

Possibly, in fact I'd rate that as most likely.

I've downloaded a few things from Cnet that have failed virus-scan lately.

Either someone at Cnet is installing crap in their files, they've stopped checking or somehow they've been hacked.


That's MY experience, yours may be different.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I'd heard CD was on a Mac these days. Why the AVG?

I am. The Macbook had to go to the Apple hospital, and my backup is a Vista.

So, did I get the virus when I DLed the file? AFAIK, I got it from CNET.

I wouldn't assume that you have a virus until you do a virus scan. I updated AVG and it installed a toolbar. I just unchecked it so I don't have to see it.

 

[Amaris]

I downloaded the newest AVG last weekend, and since I got it (and Lord knows I had an alternative ) I've noticed that when I try to go to a new site, I get a redirect from some stupid AVG search that tells me it supposedly can't find the site I'm looking for.

I'm talking about sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, really hard to find ones. The AVG web page, with a white page, links in blue and a big assed "error" page that I get redirected to has a link where I supposedly can go directly to Google or whatever. When I click on that, I can get to Google.

I deleted the first DL of AVG, and then reinsatlled it on my computer. Same thing happened. When I do the setup, I don't click to allow AVG to install its stupid toolbar or whatever it wants to put on my computer, yet I saw last night that it had installed the AVG toolbar.

Has anyone else had problems with AVG pulling this crap? I know it's AVG since the web address starts with AVG.

And on a a possibly related note, the spellcheck for Firefox isn't working.

Does your printer work?
AVG has had a recent history from 8.0 onward of just totally screwing up people's systems. It smothers your computer. I mean it. It gets in the registry, it scans every link on a webpage for links to virus websites, it blocks sites it deems unsafe and doesn't tell you. It is a system resource hog, I mean it is HUGE. I stopped using it at 7.0 when it became as bloated and self redundant as Norton and McAfee. Uninstall the program, restart, install Avira Antivirus. It's free, all it does on occasion is show a pop up ad that is easily clicked away when it updates. It doesn't bog down your system, and it doesn't get in the way of your browsing. I've been using it for years now.

You have a virus.

Dunno which one, a more techno-woot person will arrive shortly.

I just lost a hard-drive to a similar stunt, pulled by a supposed Spybot upgrade.

I run Norton now. Can't trust these free software providers anymore. Apparently you get what you pay for with 'em.

She doesn't have a virus, most likely. Anywho, a recommendation:
Avira Antivirus. Way better than Norton. Also free, trustworthy and lightweight on resources.

www.free-av.com

J.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Thanks, JW. I'm going to DL that one. Screwy things just keep happening, and yes- they started when I DLed the update to AVG last weekend.

 

[Amaris]

You're welcome, CD. I became disappointed in AVG years ago when their install size tripled for no apparent reason, and it started monitoring everything and reducing my options in the preferences menu.


J.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Hmm. I've got AVG 8.5. Maybe I'll give Avira a try.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I agree that it's unlikely to be a virus. I recently upgraded to 8.5 and got the toolbar myself, and every once in a while, AVG will call a link or address "broken". However, if I put the address in a second time and try again, it will almost always work. I think 8.5 is just a tad screwy and might need some updates to fix the actual system.

 

[nevermore]

Do you have the link scanner turned off (aka "AVG Search Shield")? That negated the problem for me.

And I had Avira for a while. The pop ups were effing constant. I had to get rid of the damn thing.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Do you have the link scanner turned off (aka "AVG Search Shield")? That negated the problem for me.

Sadly, I had turned it off and it still did the same thing

And I had Avira for a while. The pop ups were effing constant. I had to get rid of the damn thing.

I'm still going to take a chance and see what happens. The last few days or so have been pure hell trying to stay on the 'net.

 

[nevermore]

Do you have the link scanner turned off (aka "AVG Search Shield")? That negated the problem for me.

Sadly, I had turned it off and it still did the same thing

And I had Avira for a while. The pop ups were effing constant. I had to get rid of the damn thing.

I'm still going to take a chance and see what happens. The last few days or so have been pure hell trying to stay on the 'net.

Yeah, might as well if nothing else is working...

eta: I just realized you said you have Vista. That must be the difference as I do not, and never will...

 

[DarkHelmet]

I run AVG on both XP Pro (4 office cpu's) and Vista HP (home laptop) and LOVE it. Never a problem.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

eta: I just realized you said you have Vista. That must be the difference as I do not, and never will...

Well, in my dad's defense, he did think he was doing me a favor by buying me this thing a couple of Christmases ago.

ETA: Things are back to normal now that I have Avira DLed. It didn't pick up a virus. Now on to the XP that I originally thought had a broken wireless detector.

 

[RAMA]

No problems with AVG 8.5. I have no prob shutting off the toolbar.

RAMA

 

[Teelie]

I've had AVG 8.x for a while. I was using it back in the 5.x years and I'm really disliking the newest iteration with so much bloat. I may give Avira a try. I'm tired of AVG constantly trying to pimp it's paid, professional version on me like a cheap hooker.

It also does hog resources and slows everything down. It's given a few false positives too. And I know they are false because they are files that came from secure sources and were installed months or even years ago with nothing installed recently to infect them. I run a secure computer and I know how to avoid malware.

 

[Geckothan]

I haven't used AVG since 7.x, but I don't remember it being too good. False positives all over the place. It detected any application that interacted directly with the keyboard as a keylogger, and it wouldn't even detect real threats (I saw Blaster slip by it on multiple machines ). I switched to NOD32 and didn't have any more issues (then later GNU/Linux, but that's another discussion).

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Things are now back to normal at the Bunny's house. All of my computers are acting normal, getting onto the net, and staying on it.