AVG All-in-one Internet Security Vs...

[mazzy1026]

For years I've been using all the freely available protection products, such as AVG Free, Spybot, Adaware, CCleaner etc etc...

However, what are people's opinions on using just one package, such as AVG's internet security? :

AVG Antivirus and Security Software - AVG Internet Security for Windows XP and Windows Vista with Antivirus, Antispyware, LinkScanner, Firewall and Antispam (http://www.avg.com/product-avg-internet-security)

I'm thinking of giving it a try so that I can get rid rid of a few apps, that all need updating and running separately!

Anyone had any experience of this or able to provide a comparison?

Cheers
Maz

[capewrath]

I use AVG v8.0.237 and am happy enough with it.
A couple of months ago I installed Spybot and it found a trojan that AVG had missed.

I find CC very usefull.
Hijack This is also a handy tool, but it is not fire and forget.

[Tarq57]

Personally I prefer the separate applications approach. Plenty of malware is designed to target some of the more popular apps. and disable it from running. Spreading the security over different layers/brands goes some way to reducing some of the risk, in that, maybe your AV gets nailed, but the firewall stays functional. Maybe.
Another argument against an all-in-one is that a company might have grown its' laurels on the strength of, say, an antispyware (in this case inherited from the very capable Ewido) but the quality of the other tools may not be so strong.
The separate apps I'm running each take care of themselves regarding updating (and they're free), excepting the demand scanners, which should be manually updated before using. No great chore. They're only likely to be necessary if something gets past one of the residents.
Specifically concerning the AVG suite, most of what I've read by users on security forums such as Wilders suggests that something like Avira or even Norton (the 2009 series-apparently much improved over its bloaty predecessors) is likely to do a better job than AVG.

[mazzy1026]

Thanks for the responses!

Another reason for me asking was due to the licensing requirements of such products such as AVG and SpyBot. Great when you install them at home, but if you want to offer paid services in 'pc maintenance' etc it's likely you'll be breaking rules by installing AVG for someone on their PC?

[Tarq57]

Well, maybe not, the version you linked is a licensed version, so I think it would be ok for you to install it. You'd have to check that with the company, and of course, the PC owner, too.
The free version of the AVG suite is somewhat crippled by comparison.
I believe it's quite OK for a computer repairman to install a free AV on a customers' machine, subject to the customers approval, and that only the time spent installing it is charged for.

[mazzy1026]

Yep - my thoughts exactly. Couple that with a SPyBot install and maybe CCleaner, then you'd only charge for your time.

The other option is to become a reseller, but that defeats the whole point of advertising your "services" and not wanting to sell software. Plus as we have established, the separate packages do a better job :cool:

I'll let you know what AVG respond with...

Cheers

[Tarq57]

Rather than Spybot (not bad, just not top notch) why not use MBAM (http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php) and/or SAS (http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html)?
(That'll be $1-10, please! :E)

[mazzy1026]

Not seen those! Will give it a try...

[P.Pilcher]

Since Malwarebytes (recommended above) got me out of a hole the other day - "see what's going on with AVG" I have been doing a little more work and discovered that fresh updates for this free software can be issued several times a day, so that if it needs to update and does, it is bang up to date. Other antispyware software does not update as frequently as this. Furthermore it would appear that any fresh download of this software is bang up to date - it doesn't have to upload the latest files of details of the layest spyware signatures. This means that, as happened in my case where a trojan was stopping my protection software from updating itself, a new download of this software stands a good chance of finding and eliminating such spyware.

P.P.

[mazzy1026]

I installed a 3 month trial of AVG 8 last night which covers 'the works' including firewall, anti spyware and pretty much anti everything!

So far so good - I like it. As for whether or not it'll hit or miss compared to other app's I don't know.

Lets look at it from another perspective though - as a person receiving paid work to sort out someone's PC and make sure they are secure, would you really want to be installing a load of separate app's to do the job, or just install one that'll cover the lot (according to what it says on the tin)? From my past experience, I've used the former method (for friends/family etc) only to come back a month later and find everything out of date etc. At least with the AVG approach, you schedule it and leave it alone.

:8

[Tarq57]

Absolutely! Horses for courses, init?

[mazzy1026]

I like you Targ :p

[Tarq57]

Shh. Don't let the others know!:oh:

[Jofm5]

Mazzy and Targ sitting in a tree....

[mazzy1026]

Jof - sorry, club is full :}

[mazzy1026]

I've had a couple of detailed responses now from AVG but I just can't get a straight answer! They have a reseller programme (which is quite good) that they are pushing, but as for whether or not I can use AVG Free or not, remains unanswered :\

[hellsbrink]

Of course you can put AVG free on someone else's machine provided THEY comply with the license. As long as you are not selling it, you are not breaching anything.

[mazzy1026]

I agree hells! That's what you'd think anyway, but the licensing page refers to commercial use, whether it be sales or "service". :ok:

[hellsbrink]

Ok, I'm looking at the licence now.

Point 1. It will not apply to you if you are outside the US, no matter what it says.

Point 2. You are NOT using it commercially, you are merely advising someone that this is a good piece of software to use and they agree to you installing it, paying you to repair their PC. At no point are you using the software commercially.

Point 3. If you install it on another machine, it will have a "new" licence. Therefore you are not transferring it, etc, like people do when they use the same serial number for some software on various machines. You don't have a licence when you download the software, all you have is a means to install it. If ou have the full version and share that key and software, then you are breaching the agreement, etc.

Point 4. The licence agreement is just the usual bumf which would not stand up in any court, if you were to use the software in the way you state. You are not breaching the agreement as you are not using or modifying the software in any way that would constitute a breach of the agreement.

So, basically, install it on any PC you wish as long as you are not actually charging for the software but are only charging a reasonable fee for the time you have taken to fix the computer

[mazzy1026]

That be why I never got a straight answer :E

Cheers Hells :ok: