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A V G  9  Free © 2 0 1 0  C opyright A V G  T ec hnologies  C Z, s .r.o. A ll rights  res erved.

1

Document revision 90.13 (19.3.2010)

C opyright AVG Technologies C Z, s.r.o. All rights reserved.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This product uses RSA Data Security, Inc. MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm, C opyright (C ) 1991-2, RSA Data
Security, Inc. C reated 1991.
This product uses code from C -SaC zech library, C opyright (c) 1996-2001 Jaromir Dolecek
([email protected]).
This product uses compression library zlib, C opyright (c) 1995-2002 Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler.
This product uses compression library libbzip2, C opyright (c) 1996-2002 Julian R. Seward.

AVG 9 Free

User Manual

Summary of Contents for 9 FREE - REV 90.13

Page 1: ...rs This product uses RSA Data Security Inc MD5 Message Digest Algorithm Copyright C 1991 2 RSA Data Security Inc Created 1991 This product uses code from C SaCzech library Copyright c 1996 2001 Jaromi...

Page 2: ...ns 14 4 2 Installation Launch 15 4 3 License Agreement 15 4 4 Checking System Status 16 4 5 Select Installation Type 16 4 6 Activate your AVG License 17 4 7 Custom Installation Destination Folder 18 4...

Page 3: ...Anti Spyware Principles 35 7 2 2 Anti Spyware Interface 37 7 3 E mail Scanner 37 7 3 1 E mail Scanner Principles 37 7 3 2 E mail Scanner Interface 37 7 3 3 E mail Scanner Detection 41 7 4 License 42...

Page 4: ...62 8 2 1 Tab General 62 8 2 2 Tab Useful Buttons 62 8 2 3 Tab Security 62 8 2 4 Tab VIP 62 8 2 5 Tab Advanced Options 68 9 AVG Advanced Settings 68 9 1 Appearance 70 9 2 Sounds 71 9 3 Ignore Faulty C...

Page 5: ...Predefined Scans 111 10 2 1 Scan Whole Computer 111 10 2 2 Scan Specific Files or Folders 118 10 3 Scanning in Windows Explorer 118 10 4 Command Line Scanning 118 10 4 1 CMD Scan Parameters 121 10 5...

Page 6: ...A V G 9 Free 2010 C opyright A V G T echnologies C Z s r o A ll rights reserved 6 141 12 Event History 142 13 FAQ and Technical Support...

Page 7: ...e will briefly talk about the program installation initial startup configuration and use AVG 9 Free is provided free of charge and its functionality is limited While using AVG 9 Free you might discove...

Page 8: ...SP2 Windows XP Professional x64 Edition SP1 Windows Vista x86 and x64 all editions Windows 7 x86 and x64 all editions and possibly higher service packs for specific operating systems 2 2 Minimum Reco...

Page 9: ...editions and only the following operating systems are supported Windows 2000 SP4 SRP roll up Windows XP SP2 and higher Windows Vista all editions and Windows 7 x86 and x64 all editions AVG Download Ma...

Page 10: ...to establish an Internet connection so that updates can be located You will not be allowed to advance the download process until the AVG Download Manager is able to complete the connectivity test If t...

Page 11: ...he following data Server enter a valid proxy server name or IP address Port provide the respective port number Use proxy authentication if your proxy server requires authentication tick this check box...

Page 12: ...ownloaded you will get automatically redirected to the final AVG Download Manager dialog 3 5 Begin Your AVG Installation Before the AVG installation process is launched you have the possibility to dec...

Page 13: ...right A V G T echnologies C Z s r o A ll rights reserved 13 During the thirty days of the trial period this edition is available to you free of charge and you can always switch to the AVG Free once th...

Page 14: ...llation process starts with the Welcome to the AVG Setup Program window In here you select the language used for the installation process and the default language of AVG user interface In the lower pa...

Page 15: ...carefully and confirm that you have read understood and accept the agreement by marking the I have read license agreement check box and pressing the Accept button If you do not agree with the license...

Page 16: ...lation that installs AVG in fully automatic mode with settings predefined by the program vendor This configuration provides maximum security combined with the optimal use of resources In the future if...

Page 17: ...lbar dialog If custom installation was selected you will continue with the Destination Folder dialog 4 7 Custom Installation Destination Folder The Destination Folder dialog allows you to specify the...

Page 18: ...s AVG should be installed in Check the Additional installed languages item and then select the desired languages from the respective menu E mail Scanner plug ins Click the E mail Scanner item to expan...

Page 19: ...ion of search results of the supported Internet search engines If you do not change the default settings this component will be installed automatically into your Internet browser currently supported b...

Page 20: ...r clashing programs running on your computer at the moment Then the list of programs that need to be closed in order to sucessfuly finish the installation process will be provided Press the Next butto...

Page 21: ...hedule dialog define time when the scheduled scan should be launched It is recommended to keep the default values As for the updates with AVG 9 Free you cannot specify how often you want to check for...

Page 22: ...n about detected threats to improve my security option Further you have the possibility to register to the discussion forum for AVG 9 Free users accessible at http forums avg com which is the main sou...

Page 23: ...zation process by pressing the Optimize scanning now button 5 2 Product Registration AVG 9 Free does not necessarily require registration However it is recommended to register so that you can use the...

Page 24: ...ecause it is not an actual virus and does not include any fragments of viral code Most products react to it as if it were a virus though they typically report it with an obvious name such as EICAR AV...

Page 25: ...nce Unless you have a real reason to do so do not change the AVG configuration Changes to settings should only be performed by an experienced user Some minor editing of AVG Free components settings is...

Page 26: ...of the window provides you with information on the current status of your AVG program details Quick Links left section of the window allow you to quickly access the most important and most frequently...

Page 27: ...re component E mail Scanner opens the default page of the E mail Scanner component Identity Protection AVG Identity Protection is an anti malware product that is focused on preventing identity thieves...

Page 28: ...ed folder switches to the AVG scanning interface and allows you to define within the tree structure of your computer which files and folders should be scanned Scan file allows you to run an on demand...

Page 29: ...r part of the AVG main window Within this section you will always find information on the current security status of your AVG 9 Free Please see an overview of icons possibly depicted in this section a...

Page 30: ...se this link to switch from any currently opened AVG interface to the default one with an overview of all installed components see chapter Components Overview Computer scanner use this link to open th...

Page 31: ...Protection is not implemented in your free version of AVG However you may follow this link to open the AVG website http www avg com on the respective page offering you purchase of the professional AVG...

Page 32: ...in error state but you are fully aware of this situation and you have deliberately decided to Ignore the component state This icon depiction generally indicates a problem inactive component error sta...

Page 33: ...inks Scan Whole Computer alternatively name of the currently launched scan allows you to Set priority of the currently running scan see scan priority Pause or Stop scan Set priority for all scans this...

Page 34: ...an run on the computer Where just a single technology might fall short of detecting or identifying a virus Anti Virus combines several technologies to ensure that your computer is protected from virus...

Page 35: ...updated Database version defines the number of the latest virus database version and this number increases with every virus base update There is just one operating button available within this compone...

Page 36: ...shield and scans your applications in the background as you run them There is also the potential risk that malware has been transmitted to your computer prior to AVG installation or that you have neg...

Page 37: ...ms with personal data such as their e mail address increase exposure to attacks via e mail Companies usually use corporate e mail accounts and employ anti spam filters etc to reduce the risk 7 3 1 E m...

Page 38: ...ctions detected in e mail messages since the last E mail Scanner launch Installed e mail protection information about a specific e mail protection plug in referring to your default installed e mail cl...

Page 39: ...vendor has set up all AVG components to give optimum performance Unless you have a real reason to do so do not change the AVG configuration Any changes to settings should only be performed by an expe...

Page 40: ...bject Detection time date and time the suspicious object was detected Object Type type of the detected object In the bottom part of the dialog under the list you will find information on total number...

Page 41: ...seats how many workstations on which you are entitled to install your AVG 9 Free Free products are intended for non commercial and home use only and are valid for one license only Control buttons Buy...

Page 42: ...me address directly into your browser click a link on any website or e g in your e mail it is checked automatically and blocked if necessary AVG Active Surf Shield scans the contents of the websites y...

Page 43: ...to AVG mark this item to allow back reporting of exploits and bad sites found by users either via AVG Active Surf Shield or AVG Search Shield to feed the database collecting information on malicious a...

Page 44: ...l rating icon will display details about the particular link in question Information include additional details of the threat if any the IP address of the link and when the page was scanned by AVG Ver...

Page 45: ...your web browser the AVG Link Scanner will warn you with a screen similar to Entering such web site is highly risky and it cannot be recommended 7 6 Resident Shield 7 6 1 Resident Shield Principles Th...

Page 46: ...ows Resident Shield has been running for provides the time since the latest component s launch Threats detected and blocked number of detected infections that were prevented from being run opened if n...

Page 47: ...it accesses that server HTTP cookies are used for authenticating tracking and maintaining specific information about users such as site preferences or the contents of their electronic shopping carts P...

Page 48: ...taken now Heal if a cure is available AVG will heal the infected file automatically this option is the recommended action to be taken Move to Vault the virus will be moved to AVG Virus Vault Go to fi...

Page 49: ...ection time date and time the object was detected Object Type type of the detected object Process what action was performed to call out the potentially dangerous object so that it could be detected In...

Page 50: ...ating Within this component you can schedule automatic downloads of update files either from the Internet or the local network Essential virus definition updates should be daily if possible Less urgen...

Page 51: ...should be launched By default the update is set for 17 00 every day It is highly recommended to keep this setting unless you have a true reason to change it Please note The software vendor has set up...

Page 52: ...d Mozilla Firefox version 3 0 or greater Once you have decided you want to install AVG Security Toolbar during the AVG installation process you were asked to decide whether or not you wish to install...

Page 53: ...his button opens the Security tab in the Toolbar Options dialog allowing you to assign AVG Security Toolbar functionality you want to use 8 1 4 Page Status Directly in the toolbar this button displays...

Page 54: ...f the AVG News button displayed within the AVG Security Toolbar o Button name you have the option to change the button name as it will be displayed within AVG Security Toolbar o Show messages change t...

Page 55: ...hat you want to have displayed in your news overview within AVG Security Toolbar click this button to close the currently opened news overview 8 1 6 News Similarly directly from within the AVG Securit...

Page 56: ...eb page providing the latest AVG related press release Current Threat Level opens the virus lab web page with a graphical display of the current threat level on the web Virus Encyclopedia opens the Vi...

Page 57: ...r interface The button opedns the following editing dialog where you can define parameters of your e mail account and the e mail display rules Please follow the instructions in the dialog 8 1 10 Weath...

Page 58: ...hand corner of the info panel you can chose between the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales Based on your selection the temperature information will be further provided in the selected scale Full Forecast...

Page 59: ...ow the AVG Social Extension application This application functionality is essential for the toolbar Facebook connection therefore it is recommended to allow its functioning Press the Allow Status Upda...

Page 60: ...ing to a site a security code in this case to verify an identity or to verify a transaction Recommended For detailed information on VeriSign Identity Protection please consult the VeriSign website Ver...

Page 61: ...ric characters This identification is to be used while you register at any VIP member site where you have an online account Your VIP credential is unique to each installation of the AVG Security Toolb...

Page 62: ...e password and the security code generated by AVG Security Toolbar 8 2 AVG Security Toolbar Options All AVG Security Toolbar parameters configuration is accessible directly within the AVG Security Too...

Page 63: ...utton offers information on AVG toolbar on current threats and the internet threat level opens the virus encyclopedia and provides more AVG products related news Delete History Button this button allo...

Page 64: ...aphical symbols used for search results ratings by the AVG Search Shield component that you want to use o page is safe o page is somewhat suspicious o page containing links to positively dangerous pag...

Page 65: ...o activate the VeriSign protection Always display the VeriSign button on the toolbar this option is only activated in case you marked the previous Enable VIP for secure authentication option If checke...

Page 66: ...in However if in the future you decide to change this settings and you will want to restore displaying the member site info for all VIP websites press the Restore Messaging button to get back to the d...

Page 67: ...on new tabs in the browser this option is marked by default and having opened any new tab in your internet browser the page with a direct Yahoo search will be displayed Let AVG Link Scanner make sugg...

Page 68: ...Appearance refers to the general settings of the AVG user interface and a few elementary options of the application s behavior Language selection In the Language selection section you can chose your...

Page 69: ...s Display system tray notifications check uncheck this item to turn off on the display of all balloon notifications When turned on you can further select what specific notifications should be displaye...

Page 70: ...for the Enable gaming mode when a full screen application is executed option marked default setting 9 2 Sounds Within the Sounds dialog you can specify whether you want to be informed about specific A...

Page 71: ...is displayed in four colors however if an error occurs the icon appears with a yellow exclamation mark text description of the existing problem in the Security Status Info section of the AVG main wind...

Page 72: ...ents directly from the components overview in the AVG main window 9 4 Virus Vault The Virus Vault maintenance dialog allows you to define several parameters regarding the administration of objects sto...

Page 73: ...you can define it as a potentially unwanted program exception The Potentially Unwanted Programs Exceptions dialog displays a list of already defined and currently valid exceptions from potentially unw...

Page 74: ...to be created o File type the full path to the file that you want to mark as an exception o Checksum displays the unique signature of the chosen file This checksum is an automatically generated string...

Page 75: ...ed ahead the content of sites returned by the search engine Enable AVG Active Surf Shield on by default active real time protection against exploitive sites as they are accessed Known malicious site c...

Page 76: ...e computer Shell Extension Scan specific scanning of a selected object directly from the Windows Explorer environment Scan Specific Files or Folders standard predefined scan of selected areas of your...

Page 77: ...ed off by default Scan for Tracking Cookies this parameter of the Anti Spyware component defines that cookies should be detected HTTP cookies are used for authenticating tracking and maintaining speci...

Page 78: ...ll increase significantly during the scan and will slow down your other activities on the PC this option can be used when your computer is switched on but nobody is currently working on it On the othe...

Page 79: ...Scans Scan Whole Computer Compared to Scan whole computer dialog the Shell extension scan dialog also includes the section named Other settings related to AVG User Interface where you can specify whe...

Page 80: ...eserved 80 All parameters set up in this configuration dialog apply only to the areas selected for scanning with the Scan of specific files or folders Note For a description of specific parameters ple...

Page 81: ...default this scanning is switched off However it is crucial to scan removable devices for potential threats since these are a major source of infection To have this scanning ready and launched automat...

Page 82: ...lled Name there is the name assigned to this very schedule by the program vendor it is not possible to change this name In this dialog you can further define the following parameters of the scan Sched...

Page 83: ...Once the scheduled scan is launched in the time you have specified you will be informed on this fact via a pop up window opened over the AVG system tray icon A new AVG system tray icon then appears in...

Page 84: ...tomatically the infected object will be moved to the Virus Vault or deleted Report Potentially Unwanted Programs and Spyware threats on by default check to activate the Anti Spyware engine and scan fo...

Page 85: ...scanned or Selected file types you can specify that you want to scan only files that are possibly infectable files that cannot get infected will not be scanned for instance some plain text files or s...

Page 86: ...scan findings should be reported Click the Additional scan settings to open a new Computer shutdown options dialog where you can decide whether the computer should be shut down automatically once the...

Page 87: ...scan tab you can define whether you want to schedule scanning of the whole computer or scanning of specific files or folders If you select scanning of specific files or folders in the bottom part of...

Page 88: ...update scheduling is covered within the Update Manager component Within this dialog you can set up some detailed parameters of the virus database update schedule Next in the text field called Name the...

Page 89: ...able option to make sure than if the internet connection gets corrupted and the update process fails it will be launched again immediately after the internet connection is restored 9 8 3 Program Updat...

Page 90: ...ons the program update should should not be launched if the computer is in low power mode or switched off completely Other update settings Check the Run the update again after the Internet connection...

Page 91: ...uring scanning Use heuristic whether you want to check for the presence of potentially unwanted programs Report Potentially Unwanted Programs and Spyware Threats Report enhanced set of Potentially Unw...

Page 92: ...By default the Remove attachments option is switched off If you decide to activate it all e mail message attachments detected as infectious or potentially dangerous will be removed automatically If yo...

Page 93: ...ecify the maximum size of the log file in MB Log level threshold the medium level is set up by default you can select a lower level logging elementary connection information or higher level logging of...

Page 94: ...t automatically according to your e mail client settings o USER COMPUTER the simplest and the most frequently used method for determining the destination mail server is the proxy method To use this me...

Page 95: ...n alternative method of forwarding the user account password for login sending the password to the server not in an open but in an encrypted format using a variable chain received from the server Natu...

Page 96: ...c login will be carried out automatically according to your e mail client settings o Fixed host in this case the program will always use the server specified here Please specify the address or name of...

Page 97: ...f connection to use regular SSL SSL default If you choose SSL connection the data sent is encrypted without the risk of being traced or monitored by a third party This feature is available only when t...

Page 98: ...nes that cookies should be detected during scanning HTTP cookies are used for authenticating tracking and maintaining specific information about users such as site preferences or the contents of their...

Page 99: ...applications documents when they are being opened and also when they are being closed this feature helps you protect your computer against some types of sophisticated virus Scan boot sector of removab...

Page 100: ...rectory Excludes dialog offers the possibility of defining folders that should be excluded from the Resident Shield scanning If this is not essential we strongly recommend not excluding any directorie...

Page 101: ...ould be excluded from the Resident Shield scanning If this is not essential we strongly recommend not excluding any files The dialog provides the following control buttons Add specify files to be excl...

Page 102: ...nning are skipped The settings dialog offers two options Caching enabled on by default uncheck the box to switch off the Cache Server and empty the cache memory Please note that scanning might slow do...

Page 103: ...ince this way AVG can secure the maximum safety level Scheduling an update for the next PC restart can only be recommended if you are sure the computer gets restarted regularly at least daily If you d...

Page 104: ...created In case the update process fails and your operating system crashes you can always restore your OS in its original configuration from this point This option is accessible via Start All Programs...

Page 105: ...t item of the Update settings Proxy dialog you have to select from the combo box menu whether you want to Use proxy Do not use proxy server default settings Try connection using proxy and if it fails...

Page 106: ...hentication option to verify that your user name and password are valid for connecting to the Internet via the proxy server Automatic configuration If you select automatic configuration mark the Auto...

Page 107: ...s fields are inactive until you check the Use dial up connections option that activates the fields Specify whether you want to connect to the Internet automatically Automatically open this connection...

Page 108: ...V G T echnologies C Z s r o A ll rights reserved 108 9 12 3 URL The URL dialog offers a list of Internet addresses from which the update files can be downloaded In this free version these servers are...

Page 109: ...orary update files press this button to delete all redundant update files from your hard disk by default these files are being saved for 30 days Revert virus database to previous version press this bu...

Page 110: ...g you will find the following overview of predefined scans two types of scans defined by the software vendor are ready to be used immediately on demand or scheduled o Scan whole computer o Scan specif...

Page 111: ...the AVG 9 Free you will find two types of scanning predefined by the software vendor 10 2 1 Scan Whole Computer Scan whole computer scans your entire computer for possible infections and or potential...

Page 112: ...editing You have the option of editing the predefined default settings of the Scan of the whole computer Press the Change scan settings link to get to the Change scan settings for Scan whole computer...

Page 113: ...lly during scanning Additional scan settings the link opens a new Additional scan settings dialog where you can specify the following parameters o Computer shutdown options decide whether the computer...

Page 114: ...u keep it so unless you have a real reason to change it Files with no extension are rather suspicious and should be scanned at all times Scan process priority you can use the slider to change the scan...

Page 115: ...the scanning interface by clicking on the scan s icon A new dialog called Select specific files or folders for scanning opens In the tree structure of your computer select those folders you want to h...

Page 116: ...change them Scanning parameters in the list of scanning parameters you can switch on off specific parameters as needed for detailed description of this settings please consult chapter AVG Advanced Se...

Page 117: ...lly you can decide you want to Scan files without extension this option is on by default and it is recommended that you keep it so unless you have a real reason to change it Files with no extension ar...

Page 118: ...sure of its content you may want to have it checked on demand Follow these steps Within Windows Explorer highlight the file or folder you want to check Right click your mouse over the object to open...

Page 119: ...of the computer should be scanned For a more detailed explanation of the options see the command line parameters overview To run the scan press Enter During scanning you can stop the process by Ctrl C...

Page 120: ...Report to file file name REPAPPEND Append to the report file REPOK Report uninfected files as OK NOBREAK Do not allow CTRL BREAK to abort BOOT Enable MBR BOOT check PROC Scan active processes PUP Repo...

Page 121: ...u should launch the Scan whole computer regularly at least once a week However if possible launch the scan of your entire computer daily as set up in the scan schedule default configuration If the com...

Page 122: ...ortunately within AVG 9 Free you are not allowed to add new scan schedules neither delete the only predefined scan However these extended options are available in AVG full version www avg com 10 5 1 S...

Page 123: ...d time Run at specific time or possibly by defining an event that the scan launch should be associated with Action based on computer startup Advanced schedule options this section allows you to define...

Page 124: ...can be healed automatically if a cure is available In case the infected file cannot be healed automatically or if you decide to switch off this option you will be notified upon a virus detection and...

Page 125: ...some type of archive e g ZIP RAR Use Heuristics on by default heuristic analysis dynamic emulation of the scanned object s instructions in a virtual computer environment will be one of the methods use...

Page 126: ...ed at all times Scan process priority you can use the slider to change the scanning process priority By default the priority is set to medium level Automatic scan that optimizes the scanning process s...

Page 127: ...n tab you can define whether you want to schedule scanning of the whole computer or scanning of specific files or folders In case you select scanning of specific files or folders in the bottom part of...

Page 128: ...t Files Documents and Settings User Local Settings Temporary Internet Files Windows XP or C Users user AppData Local Microsoft Windows Temporary Internet Files Windows Vista 7 Control buttons of the S...

Page 129: ...ng the scan result green icon informs there was no infection detected during the scan blue icon announces there was an infection detected during the scan but the infected object was removed automatica...

Page 130: ...overview Back switches back to the default dialog of the AVG scanning interface 10 7 Scan Results Details If in the Scan Results Overview dialog a specific scan is selected you can then click the Vie...

Page 131: ...ation on detected virus infections spyware removed healed virus infections spyware the number of virus infections spyware that cannot be removed or healed In addition you will find information on the...

Page 132: ...edia online Result defines the current status of the infected object that was detected during scanning o Infected the infected object was detected and left in its original location for instance if you...

Page 133: ...ailable in this dialog View details the button opens a new dialog window named Detailed object information In this dialog you can find detailed information on the detected infectious object e g infect...

Page 134: ...infected object was healed automatically and left in its original location o Moved to Virus Vault the infected object was moved to the Virus Vault quarantine o Deleted the infected object was deleted...

Page 135: ...When detected by the Resident Shield these files are blocked from being accessed Typical examples of this kind of findings are hidden files cookies suspicious registry keys etc Such files do not prese...

Page 136: ...wever less frequent amongst common software Such files are suspicious and their removal or submission for analysis should be considered Password protected archive or document Password protected files...

Page 137: ...ected objects Severity distinguishes finding types based on their infective level all listed objects can be positively or potentially infected Virus Name specifies the name of the detected infection a...

Page 138: ...inal location on your disk Restore As in case you decide to move the detected infectious object from the Virus Vault to a selected folder use this button The suspicious and detected object will be sav...

Page 139: ...e set an update plan The planned update is then performed periodically according to the setup configuration Whenever new update files are present on the specified location they are downloaded either d...

Page 140: ...A V G 9 Free 2010 C opyright A V G T echnologies C Z s r o A ll rights reserved 140 via Start All Programs Accessories System tools System Restore Recommended to experienced users only...

Page 141: ...that occurred during AVG 9 Free operation Event History records the following types of events Information about updates of the AVG application Scanning start end or stop including automatically perfo...

Page 142: ...FAQ section of AVG website http free avg com faq You can also use the discussion forum for AVG Free users accessible at http forums avg com Unfortunately using AVG 9 Free you are not entitled to tech...

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