free avg download AVG AntiVirus Free. AVG Antivirus free is one of the most popular antivirus programs on the market. The company is moving from annual releases to rolling releases: as long as you have a subscription, you'll have the latest version of their software. Rolling releases: In the past, buying a copy of AVG would get you regular antivirus updates, but features would not change until you bought the following year's version. Now you can always have the newest version of AVG. It's free: Although it's release method has changed, you can still get a version that costs no money -- though there are a few strings attached (more on that in the Cons section below). Modular installation: AVG has separate components that can monitor your desktop email client and your Web browser for threats, and you can choose to not install both of these, if you have other software that covers these bases already. Installer gotchas: If you don't intervene by using a "custom" installation, the installer will put you on a 30-day trial of one of the company's paid products instead of installing AVG Antivirus Free. And it will change your Web browser's homepage and default search engine to Bing.com. PC Analyzer has issues: AVG Antivirus features a PC Analyzer, which checks for registry errors, junk files and broken shortcuts that can be deleted, and disk defragmentation. The problem is, you're not supposed to defrag a solid-state drive, but PC Analyzer did not appear to notice what type of drive it was. The analyzer is also all-or-nothing; you can't skip the defrag or the registry cleaner and just delete junk files and shortcuts, for example. Bottom Line. According to independent testing labs such as AV-Test and AV-Comparatives, AVG uses a solid antivirus engine. But the hoops you have to jump through in the installer and the technical error in the PC Analyzer have an impact on trust and confidence in the product. My AVG Is Slow at Startup. AVG helps protect your computer from viruses, worms and other malware threats by examining every application that runs. As AVG reports, this type of scanning activity does not usually slow your system down. If you experience slow start-ups, poor system performance or other issues that cause your computer to run slowly, you may have a problem you can fix yourself without contacting technical support. Your System May Be Struggling. When Windows launches, it starts AVG along with other programs and services that the operating system needs to run. If your computer has limited resources, such as hard drive space and memory, it can take longer for AVG to start. While it's possible to install the program if your computer meets the minimum system requirements, AVG recommends running the program on a computer that meets its recommended requirements that are higher than the minimum requirements. You can view AVG requirements on the company's system requirements webpage. Keep Your Protection Current. You can often resolve problems by ensuring that your computer is running the latest version of a software program. AVG asks customers to upgrade to the latest version if they're using an older one. AVG's Upgrade page provides a download link that you can follow to obtain the latest AVG version for free (link in Resources). Perform this task first, and you may fix your slow start-up problem and help your computer run faster. More Doesn’t Always Mean Better. You may think that running several anti-virus programs at once increases your protection, but AVG recommends using one security program to protect your computer. Otherwise, you may experience slow processing. Security apps that conflict with AVG include Norton, Avast and Microsoft Security Essentials. If you try to install AVG and an existing antivirus program on a computer that has a conflicting security program, the installation program warns you. If you install conflicting software after you install AVG, you may still experience problems that go beyond slow processing. For instance, AVG may find it difficult to detect viruses, and you could experience Internet connection issues. Slowness Can Be Helpful. You may notice experience slow startups if you recently installed AVG. In fact, it can take 10 minutes or more for the program to perform its initial scan when you first install the program. However, you won’t have to worry about this slowdown in the future because this scan only occurs once. AVG automatic updates help keep your computer secure, but they can also slow your computer when they occur. If you see an animation in your system tray, you'll know that AVG is updating. Things may also slow down when the application runs a system test. Open AVG and click "Reports" when you’d like to see a report that shows the updates and tests that the software has performed. The Most Lightweight Antivirus For An Old PC Or Weak Laptop. It is criminal negligence to have a Windows PC without an antivirus installed. Well, it isn't, but it should be, at the very least. Even if we have a computer with limited capabilities or is quite old, we can install a lightweight antivirus which doesn't use much of the system's resources. In this guide, we have tested the best free, lightweight antivirus apps for old or low-end systems, for adequate safety without any annoying delays or freezes. Unblock any international website, browse anonymously, and download movies and Mp3 with complete safety with CyberGhost, just for $2.75 per month: Table of Contents. Do I need a lightweight antivirus? Most users see the antivirus as a burden for the PC. Some find it a "necessary burden." Others will skip it altogether, believing they will be safe if they are "careful." However, the "resource-hog" antivirus is mostly a myth, at this point. Most award-winning antivirus suites have minimal resource usage, as confirmed by official benchmarks. They should perform fine in most older systems. Panda Dome. Support: Windows 10, 8 / 8.1, 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP (SP3 or newer version), Mac, Linux, Android, iOS Size: 139 MB. Panda Dome is the successor of the well-known Panda Cloud Antivirus. It is considered one of the best antivirus in the AVTest labs, and we can download it from here. This free and lightweight antivirus uses the power of cloud computing to scan and remove viruses from our computer in real time. Furthermore, it offers a multilingual interface, for ease of use. Panda dome can protect our USB devices from virus infection, by scanning them when connected to the PC. Also, it provides an optional free VPN to secure our sensitive transactions with a 150MB daily limit. Finally, the lightweight antivirus includes the useful Rescue Kit, which creates a rescue unit in a USB flash drive. Hence, we can use it to remove malware on an infected computer which won't boot into the OS. Pros. Efficient malware detection in real time. We can create a rescue unit in a USB drive. USB device protection. Use of cloud computing technology. High rating from the AV test labs. Supports multilingual interface. Low impact on OS speed. Cons. We can only get technical support in the paid version. Comodo Cloud Antivirus. Support: Windows 7/8/10, Vista / XP SP2 32-bit / 64-bit, Linux, Mac Size: 96 MB. We have been using Comodo for a while in our personal systems, and we can confirm that it is a lightweight antivirus which does what it promises. It successfully tracks and isolates any threat on time, without slowing down our low-specification PC. This software is also considered one of the best antiviruses in the AVTest labs benchmarks. Comodo Cloud Antivirus has a particularly small installation size, less than 100MB. It also uses the company's cloud service, which makes it perfect for small storage laptops. We can download it from here. Comodo employs a combination of methods to secure our PC. One noteworthy technology is the auto-sandbox, which performs a behavior analysis for the immediate protection of our computer from unknown and well-known malware. When we install a potentially suspicious application, we will receive a warning at first. If we proceed, then Comodo will open it into a protective green frame. That means that we can run it without harming our computer. This functionality is the same that we can get with a separate app such as Sandboxie. Secure shopping is a similar function, which isolates the browser into the sandbox so that we can perform our sensitive bank transactions safely. Of course, it's not as secure as the use of a VPN, but it's better than nothing. The lightweight antivirus offers real-time protection by scanning our files with the Comodo cloud-based servers. Those servers contain the most recent blacklists for viruses and other threats. Lastly, Comodo offers Rescue Disk. It's a free and straightforward tool when Windows doesn't start, and it checks for viruses from its autonomous interface. If we had to pick one disadvantage for Comodo, that would be the extreme protection. While that sounds like a good thing, the app will isolate all applications that it won't already recognize as registered in the service, and will also provide excessive alerts. Pros. Excellent malware detection in real time Virtual desktop with an easy interface We can create a rescue disk for emergency It has a convenient widget on the desktop High rating from the AV test labs Zero impact on system resources. Cons. The technical support is available only in the paid version Comodo Cloud Antivirus doesn't support Linux and Mac. Sandbox functions only if we have the Comodo Dragon browser installed on the PC. ClamWin Free Antivirus. Support: Windows 7/8/10, Vista / XP / Me / 2000 / 98, Windows Server 2012, 2008 Size: 184.5 MB. ClamWin is a free, open-source antivirus for all Windows versions. Over 600,000 enthusiastic open-source users use it on a daily basis around the world. Also, there is a Linux version, even though Linux doesn't need antivirus. Don't expect to see the most beautiful interface or a multilingual menu. However, it is by far the most lightweight antivirus. It may be of use to users who still have old Windows and small storage. Pros. It allows us to define a scan schedule. Automatic database updates for viruses on a regular basis. Autonomous virus detection and menu integration on Microsoft Windows Explorer. Cooperation with Microsoft Outlook to remove infected attachments automatically. Zero impact on system resources. Open-source software with a minimal size. Provides a Linux version and ClamXAV for macOS. Cons. No multilingual support. Have you tried another lightweight antivirus? Not everyone can afford their dream PC, and sometimes we must do with an old or low-end system. However, this isn't an excuse to avoid installing an antivirus, to spare system resources. Have you used any of the lightweight antivirus apps we suggested? Can you recommend another one you have tried? Let us know in the comments below. Support PCsteps. Do you want to support PCsteps, so we can post high quality articles throughout the week? AVG Ultimate Download. AVG Ultimate is the go-to solution if you wish to keep your computer secure and browse the internet safely. Once the software is installed, you can stay away from worries as it can effectively repel attacks done via internet. It can find and solve system issues, remove malware and prohibit access of unauthorized users for security reasons. Software details. Software description. AVG Ultimate 2019 is a software suite that helps you maintain the performance of computer and keep it secure against online threats. It is a combination of multiple AVG products including AVG PC TuneUp, AVG Internet Security, Secure VPN and Web TuneUp; however, the latter two are optional. It allows you to add unlimited devices so that it can monitor the performance of all of them for providing maximum benefits. The product was launched by AVG Technologies which is a reliable name in the field of security products. Either you should purchase its license or compromise with a limited trial period of 30 days. Internet Security : AVG Ultimate provides active immunity against online threats via AVG Internet Security. It contains a reliable anti-malware engine that runs scans on the system to detect various types of issues including viruses, rootkits, Trojans, spyware, and ransomware. AVG Ultimate keeps checking on activities performed through computer, web, and Email to ensure protection against hacking attacks. It protects your private data and encrypts online transactions to avoid identity theft. PC TuneUp : PC TuneUp is a beneficial tool that assists in the enhancement of system performance via features of program deactivation, automatic maintenance, disk cleaning, startup management, health checks and speed modes. Maintenance function looks for system errors and efficiently resolves them. Speed Up function can be used to increase the speed of PC by optimizing processes. You can release disk space from unwanted data and fix problems with hard disk or operating system. Moreover, it is also capable of dealing with problems occurred in the registry, data usage, Windows and connected mobile devices. Add Devices: AVG Ultimate lets you avail its benefits on multiple devices. All you have to do is to choose the type of device and enter the mailing address of the device for sending Email. An invitation will be sent to that Email address, and you can download the software on each device by clicking the link. The software offers support for Windows PC, Android phone, tablet, and Mac system. Secure VPN and Web TuneUp: Secure VPN helps you stay secure on the internet by protecting public or private Wi-Fi connection that connects you to the internet. It encrypts connection so that no intruders can get access to shared information. You can browse the internet in safe mode by hiding your actual location and unblock content via virtual servers. Furthermore, AVG Web TuneUp is essential for hiding from trackers. It is a browser add-on that is compatible with all popular browsers. VPN shreds your browsing history to protect your online activities. It identifies tracking attempts and prohibits access to suspicious websites. Download Avira Free Antivirus. Award-winning protection for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. GET FREE ANTIVIRUS ON ALL YOUR DEVICES. Free Antivirus for Windows > Free Antivirus for Mac > Free Antivirus for Android > Free Mobile Security for iOS > Award-winning tech relied on by 500 million users and Fortune 500 companies. Top anti-ransomware protection. Get the most out of your Mac. Built on Apple's latest tech stack, Avira Free Security for MacOS protects you from all types of malware, helps you keep your data private, and keeps your Mac running smooth. Security. Real-time antivirus protection and seamless virus scans. Privacy. VPN for anonymous browsing, tracker remover, and password manager. Performance. Junk Cleaner for freeing up storage space and performance optimization tools. Free or Pro? Your lifestyle. Your choice. Avira Free Antivirus. Avira Antivirus Pro. Discover the new Avira Free Security for Mac. Powerful Antivirus Scan. Protect your Mac from all types of malware with Avira's powerful scan engine. Our antivirus is light on system resources and provides real-time protection without slowing down your Mac. Free VPN. Protect your privacy and data with our free VPN. Using the highest encryption standard (AES-256), you can browse anonymously and bypass online tracking. Junk Cleaner. Optimize the storage space on your Mac by deleting unwanted files and fine-tune your device's performance. An easy solution to keep your Mac running smooth. Mac-native tech stack. Avira Free Security for Mac has been developed using Apple's newest tech stack. It is fully compatible with the latest MacOS and provides a native Mac experience. We protect you from all online threats — for free. Ransomware. Ransomware. Ransomware. What is ransomware? There are two types of ransomware: crypto-ransomware that encrypts files (rendering them unreadable), and screen-locking ransomware that locks the home screen. In both cases, the authors of malicious software demand a ransom from its victims to access the files and device. Adware. Adware. Adware. What is adware? Adware stands for “advertising software”, a program that displays banner ads and/or pop-ups on devices without permission. Adware distinguishes itself from your typical in-product ads, in-app banners, and service-supported ads in the following ways: • The software, which displays the ads, was installed without your explicit consent (often unnoticed during the installation process). • The adware hijacks your web browser and redirects you to third party websites. • Sensitive information related to your web browsing and purchasing habits is collected without your knowledge and consent. Spyware. Spyware. Spyware. What is spyware? Spyware is software that secretly monitors and collects information. Spyware can be used legally. Certain companies install it on their employees’ computers to monitor sensitive activities (in which case, it ought to be included in their contracts). It is also included in some parental control programs, which can work in a similar fashion to keep a watchful eye out for cyberbullying. Hacking. Hacking. Hacking. What is a hacker? It denotes an individual with outstanding programming skills. Although frequently used to denote criminal activity, the term itself is agnostic. Hackers are frequently divided into 3 categories: Black Hat, White Hat, and Grey Hat. • Black Hat hackers are computer programmers who use their skill for illicit activities, such as developing malware. • White Hat hackers, on the other hand, are frequently hired by companies with the explicit purpose of testing their network defenses. • Grey Hat hackers are a more elusive community usually associated with hacktivism, a hacking activity driven by political or social motivations. The prominent Anonymous group is often thought of as a community of Grey Hat hackers. Phishing. Phishing. Phishing. What are phishing attacks? These are attempts to capture sensitive information by cybercriminals masquerading as banks, social media platforms, and other official entities. Rootkits. Rootkits. Rootkits. What are rootkits? It’s a technique used by software to gain long-term access to a computer without having the required permission. Rootkits are typically installed by other malware to cover their traces. For example, a keylogger might siphon off passwords and credit card details, while the rootkit hides the traffic to keep the theft unbeknown to the user. Other cases involve Trojans that install a rootkit in order to create a botnet. Trojans. Trojans. Trojans. What is a Trojan? Trojans are malicious programs that misrepresent themselves to appear routine or helpful, but actually carry out hidden functions. Worms. Worms. Worms. What is a computer worm? Worms are malicious programs similar to viruses: they cause havoc on devices and are able to self-replicate. Unlike viruses, which need human action to propagate, worms are able to send out hundreds of thousands of copies of themselves via email, or spread via USB devices and shared folders. Private by design: We don't sell your data. Unlike most security vendors, Avira doesn't sell your data and never will. Nor do we share your data with 3rd parties such as government, Big Tech or advertising networks. And recommended by the industry. Rating: 4.5 stars. rated 4,5/5 on GOOGLE PLAY. Rating: 4.1 stars. rated 4,1/5 in AppStore. CNET Editor’s rating Spectacular. Learn more about the following. What is adware? Adware shows annoying or infected advertisements on your device without your permission and you get spammed with banners and pop-ups… What is malware and how can I stay safe online? Visiting websites and downloading files makes your computer or mobile device vulnerable to threats and attacks… What is ransomware and why do I need ransomware protection? Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts the hard disk of the infected system… What is phishing and why can it lead to ID theft? Is that email from your bank? This technique uses deceptive emails and websites to gather personal information… What is spyware and why is it “watching”? 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