Is AVG no longer Free?
By momalisa65
@momalisa65 (1971)
United States
May 31, 2008 11:40pm CST
The past couple mornings I have a message on my screen that says:
"Updates for your current AVG Free will not be available after 5/31/08. AVG 7.5 is being replaced by AVG 8.0 and you will have to upgrade to stay safe."
When I click on the link, it says the upgrade costs $54.99.
I had gotten rid of my Norton which was only about half that price and replaced it with AVG because it was Free.
What's going on?
Should I uninstall it and get something else??
6 people like this
11 responses
@aplaza (630)
• Netherlands
1 Jun 08
There are a lot of things available. Which one works best for you depends on what you expect and need for your pc. Is it just anti-virus you need or do you also require a firewall and spam filtering? Whatever you do I'd suggest getting an online scan. That way you can make sure you haven't been infected.
Have a look in my profile. There are two really good deals in there for protecting your pc.
Stay safe and happy surfing!
@Timothy31 (649)
• United States
1 Jun 08
That is very misleading. There is a free version of 8.0. I know this because i'm currently running it on our three computers. The free version of 8.0 is a little hard to find they kinda bury it. If you just search for avg 8.0 free you'll find it with no problem.
4 people like this
@desertdarlene (8910)
• United States
1 Jun 08
I actually was able to get an update on AVG 7.5 this morning without any problem. But, there is a free verion of 8.0 that I am downloading right this moment as I am typing this. So, you can still use AVG for free. 
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
1 Jun 08
I'm downloading it right now too. I hate the thought of having to set it all up again though.
Thanks for your comment!
3 people like this
@desertdarlene (8910)
• United States
1 Jun 08
I am running my first scan right now and it's taking longer than it used to, but it's not slowing down my computer any. It's picking up a lot of adware and spyware. But, one piece of adware it's picking up is one that I use to get rewards for surfing the net. So, I might have to reinstall that program again. Otherwise, it seems to be very thorough.
3 people like this
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
1 Jun 08
I just got done installing mine too. I didn't run a scan yet though...I gotta go to a graduation party today. Maybe I'll start it before I leave and let it run while I'm gone.
The thing I have trouble with is the email scanner. I use Incredimail and I have lots of different email accounts that need configured. It keeps coming up telling me it's not configured right and I remember it taking forever to get that all straightened out when I got the old version.
I don't have time to look into that now. I don't even WANT to!!
Is the program you have that you get rewards for searching online called My Search Funds? I have that. I hope it doesn't give me problems with that too.
4 people like this
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
1 Jun 08
Thanks for your comment. I'll check out what nod32 is all about.
3 people like this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
2 Jun 08
You have to dig around on the site I believe. It's still free but they make you search for it. They did upgrade for the free version too.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
2 Jun 08
It still seems to be free here in southern Ca as I also haveAVG
and it has never given me any messages like that. I sure
hope that they do not. i like free and I like my
coverage so please AVG dont do that to me. I had
nortons, and macaffee but like avg so much better and
its free.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
2 Jun 08
Thanks for your comment. I got the new version free. Someone posted the link for it on the first page.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
2 Jun 08
As the others indicated, there is a free version of AVG 8.0. It's different. Has some different features. And it takes a long time now, at least for me, for the scan. I use Incredimail too, and sometimes the email scan fails.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
2 Jun 08
I am having a heck of a time getting my incredimail working since I installed the new version of AVG.
I have several email accounts within my Incredimail, and it's scanning the Yahoo mail, and it's bringing in the Hotmail, but not scanning it, and it won't even fetch my Gmail at all, which is my main personal email account.
I keep getting an error message telling me my Incredimail is not configured with Zone Alarm. I don't think Zone Alarm is the problem though, because everything was working fine until I installed the new AVG.
@scampf1 (25)
• United States
3 Jun 08
It's a marketing trick that Avg does every time they change versions. They do very well with the free product and would severely harm a major niche they have developed if they were to discontinue the free service.
They get a lot of business from the users who upgrade from the free service. I would love to say how many are converted but I can't find that info anywhere. If they discontinued providing the free version there are dozens of competitors who would jump right in to fill that void.
They would lose thousands of potential upgrades. Not really a smart marketing move.
@evviesands (162)
• Uruguay
1 Jun 08
I have avg 7.5 and haven't had that problem yet. I haven't download verision 8 cause I thought it was paid. Gonna try the link then.
2 people like this
