Page 1
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 1
Document revision 2011.05 (2.12. 2010)
Copyright AVG Technologies CZ, 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, Copyright (C) 1991-2, RSA Data
Security, Inc. C reated 1991.
This product uses code from C-SaCzech library, C opyright (c) 1996-2001 Jaromir Dolecek
(dolecek@ics.muni.cz).
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 Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011
User Manual
Page 2
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 2
Contents
........................................................................................................................ 6
1. Introduction
........................................................................................................................ 7
2. AVG Installation Requirements
.......................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Operation Systems Supported
.......................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Minimum & Recommended HW Requirements
........................................................................................................................ 8
3. AVG Installation Options
........................................................................................................................ 9
4. AVG Installation Process
.......................................................................................................... 9
4.1 Welcome
.......................................................................................................... 10
4.2 Activate your AVG license
.......................................................................................................... 10
4.3 Select type of installation
.......................................................................................................... 11
4.4 Custom options
.......................................................................................................... 12
4.5 Install the AVG Security Toolbar
.......................................................................................................... 13
4.6 Close running applications
.......................................................................................................... 14
4.7 Install progress
.......................................................................................................... 14
4.8 Installation was successful
........................................................................................................................ 16
5. After Installation
.......................................................................................................... 16
5.1 Product registration
.......................................................................................................... 16
5.2 Access to user interface
.......................................................................................................... 16
5.3 Scanning of the whole computer
.......................................................................................................... 16
5.4 Eicar test
.......................................................................................................... 17
5.5 AVG default configuration
........................................................................................................................ 18
6. AVG User Interface
.......................................................................................................... 19
6.1 System Menu
.......................................................................................................... 19
6.1.1 File
.......................................................................................................... 19
6.1.2 Components
.......................................................................................................... 19
6.1.3 History
.......................................................................................................... 19
6.1.4 Tools
.......................................................................................................... 19
6.1.5 Help
.......................................................................................................... 21
6.2 Security Status Info
.......................................................................................................... 22
6.3 Quick Links
.......................................................................................................... 23
6.4 Components Overview
.......................................................................................................... 24
6.5 Statistics
.......................................................................................................... 24
6.6 System Tray Icon
Page 3
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 3
.......................................................................................................... 25
6.7 AVG gadget
........................................................................................................................ 28
7. AVG Components
.......................................................................................................... 28
7.1 Anti-Virus
.......................................................................................................... 28
7.1.1 Anti-Virus Principles
.......................................................................................................... 28
7.1.2 Anti-Virus Interface
.......................................................................................................... 29
7.2 Anti-Spyware
.......................................................................................................... 29
7.2.1 Anti-Spyware Principles
.......................................................................................................... 29
7.2.2 Anti-Spyware Interface
.......................................................................................................... 31
7.3 Link Scanner
.......................................................................................................... 31
7.3.1 Link Sc anner Principles
.......................................................................................................... 31
7.3.2 Link Sc anner Interface
.......................................................................................................... 31
7.3.3 Search-Shield
.......................................................................................................... 31
7.3.4 Surf-Shield
.......................................................................................................... 34
7.4 Resident Shield
.......................................................................................................... 34
7.4.1 Resident Shield Principles
.......................................................................................................... 34
7.4.2 Resident Shield Interface
.......................................................................................................... 34
7.4.3 Resident Shield Detection
.......................................................................................................... 39
7.5 E-mail Scanner
.......................................................................................................... 39
7.5.1 E-mail Scanner Principles
.......................................................................................................... 39
7.5.2 E-mail Scanner Interface
.......................................................................................................... 39
7.5.3 E-mail Scanner Detection
.......................................................................................................... 42
7.6 Update Manager
.......................................................................................................... 42
7.6.1 Update Manager Principles
.......................................................................................................... 42
7.6.2 Update Manager Interface
.......................................................................................................... 44
7.7 License
.......................................................................................................... 45
7.8 PC Analyzer
........................................................................................................................ 48
8. AVG Security Toolbar
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1 AVG Security Toolbar Interface
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.1 AVG logo button
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.2 AVG Sec ure Search powered search box
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.3 Page Status
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.4 News
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.5 Delete history
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.6 E-mail Notifier
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.7 Weather Info
.......................................................................................................... 48
8.1.8 Fac ebook
.......................................................................................................... 54
8.2 AVG Security Toolbar Options
Page 4
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 4
.......................................................................................................... 54
8.2.1 Tab General
.......................................................................................................... 54
8.2.2 Tab Useful Buttons
.......................................................................................................... 54
8.2.3 Tab Security
.......................................................................................................... 54
8.2.4 Tab Advanced Options
........................................................................................................................ 58
9. AVG Advanced Settings
.......................................................................................................... 58
9.1 Appearance
.......................................................................................................... 60
9.2 Sounds
.......................................................................................................... 61
9.3 Ignore Faulty Conditions
.......................................................................................................... 62
9.4 Virus Vault
.......................................................................................................... 63
9.5 PUP Exceptions
.......................................................................................................... 65
9.6 Link Scanner
.......................................................................................................... 66
9.7 Scans
.......................................................................................................... 66
9.7.1 Scan Whole Computer
.......................................................................................................... 66
9.7.2 Shell Extension Scan
.......................................................................................................... 66
9.7.3 Scan Specific Files or Folders
.......................................................................................................... 66
9.7.4 Removable Device Sc an
.......................................................................................................... 71
9.8 Schedules
.......................................................................................................... 71
9.8.1 Scheduled Scan
.......................................................................................................... 71
9.8.2 Virus Database Update Schedule
.......................................................................................................... 71
9.8.3 Program Update Sc hedule
.......................................................................................................... 81
9.9 E-mail Scanner
.......................................................................................................... 81
9.9.1 Certification
.......................................................................................................... 81
9.9.2 Mail Filtering
.......................................................................................................... 81
9.9.3 Servers
.......................................................................................................... 89
9.10 Resident Shield
.......................................................................................................... 89
9.10.1 Advanced Settings
.......................................................................................................... 89
9.10.2 Excluded items
.......................................................................................................... 92
9.11 Cache Server
.......................................................................................................... 94
9.12 Update
.......................................................................................................... 94
9.12.1 Proxy
.......................................................................................................... 94
9.12.2 Dial-up
.......................................................................................................... 94
9.12.3 URL
.......................................................................................................... 94
9.12.4 Manage
.......................................................................................................... 101
9.13 Temporarily disable AVG protection
.......................................................................................................... 101
9.14 Product Improvement Programme
.......................................................................................................... 103
9.15 AVG Sec urity Toolbar
........................................................................................................................ 105
10. AVG Scanning
Page 5
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 5
.......................................................................................................... 105
10.1 Scanning Interface
.......................................................................................................... 106
10.2 Predefined Scans
.......................................................................................................... 106
10.2.1 Whole Computer Scan
.......................................................................................................... 106
10.2.2 Scan Specific Files or Folders
.......................................................................................................... 114
10.3 Scanning in Windows Explorer
.......................................................................................................... 115
10.4 Command Line Scanning
.......................................................................................................... 115
10.4.1 CMD Scan Parameters
.......................................................................................................... 117
10.5 Scan Scheduling
.......................................................................................................... 117
10.5.1 Schedule Settings
.......................................................................................................... 117
10.5.2 How to Scan
.......................................................................................................... 117
10.5.3 What to Scan
.......................................................................................................... 126
10.6 Scan Results Overview
.......................................................................................................... 127
10.7 Scan Results Details
.......................................................................................................... 127
10.7.1 Results Overview Tab
.......................................................................................................... 127
10.7.2 Infections Tab
.......................................................................................................... 127
10.7.3 Spyware Tab
.......................................................................................................... 127
10.7.4 Warnings Tab
.......................................................................................................... 127
10.7.5 Information Tab
.......................................................................................................... 134
10.8 Virus Vault
........................................................................................................................ 137
11. AVG Updates
.......................................................................................................... 137
11.1 Update Levels
.......................................................................................................... 137
11.2 Update Types
.......................................................................................................... 137
11.3 Update Process
........................................................................................................................ 139
12. Event History
........................................................................................................................ 141
13. FAQ and Technical Support
Page 6
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 6
1. Introduction
This user manual offers a general overview of the tasks and detection technologies
provided by AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011. We will briefly talk about the program
installation, initial startup, configuration and use.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 is provided free-of-charge, and its functionality is
limited. While using AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 you might discover you would
like to have access to further and extended functionality of AVG paid products; then
please visit AVG website (http://www.avg.com/) for information on AVG 10 purchase
options.
All AVG products offer
· Protec tion that’s relevant to the way you use your computer and the Internet:
banking and shopping, surfing and searching, chatting and emailing, or
downloading files and social networking – AVG has a protection product that’s
right for you
· Hassle-free protection that’s trusted by over 110 million people around the
world and fueled by a global network of highly-experienced researchers
· Protec tion that’s backed by round-the-c lock expert support
Page 7
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 7
2. AVG Installation Requirements
2.1. Operation Systems Supported
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 is intended to protect workstations with the
following operating systems:
· Windows XP Home Edition SP2
· Windows XP Professional 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)
Note: The ID Protection component is not supported on Windows XP x64. On this
operating system you c an install AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 but only without the
IDP component.
2.2. Minimum & Recommended HW Requirements
Minimum hardware requirements for AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011:
· Intel Pentium CPU 1,5 GHz
· 512 MB of RAM memory
· 390 MB of free hard drive space (for installation purposes)
Recommended hardware requirements for AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011:
· Intel Pentium CPU 1,8 GHz
· 512 MB of RAM memory
· 510 MB of free hard drive space (for installation purposes)
Page 8
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 8
3. AVG Installation Options
To download the installation file of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 visit the AVG
Free website (http://free.avg.com/) and follow the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
2011 download link.
Once you have downloaded and saved the installation file on your hard disk, you can
launch the installation process. The installation is a sequence of dialog windows with a
brief description of what do at each step. In the following, we offer an explanation for
each dialog window:
Page 9
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 9
4. AVG Installation Process
To download the installation file of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 visit the AVG
Free website (http://free.avg.com/) and follow the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
2011 download link.
Once you have downloaded and saved the installation file on your hard disk, you can
launch the installation process. The installation is a sequence of dialog windows with a
brief description of what do at each step. In the following, we offer an explanation for
each dialog window:
4.1. Welcome
The installation process starts with the Welcome dialog window. Here you select the
language used for the installation process, and the default language of AVG user
interface. In the upper section of the dialog window find the drop-down menu with the
list of languages you can chose from:
Attention: Here, you are selecting the language for the installation process. The
language you select will be installed as the default language for AVG user interface,
together with English that is installed automatically. If you want to have installed
other additional languages for the user interface, please define them within the setup
dialog Custom Options.
Further, the dialog provides the full wording of the AVG license agreement. Please read
it c arefully. To confirm that you have read, understood and accept the agreement
press the Accept button. If you do not agree with the license agreement press the
Decline button, and the installation process will be terminated immediately.
Page 10
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 10
4.2. Activate your AVG license
In the Activate Your License dialog you have to fill in your licence number. However,
for the free edition the License Number text field is already filled in.
Press the Next button to continue the installation process.
4.3. Select type of installation
Page 11
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 11
The Select type of installation dialog offers the choic e of two installation options:
Quick Install and Custom Install.
For most users, it is highly recommended to keep to the standard Quick Install 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 the need arises to change the configuration, you will
always have the possibility to do so directly in the AVG application. If you have
selected the Quick Install option, press the Next button to proceed to the following
Install the AVG Security Toolbar dialog.
Custom Install should only be used by experienced users who have a valid reason to
install AVG with non-standard settings; e.g. to fit specific system requirements.
Having selected this option, press the Next button to proceed to the Custom
Options dialog.
In the right- hand section of the dialog you c an find the check box related to AVG
gadget (supported in Windows Vista/Windows 7). If you wish to have installed this
gadget, mark the respective checkbox. AVG gadget will then be accessible from the
Windows Sidebar providing you an immediate access to the most important features of
your AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011, i.e. scanning and updating.
4.4. Custom options
The Custom Options dialog allows you to set up two parameters of the installation:
Destination Folder
Within the Destination Folder sec tion of the dialog you are supposed to specify the
Page 12
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 12
location where AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 should be installed. By default,
AVG will be installed to the program files folder located on drive C:. If you want to
change this location, use the Browse button to display the drive structure, and select
the respective folder.
Component Selection
The Component Selection section provides an overview of all AVG Anti-Virus Free
Edition 2011 components that can be installed. If the default settings do not suit
you, you can remove/add specific c omponents.
However, you can only select from components that are included in your AVG
Free edition!
Highlight any item in the Component Selection list, and a brief description of the
respective c omponent will be displayed on the right side of this section. For detailed
information on each component's functionality please c onsult the Components
Overview chapter of this documentation. To revert to the default configuration pre-
set by the software vendor use the Default button.
Press the Next button to continue.
4.5. Install the AVG Security Toolbar
In the Install the AVG Security Toolbar dialog, decide whether you want to install
the AVG Security Toolbar. If you do not change the default settings, this component
will be installed automatically into your Internet browser (currently supported
browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer v. 6.0 or higher, and Mozilla Firefox v. 3.0 or
higher) and to provide you with comprehensive online protection while surfing the
Page 13
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 13
Internet.
Also, you have the option to decide whether you want to c hose AVG Secure Search
as your default search provider. If so, keep the respective check box marked.
4.6. Close running applications
The Close running applications dialog appears during the installation process only in
case there are some other clashing programs running on your computer at the
moment. Then, the list of programs that need to be closed in order to successfully
finish the installation process will be provided. Press the Exit button over a selected
item in the list to terminate the respective application, or press the Retry button to
confirm you agree to close down the respective applications, and to continue to the
next step.
Page 14
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 14
4.7. Install progress
The Install Progress dialog shows the progress of the installation process, and does
not require any intervention:
After the installation process is finished, the virus database and program will be
updated automatically. Then, you will be redirected to the next dialog.
4.8. Installation was successful
Page 15
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 15
The Installation was successful dialog confirms that your AVG Anti-Virus Free
Edition 2011 has been fully installed and configured.
In this dialog please provide your contact information so that you can receive all
product related information and news. Below the registration form you will find the
following two options:
· Yes, keep me informed of security news and AVG 2011 special offers via
e-mail - mark the chec kbox to state you would like to be informed about what
is new in the Internet security sphere, and would like to receive information on
AVG product spec ial offers, improvements and upgrades, etc.
· I agree to participate in the AVG 2011 web safety and Product
Improvement Programme ... - mark this checkbox to agree you want to
participate in the Product Improvement Programme (for details see chapter
AVG Advanced Settings / Product Improvement Programme) that c ollects
anonymous information on detected threats in order to increase the overall
Internet security level.
To finalize the installation process you need restart your computer: select whether
you want to Restart Now, or you want to postpone this ac tion - Restart Later.
Page 16
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 16
5. After Installation
5.1. Product registration
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 does not necessarily require registration. However,
it is recommended to register so that you can use the discussion forum of AVG Anti-
Virus Free Edition 2011, or rather in case you want to ask a question or react to
one. For reading only the forum is accessible without registration.
To register, fill in the online registration form on the Register tab of the discussion
forum. Then you will receive the activation code via email sent to the provided e-mail
address, and you c an log in to the forum.
5.2. Access to user interface
The AVG Free User Interface is accessible in several ways:
· from the menu Start/Programs/AVG 2011/AVG User Interface
· double-click the AVG 2011 icon on the desktop
· from AVG Security Toolbar via option Launch AVG
· double click the status line located in the bottom sec tion of the AVG gadget (
if installed; supported on Windows Vista/ Windows 7)
5.3. Scanning of the whole computer
There is a potential risk that a computer virus has been transmitted to your computer
prior to AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 installation. For this reason you should run
a Scan of the whole computer to make sure there are no infections on your PC.
For instructions on running a Scan of the whole computer please c onsult the
chapter AVG Scanning.
5.4. Eicar test
To confirm that AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 has been installed correctly you
can perform the EICAR test.
The EICAR test is a standard and absolutely safe method used to test antivirus system
functioning. It is safe to pass around, because it is not an actual virus, and does not
include any fragments of viral code. Most products reac t to it as if it were a virus (
though they typically report it with an obvious name, such as "EICAR-AV-Test"). You
can download the EICAR virus from the EICAR website at www.eicar.com, and you will
also find all necessary EICAR test information there.
Try to download the eicar.com file, and save it on your local disk. AVG Anti-Virus
Page 17
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 17
Free Edition 2011 will react by displaying a warning notice just as you try to save
the test file to your local disk (for instance with Internet Explorer), or as you try to
open the downloaded file (for instance with Mozilla Firefox). The displayed notice will
be in the form of Resident Shield warning - the warning proves your AVG Anti-Virus
Free Edition 2011 is installed properly:
If AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 fails to identify the EICAR test file as a virus,
you should check the program configuration again!
5.5. AVG default configuration
The default configuration (i.e. how the application is set up right after installation) of
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 is set up by the software vendor so that all
components and functions are tuned up to achieve optimum performance.
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 accessible directly from the
specific component user interface. If you feel you need to change the AVG Anti-Virus
Free Edition 2011 configuration to better suit your your needs, go to AVG Advanced
Settings: select the system menu item Tools/Advanced settings and edit the AVG
Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 configuration in the newly opened AVG Advanced
Settings dialog.
Page 18
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 18
6. AVG User Interface
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 open with the main window:
The main window is divided into several sections:
· System Menu (top system line in the window) is the standard navigation that
allows you to access all AVG Free components, services, and features - details
>>
· Security Status Info (upper section of the window) provides you with
information on the current status of your AVG Free program - details >>
· Quick Links (left section of the window) allow you to quickly access the most
important and most frequently used AVG Free tasks - details >>
· Components Overview (central sec tion of the window) offer an overview of
all installed AVG Free c omponents - details >>
· Statistics (left bottom section of the window) provide you with all statistical
data regarding the programs operation - details >>
· System Tray Icon (bottom right corner of the monitor, on the system tray)
indic ates the AVG Free current status - details >>
· AVG gadget (Windows sidebar, supported in Windows Vista/7) allows quick
access to AVG Free scanning and update - details >>
· Upgrade your protection (right section of the window) opens the AVG Free
Page 19
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 19
website at page comparing your current protection of your computer provided
by AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 and the possibility of a full professional
protection secured by AVG paid products. From the web page you c an go and
purchase the selected AVG product.
6.1. System Menu
The System menu is the standard navigation used in all Windows applications. It is
located horizontally in the very top part of the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011
main window. Use the system menu to access specific AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
2011 components, feature, and services.
The system menu is divided into five main sections:
6.1.1. File
· Exit - closes the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011's user interface.
However, the AVG applic ation will continue running in the background and your
computer will still be protected!
6.1.2. Components
The Components item of the system menu includes links to all installed AVG
components, opening their default dialog page in the user interfac e:
· System overview - switch to the default user interface dialog with the
overview of all installed c omponents and their status
· Anti-Virus ensures that your computer is protec ted from viruses trying to
enter your computer - details >>
· Anti-Spyware ensures that your computer is protected from spyware and
adware - details >>
· E-mail Scanner checks all incoming and outgoing mail for viruses - details >>
· Resident Shield runs in the background and scans files as they are copied,
opened or saved - details >>
· Link Scanner chec ks the search results displayed in your internet browser -
details >>
· Update Manager controls all AVG updates - details >>
· License displays the license number, type and expiration date - details >>
· Anti-Rootkit detects programs and technologies trying to camouflage malware
- details >>
· PC Analyzer analyzer provides information about your computer status -
details >>
Page 20
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 20
· Identity Protection - anti-malware component focused on preventing identity
thieves from stealing your personal digital valuables - details >>
6.1.3. History
· Scan results - switches to the AVG testing interface, specifically to the Scan
Results Overview dialog
· Resident Shield Detection - open a dialog with an overview of threats
detected by Resident Shield
· E-mail Scanner Detection - open a dialog with an overview of mail messages
attachments detected as dangerous by the E-mail Scanner component
· Virus Vault - opens the interface of the quarantine space (Virus Vault) to
where AVG removes all detected infections that cannot be healed automatically
for some reason. Inside this quarantine the infected files are isolated and your
computer's security is guaranteed, and at the same time the infected files are
stored for possible future repair.
· Event History Log - opens the history log interface with an overview of all
logged AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 actions.
6.1.4. Tools
· Scan computer - switches to the AVG scanning interface and launches a scan
of the whole c omputer
· Scan selected 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 test over a single file selected from
the tree structure of your disk
· Update - automatically launches the update process of AVG Anti-Virus Free
Edition 2011
· Update from directory - runs the update process from the update files
located in a specified folder on your local disk. However, this option is only
recommended as an emergency, e.g. in situations where there is no connection
to the Internet (for example, your computer is infected and disconnected
from the Internet; your computer is connected to a network with no acc ess
to the Internet, etc .). In the newly opened window select the folder where
you have previously placed the update file, and launch the update process.
· Advanced settings - opens the AVG advanced settings dialog where you
can edit the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 configuration. Generally, it is
recommended to keep the default settings of the application as defined by the
software vendor.
Page 21
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 21
6.1.5. Help
· Contents - opens the AVG help files.
· Get Help Online - opens AVG Free website at the customer support center
page.
· Your AVG Web - opens AVG Free website.
· About Viruses and Threats - opens the AVG Free website at the page
dedicated to threats and viruses where you can look up detailed information on
the identified virus.
· Buy now - opens the AVG website at the online store where you can purchase
a copy of AVG.
· Activate - opens the Activate AVG dialog with the data entered during the
installation process. Within this dialog you can enter your new license number (
e.g. when upgrading to a paid AVG product) to replace the AVG Free license
number.
· Register AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 - opens AVG Free website at the
registration page where you can register to get the full access to a new web-
based discussion forum where you c an receive technical support.
· Premium Support - opens you browser and takes you to AVG Support Center
page, where you can select your product type to view all support options
available for you.
· About AVG - opens the Information dialog with five tabs providing data on
program name, program and virus database version, system info, license
agreement, and contact information of AVG Technologies CZ.
6.2. Security Status Info
The Security Status Info section is located in the upper part of the AVG Free main
window. Within this sec tion you will always find information on the current security
status of your AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011. Please see an overview of icons
possibly depicted in this section, and their meaning:
- The green icon indicates that your AVG Free is fully functional. Your
computer is c ompletely protected, up to date and all installed components are
working properly.
- The orange icon warns that one or more components are incorrectly
configured and you should pay attention to their properties/settings. There is no
critical problem in AVG and you have probably decided to switch some
component off for some reason. You are still protected by AVG. However, please
Page 22
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 22
pay attention to the problem component's settings! Its name will be provided in
the Security Status Info section.
This icon also appears if for some reason you have dec ided to ignore a
component's error status (the "Ignore component state" option is available from
the context menu opened by a right-c lick over the respective component's ic on
in the component overview of the AVG Free main window). You may need to use
this option in a specific situation but it is stric tly recommended to switch off the
"Ignore component state" option as soon as possible.
- The red icon indicates that AVG Free is in critical status! One or more
components does not work properly and AVG Free cannot protect your
computer. Please pay immediate attention to fixing the reported problem.
In case AVG Free is not set to the optimum performance, a new button named
Fix (alternatively Fix all if the problem involves more than one component)
appears next to the security status information. Press the button to launch an
automatic process of program checkout and configuration. This is an easy way
to set AVG Free to the optimum performance and reach the maximum security
level!
It is strongly recommended that you pay attention to Security Status Info and in
case the report indicates any problem, go ahead and try to solve it immediately.
Otherwise your computer is at risk!
Note: AVG Free status information can also be obtained at any moment from the
system tray icon.
6.3. Quick Links
Quick links (in the left section of the AVG User Interface) allow you to immediately
access the most important and most frequently used AVG Free features:
· Overview - use this link to switc h from any c urrently opened AVG Free
interface to the default one with an overview of all installed components - see
chapter Components Overview >>
· Scan now - by default, the button provides information (scan type, date of
last launch) of the last scan launched. You can either execute the Scan now
Page 23
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 23
command to launch the same sc an again, or follow the Computer scanner link
to open the AVG Free scanning interface where you can run scans, sc hedule
scans, or edit their parameters - see chapter AVG Scanning >>
· Update now - the link provides the date of the last launch of the update
process. Press the button to open the updating interface, and run AVG update
process immediately - see chapter AVG Updates >>
These links are accessible from the user interface at all times. Once you use a quick
link to run a specific process, the GUI will switch to a new dialog but the quick links
are still available. Moreover, the running process is further graphically depicted.
6.4. Components Overview
The Components Overview section is located in the central part of the AVG User
Interface. The sec tion is divided into two parts:
· Overview of all installed components consisting of a panel with the
component's ic on and the information of whether the respective component is
active or inactive
· Description of a selected component
Within the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 the Components Overview section
contains information on the following components:
· Anti-Virus ensures that your computer is protec ted from viruses trying to
enter your computer - details >>
· Anti-Spyware ensures that your computer is protected from spyware and
adware - details >>
· Link Scanner chec ks the search results displayed in your internet browser -
details >>
· E-mail Scanner checks all incoming and outgoing mail for viruses - details >>
· Resident Shield runs in the background and scans files as they are copied,
opened or saved - details >>
· Update Manager controls all AVG Free updates - details >>
· License displays the license number, type and expiration date - details >>
· Anti-Rootkit detects programs and technologies trying to camouflage malware
- details >>
· PC Analyzer provides information about your computer status - details >>
· Identity Protection - anti-malware component focused on preventing identity
thieves from stealing your personal digital valuables - details >>
Page 24
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 24
Single-click any c omponent's icon to highlight it within the components overview. At
the same time, the c omponent's basic functionality description appears in the bottom
part of the user interfac e. Double-click the icon to open the components own
interface with a list of basic statistic al data.
Right-click you mouse over a component's icon to expand a c ontext menu: besides
opening the c omponent's graphic interface you can also select to Ignore component
state. Select this option to express you are aware of the component's error state but
for some reason you wish to keep your AVG Free so and you do not want to be
warned by the system tray icon.
6.5. Statistics
The Statistics section is located in the left bottom part of the AVG User Interface. It
offers a list of information regarding the program's operation:
· Virus DB - informs you about the currently installed version of the virus
database
· AVG version - informs you about the AVG Free version installed (the number
is in the form of 10.0.xxxx, where 10.0 is the product line version, and xxxx
stands for the number of the build)
· License type - informs that you have currently installed the free version of
AVG
6.6. System Tray Icon
System Tray Icon (on your Windows taskbar) indicates the current status of your
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011. It is visible at all times on your system tray, no
matter whether your AVG Free main window is opened or closed:
If in full color , the System Tray Icon indicates that all AVG Free c omponents are
active and fully functional. Also, AVG Free system tray icon can be displayed in full
color if AVG Free is in error state but you are fully aware of this situation and you
have deliberately decided to Ignore the component state. An icon with an
exclamation mark indicates a problem (inactive component, error status, etc.).
Double-click the System Tray Icon to open the main window and edit a component.
The system tray icon further informs on current AVG Free activities and possible
Page 25
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 25
status c hanges in the program (e.g. automatic launch of a scheduled scan or update,
a component's status change, error status occurrence, ...) via a pop-up window
opened from the AVG Free system tray icon:
The System Tray Icon can also be used as a quick link to ac cess the AVG Free main
window at any time - double click on the icon. By right-click on the System Tray Icon
you open a brief context menu with the following options:
· Open AVG User Interface - clic k to open the AVG User Interfac e
· Scans - click to open the context menu of predefined scans (Whole Computer
scan, Scan Specific Files or Folders, Anti-Rootkit scan) and select the required
scan, it will be launched immediately
· Running scans - this item is displays only in case a scan is currently running
on your computer. For this scan you can then set its priority, alternatively
stop or pause the running scan. Further, the following actions are accessible:
Set priority for all scans, Pause all scans or Stop all scans.
· Run PC Analyzer - launches the PC Analyzer component
· Update now - launches an immediate update
· Help - opens the help file on the start page
6.7. AVG gadget
AVG gadget displays on the Windows desktop (Windows Sidebar). This application is
only supported in operating systems Windows Vista and Windows 7. AVG gadget
offers an immediate access to the most important AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011
functionality, i.e. scanning and updating:
AVG gadget provides the following quick access options:
· Scan now - click the Scan now link to start the whole computer scan
Page 26
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 26
directly. You can watch the progress of the scanning process in the alternated
user interface of the gadget. A brief statistics overview provides information
on the number of scanned objects, threats detected, and threats healed.
During the scan you can always pause , or stop the scanning process.
For detailed data related to the scan results please consult the standard Scan
results overview dialog; the respec tive item will be listed as sidebar gadget
scan.
· Update now - click the Update now link to launch the AVG Free update
directly from within the gadget:
· Twitter link - opens a new AVG gadget interface providing an overview of
the latest AVG feeds posted at the Twitter. Follow the View all the AVG
Twitter feeds link to open your Internet browser in a new window, and you
will be redirected directly to the Twitter website, specifically to the page
devoted to AVG related news:
· Facebook link - opens your Internet browser on the Facebook website,
specifically on the AVG community page
Page 27
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 27
· PC Analyzer - open the user interface in the PC Analyzer component
Page 28
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 28
7. AVG Components
7.1. Anti-Virus
7.1.1. Anti-Virus Principles
The antivirus software's scanning engine scans all files and file activity (opening/
closing files, etc.) for known viruses. Any detected virus will be blocked from taking
any ac tion and will then be cleaned or quarantined. Most antivirus software also uses
heuristic scanning, where files are scanned for typical virus characteristics, so called
viral signatures. This means that the antivirus scanner can detect a new, unknown
virus, if the new virus contains some typical characteristics of existing viruses.
The important feature of antivirus protection is that no known virus can run on
the computer!
Where just a single technology might fall short of detecting or identifying a virus, AntiVirus c ombines several technologies to ensure that your computer is protec ted from
viruses:
· Scanning - searching for character strings that are characteristic of a given
virus
· Heuristic analysis - dynamic emulation of the scanned object’s instructions in a
virtual computer environment
· Generic detection - detection of instructions characteristic of the given virus/
group of viruses
AVG is also able to analyze and detect executable applications or DLL libraries that
could be potentially unwanted within the system. We call such threats Potentially
Unwanted Programs (various kinds of spyware, adware etc .). Furthermore, AVG scans
your system registry for suspicious entries, temporary Internet files and tracking
cookies, and allows you to treat all potentially harmful items in the same way as any
other infection.
Page 29
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 29
7.1.2. Anti-Virus Interface
The Anti-Virus component's interface provides some basic information on the
component's functionality, information on the component's c urrent status, and a brief
overview of Anti-Virus statistics:
· Number of definitions - number provides the count of viruses defined in the
up-to-date version of the virus database
· Database release - specifies when and at what time the virus database was
last updated
· Database version - defines the number of the currently installed virus
database version; and this number increases with every virus base update
There is just one operating button available within this component's interface (Back) press the button to return to the default AVG user interface (components overview).
7.2. Anti-Spyware
7.2.1. Anti-Spyware Principles
Spyware is usually defined as a type of malware, i.e. software, that gathers
information from a user's computer without the user's knowledge or consent. Some
spyware applic ations may also be installed on purpose and often contain
advertisements, window pop-ups or different types of unpleasant software.
Page 30
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 30
Currently, the most common source of infection is websites with potentially dangerous
content. Other methods of transmission, such as via e-mail or transmission by worms
and viruses are also prevalent. The most important protection is to use an always-on
background scanner, Anti-Spyware, that works like a resident 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 neglected to keep your AVG Anti-Virus
Free Edition 2011 up-to-date with the latest database and program updates. For this
reason, AVG allows you to fully sc an your computer for malware/spyware using the
scanning feature. It also detects sleeping and non-active malware, i.e. malware that
has been downloaded but not yet activated.
7.2.2. Anti-Spyware Interface
The Anti-Spyware component's interface provides a brief overview on the
component's functionality, information on the component's c urrent status, and some
Anti-Spyware statistics:
· Spyware definitions - number provides the count of spyware samples defined
in the latest spyware database version
· Database release - specifies when and at what time the spyware database
was updated
· Database version - defines the number of the latest spyware database
version; and this number increases with every virus base update
There is just one operating button available within this component's interface (Back) press the button to return to the default AVG user interface (components overview).
Page 31
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 31
7.3. Link Scanner
7.3.1. Link Scanner Principles
LinkScanner protects you from the increasing number of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’
threats on the web. These threats can be hidden on any type of website, from
governments to big, well-known brands to small businesses, and they rarely stick
around on those sites for more than 24 hours. LinkScanner protec ts you by analyzing
the web pages behind all the links on any web page you’re viewing and making sure
they’re safe at the only time that matters – when you’re about to click that link.
The LinkScanner technology c onsists of two features, Search-Shield and Surf-
Shield:
· Search-Shield contains list of websites (URL addresses) which are known to
be dangerous. When searc hing with Google, Yahoo!, WebHledani, Yandex,
Baidu, Bing, AOL, AltaVista, EarthLink, Ask, Seznam, eBay, Twitter, Digg, or
SlashDot, all results of the search are checked according to this list and a
verdict icon is shown (for Yahoo! searc h results only "exploited website"
verdic t icons are shown).
· Surf-Shield scans the contents of the websites you are visiting, regardless of
the websites address. Even if some website is not detected by Search-Shield
(e.g. when a new malicious website is created, or when a previously clean
website now contains some malware), it will be detec ted and blocked by Surf-
Shield once you try to visit it.
Note: LinkScanner is not intended for server platforms!
7.3.2. Link Scanner Interface
The LinkScanner component interface provides a brief description of the component's
functionality and information on its current status. Further, you can find the
information on the latest LinkScannerdatabase version number (LinkScanner version).
Page 32
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 32
LinkScanner Settings
In the bottom part of the dialog you can edit several options:
· Enable Search-Shield - (on by default): advisory notifying icons on searches
performed with Google, Yahoo!, WebHledani, Yandex, Baidu, Bing, AOL,
AltaVista, EarthLink, Ask, Seznam, eBay, Twitter, Digg, or SlashDot: having
checked ahead the content of sites returned by the searc h engine.
· Enable Surf-Shield - (on by default): active (real-time) protection against
exploitive sites as they are accessed. Known malicious site connections and
their exploitive content is blocked as they are accessed by the user via a web
browser (or any other application that uses HTTP).
7.3.3. Search-Shield
When searc hing Internet with the Search-Shield on, all search results returned from
the most popular search engines (Google, Yahoo!, WebHledani, Yandex, Baidu, Bing,
AOL, AltaVista, EarthLink, Ask, Seznam, eBay, Twitter, Digg, and SlashDot) are
evaluated for dangerous or suspicious links. By checking these links and marking the
bad links, the AVG Link Scanner warns you before you click on dangerous or
suspicious links, so you can ensure you only go to safe websites.
While a link is being evaluated on the search results page, you will see a graphic sign
next to the link informing that the link verification is in progress. When the evaluation
is complete, the respective informative icon will be displayed:
The linked page is safe (with Yahoo! search engine this icon will not be
Page 33
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 33
displayed!).
The linked page does not contain threats but is somewhat suspicious (
questionable in origin or motive, therefore not recommended for e-shopping
etc.).
The linked page can be either safe itself, but containing further links to
positively dangerous pages; or suspicious in code, though not directly employing
any threats at the moment.
The linked page contains active threats! For your own safety, you will not be
allowed to visit this page.
The linked page is not accessible, and so could not be scanned.
Hovering over an individual 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 sc anned by AVG:
7.3.4. Surf-Shield
This powerful protection will block malicious content of any webpage you try to open,
and prevent it from being downloaded to your computer. With this feature enabled,
clicking a link or typing in a URL to a dangerous site will automatically block you from
opening the web page thus protecting you from inadvertently being infected. It is
important to remember that exploited web pages can infect your computer simply by
visiting the affected site, for this reason when you request a dangerous webpage
containing exploits or other serious threats, the AVG Link Scanner will not allow your
browser to display it.
If you do encounter a malicious web site, within your web browser the AVG Link
Scanner will warn you with a screen similar to:
Page 34
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 34
Entering such web site is highly risky and it cannot be recommended!
7.4. Resident Shield
7.4.1. Resident Shield Principles
The Resident Shield component gives your computer continuous protection. It scans
every single file that is being opened, saved, or c opied, and guards the system areas
of the computer. When Resident Shield discovers a virus in a file that is accessed, it
stops the operation currently being performed and does not allow the virus to activate
itself. Normally, you do not even notice the process, as it runs "in the background",
and you only get notified when threats are found; at the same time, Resident Shield
blocks ac tivation of the threat and removes it. Resident Shield is being loaded in the
memory of your computer during system startup.
What the Resident Shield can do:
· Scan for specific kinds of possible threats
· Scan removable media (flash disk etc.)
· Scan files with specific extensions or without extensions at all
· Allow exc eptions from scanning – specific files or folders that should never be
scanned
Warning: Resident Shield is loaded in the memory of your computer during
startup, and it is vital that you keep it switched on at all times!
Page 35
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 35
7.4.2. Resident Shield Interface
Besides an overview of the Resident Shield functionality, and the information on the
component's status, the Resident Shield interface offers some statistic data as well:
· Resident Shield has been running for - provides the time since the latest
component's launch
· Threats detected and blocked - number of detec ted infections that were
prevented from being run/opened (if needed, this value can be reset; e.g. for
statistic purposes - Reset value)
Resident Shield settings
In the bottom part of the dialog window you will find the section called Resident
Shield settings where you can edit some basic settings of the component's
functionality (detailed configuration, as with all other c omponents, is available via the
Tools/Advanced settings item of the system menu).
The Resident Shield is active option allows you to easily switc h on/off resident
protection. By default, the function is on. With resident protection on you can further
decide how the possibly detected infections should be treated (removed):
o
either automatically (Remove all threats automatically)
o
or only after the user's approval (Ask me before removing threats)
This choice has no impac t on the security level, and it only reflects your preferences.
Page 36
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 36
In both c ases, you can still select whether you want to Scan for tracking cookies. In
specific cases you can switc h this option on to achieve maximum security levels,
however it is switched off by default. (cookies = parcels of text sent by a server to a
web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser each time 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).
Please note: The software vendor has set up all AVG components to give optimum
performance. Unless you have a real reason to do so, do not c hange the AVG
configuration. Any changes to settings should only be performed by an experienced
user. If you need to change AVG configuration, select the system menu item Tools /
Advanced settings and edit the AVG configuration in the newly opened AVG
Advanced Settings dialog.
Control buttons
The control buttons available within the Resident Shield interface are as follows:
· Manage exceptions - opens the Resident Shield - Excluded Items dialog
where you can define folders and files that should be left out from the
Resident Shield scanning
· Save changes - press this button to save and apply any changes made in this
dialog
· Cancel - press this button to return to the default AVG user interface (
components overview)
Page 37
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 37
7.4.3. Resident Shield Detection
Resident Shield scans files as they are copied, opened or saved. When a virus or any
kind of threat is detected, you will be warned immediately via the following dialog:
Within this warning dialog you will find data on the file that was detected and assigned
as infected (File name), the name of the recognized infection (Threat name), and a
link to the Virus encyclopedia where you can find detailed information on the
detected infection, if known (More info).
Further, you have to decide what action should be taken now - the following options
are available:
Please note that, upon specific conditions (what kind of file is infected, and
where it is located), not all of the options are always available!
· Remove threat as Power User - check the box if you suppose that you
might not have sufficient rights to remove the threat as a c ommon user. Power
Users have extensive acc ess rights, and if the threat is located in a c ertain
system folder, you might need to use this chec kbox to successfully remove it.
· Heal - this button only appears if the detected infection can be healed. Then,
it removes it from the file, and restores the file to the original state. If the file
itself is a virus, use this function to delete it (i.e. removed to the Virus Vault)
· Move to Vault - the virus will be moved to AVG Virus Vault
· Go to file - this option redirects you to the exact location of the suspicious
object (opens new Windows Explorer window)
Page 38
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 38
· Ignore - we strictly recommend NOT TO use this option unless you have a
very good reason to do so!
In the bottom sec tion of the dialog you c an find the link Show details - click it to
open a pop-up window with detailed information on the process running while the
infection was detected, and the process' identification.
The entire overview of all threats detec ted by Resident Shield can be found in the
Resident Shield detection dialog accessible from system menu option History /
Resident Shield detection:
The Resident Shield detection offers an overview of objects that were detected by
the Resident Shield, evaluated as dangerous and either cured or moved to the Virus
Vault. For each detected object the following information is provided:
· Infection- description (possibly even name) of the detected object
· Object - object location
· Result - action performed with the detected object
· Detection 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 the bottom part of the dialog, under the list, you will find information on total
number of detected objects listed above. Further you can export the entire list of
Page 39
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 39
detected objects in a file (Export list to file) and delete all entries on detected
objects (Empty list). The Refresh list button will update the list of finding detected
by Resident Shield. The Back button switches you back to the default AVG user
interface (components overview).
7.5. E-mail Scanner
One of the most common sourc es of viruses and trojans is via e-mail. Phishing and
spam make e-mail an even greater source of risks. Free e- mail ac counts are more likely
to receive such malicious e-mails (as they rarely employ anti-spam technology), and
home users rely quite heavily on such e-mail. Also home users, surfing unknown sites
and filling in online forms 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.
7.5.1. E-mail Scanner Principles
Personal E-mail Scanner scans incoming/outgoing e-mails automatic ally. You can use
it with e-mail clients that do not have their own plug-in in AVG (but can be also used
to scan e-mail messages for e-mail clients that AVG supports with a specific plug-in, i.
e. Mic rosoft Outlook, and The Bat). Primarily, it is to be used with e-mail applications
like Outlook Express, Mozilla, Incredimail, etc.
During AVG installation AVG there are automatic servers created for e-mail control:
one for checking incoming e-mails and the second one for checking outgoing e-mails.
Using these two servers e-mails are automatically checked on ports 110 and 25 (
standard ports for sending/receiving e-mails).
E-mail Scanner works as an interface between e-mail client and e-mail servers on the
Internet.
· Incoming mail: While receiving a message from the server, the E-mail
Scanner component tests it for viruses, removes infected attachments, and
adds certification. When detected, viruses are quarantined in Virus Vault
immediately. Then the message is passed to the e-mail client.
· Outgoing mail: Message is sent from e-mail client to E-mail Scanner; it tests
the message and its attachments for viruses and then sends the message to
the SMTP server (scanning of outgoing e-mails is disabled by default, and c an
be set up manually).
Note: AVG E-mail Scanner is not intended for server platforms!
Page 40
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 40
7.5.2. E-mail Scanner Interface
In the E-mail Scanner component's dialog you can find a brief text describing the
component's functionality, information on its c urrent status, and the following
statistics:
· Total e-mails scanned - how many e-mail messages were sc anned since the
E-mail Scanner was last launched (if needed, this value can be reset; e.g. for
statistic purposes - Reset value)
· Threats found and blocked - provides the number of infections detected in e-
mail messages since the last E-mail Scanner launch
· Installed e-mail protection - information about a specific e-mail protec tion
plug-in referring to your default installed e-mail client
E-mail Scanner settings
In the bottom part of the dialog you can find the section named E-mail Scanner
settings where you can edit some elementary features of the component's
functionality:
· Scan incoming messages - check the item to specify that all e-mails deliver
ed to your account should be scanned for viruses. By default, this item is on,
and it is recommended not to change this setting!
· Scan outgoing messages - check the item to confirm all e-mail sent from
your account should be scanned for viruses. By default, this item is off.
Page 41
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 41
· Display notification window while e-mail is being scanned - chec k the
item to confirm you want to be informed via notification dialog displayed over
the AVG icon on the system tray during the scanning of your mail via E-mail
Scanner component. By default, this item is on, and it is recommended not to
change this setting!
The advanced c onfiguration of the E-mail Scanner component is ac cessible via the
Tools/Advanced settings item of the system menu; however advanced
configuration is recommended for experienced users only!
Please note: The software vendor has set up all AVG components to give optimum
performance. Unless you have a real reason to do so, do not c hange the AVG
configuration. Any changes to settings should only be performed by an experienced
user. If you need to change AVG configuration, select the system menu item Tools /
Advanced settings and edit the AVG configuration in the newly opened AVG
Advanced Settings dialog.
Control buttons
The control buttons available within the E-mail Scanner interfac e are as follows:
· Save changes - press this button to save and apply any changes made in this
dialog
· Cancel - press this button to return to the default AVG user interface (
components overview)
7.5.3. E-mail Scanner Detection
Page 42
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 42
In the E-mail Scanner detection dialog (accessible via system menu option History /
E-mail Scanner detection) you will be able to see a list of all findings detected by the
E-mail Scanner component. For each detected object the following information is
provided:
· Infection- description (possibly even name) of the detected object
· Object - object location
· Result - action performed with the detected object
· 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 of detected objects listed above. Further you can export the entire list of
detected objects in a file (Export list to file) and delete all entries on detected
objects (Empty list).
Control buttons
The control buttons available within the E-mail Scanner detection interface are as
follows:
· Refresh list - updates the list of detected threats
· Back - switches you back to the previously displayed dialog
7.6. Update Manager
7.6.1. Update Manager Principles
No security software can guarantee true protec tion from various types of threats
unless it is regularly updated! Virus writers are always looking for new flaws that they
can exploit in both software and operating systems. New viruses, new malware, new
hacking attac ks appear daily. For this reason, software vendors are continually issuing
updates and security patches, to fix any security holes that are discovered.
It is crucial to update your AVG regularly!
The Update Manager helps you to control regular updating. 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 urgent
program updates can be weekly.
Note: Please pay attention to the AVG Updates chapter for more information on
update types and levels!
Page 43
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 43
7.6.2. Update Manager Interface
The Update Manager's interface displays information about the component's
functionality and its current status, and provides the relevant statistical data:
· Latest update - specifies when and at what time the database was updated
· Virus database version - defines the number of the currently installed virus
database version; and this number increases with every virus base update
· Next scheduled update - spec ifies when and at what time the database is
scheduled to be updated again
Update Manager settings
In the bottom part of the dialog you can find the Update Manager settings section
where you can perform some changes to the rules of the update process launch. You
can define whether you wish the update files to be downloaded automatically (Start
automatic updates) or just on demand. By default, the Start automatic updates
option is switc hed on and we recommend to keep it that way! Regular download of the
latest update files is crucial for proper functionality of any sec urity software!
Further you can define when the update should be launched:
o
Periodically - define the time interval
o
At a specific time interval - define the exact day time the update should be
launched
Page 44
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 44
By default, the update is set for every 4 hours. 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 all AVG components to give optimum
performance. Unless you have a real reason to do so, do not c hange the AVG
configuration. Any changes to settings should only be performed by an experienced
user. If you need to change AVG configuration, select the system menu item Tools /
Advanced settings and edit the AVG configuration in the newly opened AVG
Advanced Settings dialog.
Control buttons
The control buttons available within the Update Manager interfac e are as follows:
· Update now - launches an immediate update on demand
· Save changes - press this button to save and apply any changes made in this
dialog
· Cancel - press this button to return to the default AVG user interface (
components overview)
7.7. License
In the Licence component interfac e you will find a brief text describing the
component's functionality, information on its c urrent status, and the following
information:
Page 45
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 45
· License number - provides the shortened form of your license number (for
security reasons the last four symbols are missing).
· License type - spec ifies the product type installed (free license).
· Number of seats - how many workstations on which you are entitled to install
your AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011. Free AVG products are intended for
non-c ommercial and home use only, and are valid for one license only.
Control buttons
· Buy now - opens the AVG website (http://www.avg.com) at the online store
where you can purchase the full version of a selected AVG product.
· Register - connects to the registration page of AVG website (http://www.
avg.com). Please fill in your registration data; only customers who register
their AVG product can receive free technic al support.
· Re-activate - opens the Activate AVG dialog with the data you have entered
in the Personalize AVG dialog of the installation process. Within this dialog
you can enter your license number to either replace the sales number (the
number you have installed AVG with), or to replace the old license number (e.
g. when upgrading to a new AVG product).
Note: If using the trial version of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011, the
buttons appear as Buy now and Activate, alowing you to buy the full version of
the program right away. For AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 installed with a
sales number, the buttons display as Register and Activate.
· Back - press this button to return to the default AVG user interface (
components overview).
7.8. PC Analyzer
The PC Analyzer c omponent is able to scan your computer for system problems, and
give you a transparent overview of what might be aggravating your computer’s overall
performance. In the component's user interface you can see a chart divided into four
lines referring to respective categories: registry errors, junk files, fragmentation, and
broken shortcuts:
Page 46
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 46
· Registry Errors will give you the number of errors in Windows Registry. As
fixing the Registry requires quite advanced knowledge, we do not recommend
to try and fix it yourself.
· Junk Files will give you the number of files that can be most likely done
without. Typically, these will be many kinds of temporary files, and files in the
Recycle Bin.
· Fragmentation will calculate the perc entage of your harddisk that is
fragmented, i.e. used for a long time so that most files are now scattered on
different parts of the physical disk. You can use some defragmentation tool to
fix this.
· Broken Shortcuts will notify you of shortc uts that no longer work, lead to
non-existing locations etc.
To start the analysis of your system, press the Analyze now button. You will then be
able to watch the analysis progress and its results directly in the chart:
Page 47
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 47
The results overview provides the number of detected system problems (Errors)
divided according to the respective categories tested. The analysis results will also be
displayed graphically on an axis in the Severity column.
Control buttons
· Analyze now (displayed before the analysis stars) - press this button to
launch the immediate analysis of your computer
· Fix now (displayed once the analysis is finished) - press the button to get to
the AVG website (http://www.avg.com/) at page providing detailed and up-todate information related to PC Analyzer component
· Cancel - press this button to stop the running analysis, or to return to the
default AVG user interface (components overview) once the analysis is
completed
Page 48
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 48
8. AVG Security Toolbar
AVG Security Toolbar is a new tool which works together with the LinkScanner
component. AVG Security Toolbar can be used to control LinkScanner functions and
to adjust its behavior.
If you select to install the toolbar during the installation of AVG Anti-Virus Free
Edition 2011, it will be added into your web browser (Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher,
and Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher) automatically. Other internet browsers are not
supported at the moment.
Note: In case you are using some alternative Internet browser (e.g Avant Browser)
you can meet unexpected behavior.
8.1. AVG Security Toolbar Interface
The AVG Security Toolbar is designed to work with MS Internet Explorer (version
6.0 or higher) and Mozilla Firefox (version 3.0 or higher). 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 the c omponent), the component
will be located in your web browser just under the address bar:
The AVG Security Toolbar consists of the following:
8.1.1. AVG logo button
This button provides access to general toolbar items. Click the logo button to get
redirected to AVG website. Clicking the pointer next to the AVG icon will open the
following:
· Toolbar Info - link to the AVG Security Toolbar home page with detailed
information on the toolbar's protection
· Launch AVG - opens the AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 user interface
· AVG Info - opens a context menu with the following links leading important
security information related to AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011:
o
AVG News - opens the web page providing the latest AVG related press
release
o
Current Threat Level - opens the virus lab web page with a graphical
display of the current threat level on the web
Page 49
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 49
o
AVG Threat Labs - opens the AVG Site Reports website where you can
search the specific threats by name and get detailed information on each
one
o
Upgrade my AVG - opens the AVG website offering upgrade to a full
professional protection using one of AVG paid products.
· Options - opens a configuration dialog where you can adjust your AVG
Security Toolbar settings to suit your needs - see the following chapter AVG
Security Toolbar Options
· Delete History - allows you within AVG Security Toolbar delete complete
history, or separately to delete search history, delete browser history, delete
download history and delete cookies.
· Update - checks for new updates for your AVG Security Toolbar
· Help - provides options to open the help file, contact AVG technical support,
send your product related feedback, or view the details of the current version
of the toolbar
8.1.2. AVG Secure Search powered search box
AVG Secure Search powered search box is easy and safe way to search the web using
Yahoo! search. Enter a word or phrase into the search box press the Search button,
or the Enter key, to start the search on the Yahoo! server directly, no matter what
page is c urrently displayed. The search box also lists your search history. Searches
done through the search box are analyzed using the Search-Shield protection.
Alternatively, within the search field you can switc h to Wikipedia, or some other
specific search service - see picture:
8.1.3. Page Status
Directly in the toolbar, this button displays the evaluation of the currently displayed
web page base on criteria of the Surf-Shield component:
· - The linked page is safe
· - Page is somewhat suspicious.
Page 50
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 50
· - Page containing links to positively dangerous pages.
· - The linked page contains active threats! For your own safety, you will
not be allowed to visit this page.
· - The page is not accessible, and so could not be scanned.
Click the button to open an information panel with detailed data on the specific web
page.
8.1.4. News
Similarly, directly from within the AVG Security Toolbar, this button opens an
overview of the latest news from selected media divided into several sections:
In the right upper corner you can see two red control buttons:
· - the button opens the editing dialog where you can specify parameters of
the News button displayed within the AVG Security Toolbar:
Page 51
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 51
o
Button name - you have the option of changing the button name as it is displayed
within AVG Security Toolbar
o
News edition - c hose a country from the list to have displayed news from the
selected region
o
Show messages - specify the desired number of messages that are to be displayed
at a time
o
RSS design - switch between the Basic/Advanced option to select the design of the
news overview (advanced design is set by default, see picture above)
o
Hide read messages - mark this item to confirm that any read message should not
be displayed any longer in the news overview, and should be replaced by a new
headline
o
Button shows - in this field you can assign what sort of news should be displayed in
the AVG Security Toolbar news overview
· - click this button to c lose the currently opened news overview
8.1.5. Delete history
Using this button you can delete the history of your browser just like via the AVG logo
-> Delete history option.
Page 52
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 52
8.1.6. E-mail Notifier
The E-mail Notifier button allows you to activate the option of being informed about
newly arrived e-mail messages directly in the AVG Security Toolbar interface. The
button opens the following editing dialog where you can define parameters of your email account and the e-mail display rules. Please follow the instructions in the dialog:
· Account type - Specify the protocol type your e-mail account uses. You can select
among the following alternatives: Gmail, POP3, or select the server name from the
drop down menu within the Other item (at the moment, you can use this option if
your account is on Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail). If you are not sure what e-mail server
type your account uses, try to find the information from your e-mail provider, or
your internet service provider.
· Login - In the section below provide the exact form of your e-mail address, and the
respective password. Keep the Auto Login option marked so that you do not have to
fill in the data repeatedly.
· Test account - Use this button to test the entered details.
· Reset Settings - Quickly removes the above entered e-mail address details.
· Check for new e-mails every ... minutes - Define the time interval to be used to
check for new e-mail messages (in the range of 5-120 minutes), and specify
whether and how you want to be informed about the new message arrival.
Page 53
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 53
· Allow new e-mail alerts - Uncheck this to disable visual notifications of new e-mail
messages arrival.
o
Play a sound when new e-mails arrive - Uncheck this to disable sound
notifications of new e-mail messages arrival.
o
Close notification window after 5 seconds - Check this to
automatically close the visual notification window of new e-mail
messages arrival after 5 sec onds.
8.1.7. Weather Info
The Weather button displays the information on the current temperature (updated
every 3-6 hours) in your selected destination directly within the AVG Security
Toolbar interface. Click the button to open a new info panel with detailed weather
overview:
Following find the editing options:
· Change location - click the Change location text to display a new dialog
called Search for your location. Fill in the name of your desired location into
the text field, and c onfirm by clicking the Search button. Next, within the list
of all locations of the same name select the destination you are looking for.
Finally, the info panel will be displayed again providing the weather information
for the selected location.
· Fahrenheit / Celsius converter - in the upper right-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 - if interested in full and detailed forecast, use the Full
Forecast link to get to the spec ialized weather website.
Page 54
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 54
8.1.8. Facebook
The Facebook button allows you connect to the Facebook social network from the
AVG Security Toolbar directly. Click the button, and the login invitation appears; clic k
again to open the Facebook login dialog. Provide your access data, and press the
Connect button. If you do not have a Facebook account yet, you can create one
directly using the Sign up for Facebook link.
Once you get through the Facebook registration process, you will be invited to allow
the AVG Social Extension application. This applic ation functionality is essential for the
toolbar - Facebook connection, therefore it is recommended to allow its functioning,
therefore make sure you allow it.Then, the Facebook connection will be activated, and
the Facebook button within AVG Security Toolbar now offers the standard Facebook
menu options.
8.2. AVG Security Toolbar Options
All AVG Security Toolbar parameters configuration is accessible directly within the
AVG Security Toolbar panel. The editing interface opens via the AVG / Options toolbar
menu item in a new dialog called Toolbar Options divided into four sections:
8.2.1. Tab General
On this tab you c an specify toolbar control buttons that should be displayed or hidden
within the AVG Security Toolbar panel. Mark any option in case you want to have
displayed the respective button. Further find described the functionality of each of the
toolbar buttons:
· Page Status Button - the button offers the possibility of having displayed the
information on the currently opened page security status within AVG Security
Page 55
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 55
Toolbar
· AVG News Button - the button opens a web page providing the latest AVG
related press release
· News Button - the button provides a structured overview of current news
from the daily press
· Delete History Button - this button allows you to Delete c omplete history, or
Delete search history, Delete browser history, Delete download history, or
Delete cookies directly from the AVG Security Toolbar panel
· E-mail Notifier Button - the button allows you to have displayed your newly
arrived e-mail messages within the AVG Security Toolbar interface
· Weather Button - the button offers an immediate information on the weather
situation in a selected location
· Facebook Button - the button offers a direct connection to the Facebook
social network
8.2.2. Tab Useful Buttons
The Useful Buttons tab allows you to select applications from a list and have their
icon displayed in the toolbar interface. The icon then serves as a quick link enabling to
launch the respective application immediately.
Page 56
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 56
8.2.3. Tab Security
The Security tab is divided into two sections, AVG Browser Security and Ratings,
where you can mark specific check-boxes to assign AVG Security Toolbar
functionality you want to use:
· AVG Browser Security - check this item to activate or switch-off the
Search-Shield and/or Surf-Shield service
· Ratings - select graphical symbols used for search results ratings by the
Search-Shield component that you want to use:
o
page is safe
o
page is somewhat suspicious
o
page containing links to positively dangerous pages
o
page contains active threats
o
page is not accessible, and so could not be scanned
Mark the respective option to confirm you want to be informed about this
specific threat level. However, display of the red mark assigned to pages
containing active and dangerous threats cannot be switched-off. Again, it is
recommended to keep the default configuration set by the program vendor
unless you have a real reason to change it.
Page 57
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 57
8.2.4. Tab Advanced Options
On the Advanced Options tab first select what search engine you want to use as
default. You have the choice of Yahoo!, Baidu, WebHledani, and Yandex. Having
changed the default search engine, please restart your internet browser for the
change to take effect.
Further, you can activate or switch-off further specific AVG Security Toolbar settings
(the listed caption refers to the default AVG Secure Search settings):
· Set and keep AVG Secure Search as the search provider for Address bar -
if marked, this option allows you to type a search keyword directly into the
address bar into your Internet browser and the AVG Secure Search service will
be used automatically to search for relevant websites.
· Let AVG make suggestion on browser navigation errors (404/) - if when
searching the web you run into a non-existing page, or a page that cannot be
displayed (404 error), you will be automatically redirected to a web page that
allows you to select from an overview of alternative topic -related pages.
· Set and keep AVG Secure Search as the search provider - AVG Secure
Search is the default search engine for web search within AVG Security
Toolbar, and ac tivating this option it can also become your web browser
default search engine.
Page 58
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 58
9. AVG Advanced Settings
The advanced c onfiguration dialog of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 opens in a
new window named Advanced AVG Settings. The window is divided into two
sections: the left part offers a tree-arranged navigation to the program configuration
options. Select the component you want to change the configuration of (or its
specific part) to open the editing dialog in the right-hand section of the window.
9.1. Appearance
The first item of the navigation tree, 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 desired language from the
drop-down menu; the language will then be used for the entire AVG user interface.
The drop-down menu only offers those languages you have previously selected to be
installed during the installation process (see chapter Custom Option) plus English (that
is installed by default). However, to finish switching the application to another
language you have to restart the user interfac e; follow these steps:
Page 59
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 59
· Select the desired language of the application and confirm your selection by
pressing the Apply button (right-hand bottom corner)
· Press the OK button confirm
· New dialog window pops-up informing you the language change of AVG user
interface requires the application restart:
Balloon tray notifications
Within this section you c an suppress display of system tray balloon notifications on
the status of the application. By default, the balloon notifications are allowed to be
displayed, and it is recommended to keep this configuration! The balloon notifications
typically inform on some AVG component's status change, and you should pay
attention to them!
However, if for some reason you decide you do not wish these notifications to be
displayed, or you would like only certain notifications (related to a specific AVG
component) to be displayed, you can define and specify your preferences by
checking/unchec king the following options:
· Display system tray notifications - by default, this item is checked (
switc hed on), and notifications are displayed. Uncheck this item to c ompletely
turn off the display of all balloon notifications. When turned on, you can
further select what specific notifications should be displayed:
o
Display tray notifications about update - decide whether information
regarding AVG update process launch, progress, and finalization should be
displayed;
o
Display components state change notifications - decide whether
information regarding component's activity/inactivity or its possible
problem should be displayed. When reporting a c omponent's fault status,
this option equals to the informative function of the system tray icon
(color changing) reporting a problem in any AVG component;
o
Display Resident Shield related tray notifications (automatic action)
- decide whether information regarding file saving, copying, and opening
processes should be displayed or suppressed (this configuration only
demonstrates if the Resident Shield Auto-heal option is on);
Page 60
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 60
o
Display tray notifications about scanning - decide whether
information upon automatic launch of the scheduled scan, its progress
and results should be displayed;
o
Display E-mail Scanner related tray notifications - decide whether
information upon sc anning of all incoming and outgoing e-mail messages
should be displayed.
Gaming mode
This AVG function is designed for full-screen applications where possible AVG
information balloons (displayed e.g. when a scheduled scan is started) would be
disturbing (they could minimize the application or corrupt its graphics). To avoid this
situation, keep the check box 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 spec ify whether you want to be informed about
specific AVG actions by a sound notification. If so, check the Enable sound events
option (off by default) to activate the list of AVG actions:
Page 61
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 61
Then, select the respective event from the list and browse (Browse) your disk for an
appropriate sound you want to assign to this event. To listen to the selected sound,
highlight the event in the list and push the Play button. Use the Delete button to
remove the sound assigned to a specific event.
Note: Only *.wav sounds are supported!
9.3. Ignore Faulty Conditions
In the Ignore faulty components conditions dialog you can tick those components
that you do not want to get informed about:
By default, no component is selected in this list. It means that if any c omponent get
to an error status, you will be informed about it immediately via:
· system tray icon - while all parts of AVG are working properly, the icon 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 window
There might be a situation that for some reason you need to switch a c omponent off
temporarily (this is not recommended, you should try to keep all components
Page 62
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 62
permanently on and in default configuration, but it may be happen). In that case the
system tray icon automatic ally reports the component's error status. However, in this
very case we cannot talk about an actual error since you have deliberately induced it
yourself, and you are aware of the potential risk. At the same time, once being
displayed in grey color, the icon cannot actually report any possible further error that
might appear.
For this situation, within the above dialog you can select components that may be in
an error state (or switched off) and you do not wish to get informed about it. The
same option of Ignoring component state is also available for specific c omponents
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 stored in the Virus Vault:
· Limit Virus Vault size - use the slider to set up the maximum size of the Virus
Vault. The size is specified proportionally compared to the size of your local
disk.
· Automatic file deletion - in this section define the maximum length of time
that objects should be stored in the Virus Vault (Delete files older than ...
days), and the maximum number of files to be stored in the Virus Vault (
Page 63
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 63
Maximum number of files to be stored)
9.5. PUP Exceptions
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 is able to analyze and detect executable
applications or DLL libraries that could be potentially unwanted within the system. In
some cases the user may wish to keep certain unwanted programs on the computer (
programs that were installed on purpose). Some programs, especially free ones,
include adware. Such adware might be detected and reported by AVG as a
potentially unwanted program. If you wish to keep such a program on your
computer, 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 unwanted programs. You c an
edit the list, delete existing items, or add new exceptions. The following information
can be found in the list for every single exception:
· File - provides the name of the respective application
· File Path - shows the way to the application's location
· Checksum - displays the unique 'signature' of the chosen file. This checksum
is an automatically generated string of characters, which allows AVG to
unequivocally distinguish the chosen file from other files. The checksum is
Page 64
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 64
generated and displayed after successful addition of the file.
Control buttons
· Edit - opens an editing dialog (identical with the dialog for a new exception
definition, see below) of an already defined exception where you can c hange
the exception's parameters
· Remove - deletes the selected item from the list of exceptions
· Add exception - open an editing dialog where you can define parameters of
the new exception 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 c hosen file. This
checksum is an automatically generated string of characters, which
allows AVG to unequivocally distinguish the chosen file from other files.
The checksum is generated and displayed after successful addition of the
file.
o
File Info - displays any additional information available about the file (
license/version information etc.)
o
Any location - do not use full path - if you want to define this file as
an exception only for the specific location, then leave this checkbox
unchec ked. If the checkbox is marked, the specified file is defined as an
exception no matter where it is located (however, you have to fill in the
full path to the specific file anyway; the file will then be used as a unique
example for the possibility that two files of the same name appear in
your system).
Page 65
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 65
9.6. Link Scanner
The LinkScanner settings dialog allows you to switch on/off the elementary features
of the LinkScanner:
· Enable Search-Shield - (on by default): advisory notifying icons on searches
performed with Google, Yahoo!, WebHledani, Yandex, Baidu, Bing, AOL,
AltaVista, EarthLink, Ask, Seznam, eBay, Twitter, Digg, or SlashDot having
checked ahead the content of sites returned by the searc h engine.
· Enable Surf-Shield - (on by default): active (real-time) protection against
exploitive sites as they are accessed. Known malicious site connections and
their exploitive content is blocked as they are accessed by the user via a web
browser (or any other application that uses HTTP).
· Add 'Secured by LinkScanner' ... - mark this item to c onfirm you wish to
enter the certification notice on Link Scanner check into all messages
containing active hyperlinks, that were sent from Facebook and MySpace
social networks.
Page 66
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 66
9.7. Scans
The advanced scan settings is divided into four categories referring to specific scan
types as defined by the software vendor:
· Whole Computer scan - standard predefined scan of the entire 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 computer
· Removable Device Scan - specific scanning of removable devic es attached
to your computer
9.7.1. Scan Whole Computer
The Whole Computer scan option allows you to edit parameters of one of the sc ans
predefined by the software vendor, Scan of the whole computer:
Scan settings
Page 67
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 67
The Scan settings section offers a list of scanning parameters that c an be optionally
switc hed on/off:
· Automatically heal/remove infection (on by default) - if a virus is identified
during scanning it can be healed automatically if a cure is available. If the
infected file cannot be healed automatically, the infected object will be moved
to the Virus Vault.
· Report Potentially Unwanted Programs and Spyware threats (on by
default) - check to activate the Anti-Spyware engine, and scan for spyware
as well as for viruses. Spyware represents a questionable malware category:
even though it usually represents a security risk, some of these programs can
be installed intentionally. We recommend to keep this feature activated as it
increases your computer security.
· Report enhanced set of Potentially Unwanted Programs (off by default) -
mark to detec t extended package of spyware: programs that are perfec tly ok
and harmless when acquired from the manufacturer directly, but can be
misused for malicious purposes later. This is an additional measure that
increases your computer security even more, however it can possibly block
legal programs, and is therefore switched off by default.
· Scan for Tracking Cookies (off by default) - this parameter of the Anti-
Spyware component defines that cookies should be detected; (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)
· Scan inside archives (off by default) - this parameters defines that scanning
should chec k all files stored inside archives, 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 used for virus detec tion during scanning;
· Scan system environment (on by default) - scanning will also check the
system areas of your computer.
· Enable thorough scanning (off by default) - in specific situations (suspicious
of your computer being infected) you may check this option to activate the
most thorough scanning algorithms that will scan even those areas of your
computer that can hardly get infected, just to be absolutely sure. Remember
though that this method is rather time consuming.
Further you should decide whether you want to have scanned
· All file types with the possibility of defining exceptions from scanning by
providing a list of comma separated (having been saved, the commas c hange
into semicolons) file extensions that should not be scanned;
Page 68
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 68
· 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 some other non-executable files), including
media files (video, audio files - if you leave this box unchecked, it will reduce
the scanning time even more, because these files are often quite large and
are not too likely to be infected by a virus). Again, you can spec ify by
extensions which files are those that should always be scanned.
· Optionally, 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 are rather suspicious
and should be scanned at all times.
Adjust how quickly Scan completes
Within the Adjust how quickly scan completes section you can further specify the
desired scanning speed dependent on system resource usage. By default, this option
value is set to User sensitive level, whic h means that minimum resources are used
while you work with your PC, and the scan runs in the high priority mode while you are
away.
If you want the scanning to run faster, it will take less time but system resources
usage will 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 other hand, you can decrease system
resources usage by extending the scanning duration.
Set additional scan reports ...
Click the Set additional scan reports ... link to open a standalone dialog window
called Scan reports where you can tick several items to define what scan findings
should be reported:
9.7.2. Shell Extension Scan
Similar to the previous Whole Computer scan item, this item named Shell extension
scan also offers several options for editing the sc an predefined by the software
vendor. This time the configuration is related to scanning of specific objects launched
directly from the Windows Explorer environment (shell extension), see chapter
Scanning in Windows Explorer:
Page 69
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 69
The list of parameters is identical to those available for the Scan of the whole
computer. However, the default settings differ (for instance, Whole Computer scan
by default does not check the archives but it does scan the system environment,
while with the Shell Extension Scan it is the other way).
Note: For a description of specific parameters please consult the chapter AVG
Advanced Settings / Scans / Whole Computer scan.
Compared to Whole Computer scan dialog, the Shell extension scan dialog also
includes the section named Other settings related to AVG User Interface, where
you can spec ify whether you want the scan progress and scan results to be
accessible from the AVG user interface. Also, you can define that the scan result
should only be displayed in case an infec tion is detected during scanning.
9.7.3. Scan Specific Files or Folders
The editing interface for Scan specific files or folders is identical to the Whole
Computer scan editing dialog. All configuration options are the same; however, the
default settings are more stric t for the Scan of the whole computer:
Page 70
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 70
All parameters set up in this c onfiguration dialog apply only to the areas selected for
scanning with the Scan of specific files or folders!
Note: For a description of specific parameters please consult the chapter AVG
Advanced Settings / Scans / Whole Computer scan.
Page 71
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 71
9.7.4. Removable Device Scan
The editing interface for Removable device scan is also very similar to the Whole
Computer scan editing dialog:
The Removable device scan is launched automatically once you attach any
removable device to your computer. By default, this scanning is switched off.
However, it is crucial to scan removable devic es for potential threats since these are a
major source of infec tion. To have this scanning ready and launched automatically
when needed, mark the Enable Removable device scan option.
Note: For a description of specific parameters please consult the chapter AVG
Advanced Settings / Scans / Whole Computer scan.
9.8. Schedules
In the Schedules section you can edit the default settings of:
· Scheduled scan
· Virus database update schedule
· Program update schedule
Page 72
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 72
9.8.1. Scheduled Scan
Parameters of the sc heduled scan can be edited (or a new schedule set up) on three
tabs:
On the Schedule settings tab you can first check/uncheck the Enable this task item
to simply deactivate the sc heduled test temporarily, and switch it on again as the
need arises.
Next, in the text field called Name (deactivated for all default schedules) there is the
name assigned to this very schedule by the program vendor. For newly added
schedules (you can add a new schedule by mouse right-click over the Scheduled
scan item in the left navigation tree) you can specify your own name, and in that
case the text field will be open for editing. Try to always use brief, descriptive and apt
names for scans to make it easier to later recognize the scan from others.
Example: It is not appropriate to call the scan by the name of "New sc an" or "My
scan" since these names do not refer to what the sc an ac tually checks. On the other
hand, an example of a good descriptive name would be "System areas scan" etc. Also
Page 73
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 73
it is not necessary to specify in the scan's name whether it is the scan of the whole
of the computer or just a scan of selected files or folders - your own scans will
always be a spec ific version of the scan of selected files or folders.
In this dialog you can further define the following parameters of the sc an:
Schedule running
Here, you can spec ify time intervals for the newly scheduled scan launch. The timing
can either be defined by the repeated scan launch after a certain period of time (Run
every ...) or by defining an exact date and time (Run at specific time interval ...),
or possibly by defining an event that the scan launch should be assoc iated with (
Action based on computer startup).
Advanced schedule options
This section allows you to define under which conditions the scan should/should not
be launched if the computer is in low power mode or switched off completely.
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 full color with a flash light) informing a
scheduled scan is running. Right-click on the running scan AVG icon to open a context
menu where you can decide to pause or even stop the running scan, and also change
the priority of the currently running scan:
Page 74
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 74
On the How to scan tab you will find a list of scanning parameters that c an be
optionally switc hed on/off. By default, most parameters are switc hed on and the
functionality will be applied during scanning. Unless you have a valid reason to change
these settings we recommend to keep the predefined configuration:
· Automatically heal/remove infection (on by default): if a virus is identified
during scanning it can be healed automatically if a cure is available. If the
infected file cannot be healed automatically, the infected object will be moved
to the Virus Vault.
· Report Potentially Unwanted Programs and Spyware threats (on by
default): chec k to activate the Anti-Spyware engine, and scan for spyware
as well as for viruses. Spyware represents a questionable malware category:
even though it usually represents a security risk, some of these programs can
be installed intentionally. We recommend to keep this feature activated as it
increases your computer security.
· Report enhanced set of Potentially Unwanted Programs (off by default):
mark to detec t extended package of spyware: programs that are perfec tly ok
Page 75
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 75
and harmless when acquired from the manufacturer directly, but can be
misused for malicious purposes later. This is an additional measure that
increases your computer security even more, however it can possibly block
legal programs, and is therefore switched off by default.
· Scan for Tracking Cookies (off by default): this parameter of the Anti-
Spyware component defines 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
electronic shopping carts)
· Scan inside archives (off by default): this parameter defines the scanning
should chec k all files even if they are stored inside an 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 used for virus detec tion during scanning;
· Scan system environment (on by default): scanning will also check the
system areas of your computer;
· Enable thorough scanning (off by default) - in specific situations (suspicious
of your computer being infected) you may check this option to activate the
most thorough scanning algorithms that will scan even those areas of your
computer that can hardly get infected, just to be absolutely sure. Remember
though that this method is rather time consuming.
· Scan for rootkits (off by default): tick this item if you want to include the
rootkit detection into sc anning of the entire computer. The rootkit detection is
also available on its own within the Anti-Rootkit component;
Further you should decide whether you want to have scanned
· All file types with the possibility of defining exceptions from scanning by
providing a list of comma separated (having been saved, the commas c hange
into semicolons) file extensions that should not be scanned;
· 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 some other non-executable files), including
media files (video, audio files - if you leave this box unchecked, it will reduce
the scanning time even more, because these files are often quite large and
are not too likely to be infected by a virus). Again, you can spec ify by
extensions which files are those that should always be scanned.
· Optionally, 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 are rather suspicious
and should be scanned at all times.
Page 76
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 76
Adjust how quickly Scan completes
Within the Adjust how quickly Scan completes section you can further spec ify the
desired scanning speed dependent on system resource usage. By default, this option
value is set to User sensitive level, whic h means that minimum resources are used
while you work with your PC, and the scan runs in the high priority mode while you are
away.
If you want the scanning to run faster, it will take less time but the system resources
usage will 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 other hand, you can decrease the system
resources usage by extending the scanning duration.
Set additional scan reports
Click the Set additional scan reports ... link to open a standalone dialog window
called Scan reports where you can tick several items to define what scan findings
should be reported:
Additional scan settings
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 running scanning process is over. Having confirmed this option (Shutdown
computer upon scan completion), a new option activates that allows the computer
to shut down even if it is currently locked (Force shutdown if computer is locked).
Page 77
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 77
On the What to scan tab you can define whether you want to schedule scanning of
the whole computer or sc anning of spec ific files or folders. If you select scanning of
specific files or folders, in the bottom part of this dialog the displayed tree structure
activates and you can specify the folders to be scanned.
Page 78
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 78
9.8.2. Virus Database Update Schedule
On the Schedule settings tab you can first check/uncheck the Enable this task item
to simply deactivate the sc heduled virus database update temporarily, and switch it
on again as the need arises. The basic virus database 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. In the text field called
Name (deactivated for all default schedules) there is the name assigned to this very
schedule by the program vendor.
Schedule running
In this sec tion, specify the time intervals for the newly scheduled virus database
update launch. The timing can either be defined by the repeated update launch after a
certain period of time (Run every ...) or by defining an exact date and time (Run at
specific time ...).
Advanced schedule options
This section allows you to define under which conditions the virus database update
Page 79
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 79
should/should not be launched if the computer is in low power mode or switc hed off
completely.
Other update settings
Finally, c heck the Run the update again as soon as the Internet connection is
available 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.
Once the scheduled update 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 (
provided that you have kept the default configuration of the the Advanced Settings/
Appearance dialog).
9.8.3. Program Update Schedule
On the Schedule settings tab you can first check/uncheck the Enable this task item
to simply deactivate the sc heduled program update temporarily, and switch it on again
as the need arises. In the text field called Name (deactivated for all default schedules
) there is the name assigned to this very schedule by the program vendor.
Page 80
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 80
Schedule running
Here, specify the time intervals for the newly scheduled program update launch. The
timing can either be defined by the repeated update launch after a c ertain period of
time (Run every ...) or by defining an exact date and time (Run at specific time ...),
or possibly by defining an event that the update launch should be associated with (
Action based on computer startup).
Advanced schedule options
This section allows you to define under which conditions 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 as soon as the Internet connection is available
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.
Once the scheduled update 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 (
provided that you have kept the default configuration of the the Advanced Settings/
Appearance dialog).
Note: If a time coincidence of a scheduled program update and scheduled scan
occurs, the update process is of higher priority and the scan will get interrupted.
Page 81
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 81
9.9. E-mail Scanner
The E-mail Scanner dialog is divided into three sec tions:
E-mail scanning
In this sec tion, you can set these basics for incoming and/or outgoing e-mail
messages:
· Check incoming e-mail (on by default) - mark to switch on/off the option of
scanning of all e-mail messages delivered to your e-mail client
· Check outgoing e-mail (off by default) - mark to switch on/off the option of
scanning of all e-mails sent from your ac count
· Modify subject of virus infected messages (off by default) - if you want to
be warned the sc anned e-mail message was detected as infectious, mark this
item and fill in the desired text into the text field. This text will then be added
to the "Subject" field for eac h detected e-mail message for easier identification
and filtering. The default value is ***VIRUS*** which we recommend to keep.
Scanning properties
Page 82
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 82
In this sec tion, you can specify how the e-mail messages will be scanned:
· Use Heuristics (on by default) - check to use heuristics detection method
when sc anning e-mail messages. When this option is on, you can filter e-mail
attachments not only by extension but also the actual contents of the
attachment will be considered. The filtering can be set in the Mail Filtering
dialog.
· Report Potentially Unwanted Programs and Spyware threats (on by
default) - check to activate the Anti-Spyware engine, and scan for spyware
as well as for viruses. Spyware represents a questionable malware category:
even though it usually represents a security risk, some of these programs can
be installed intentionally. We recommend to keep this feature activated as it
increases your computer security.
· Report enhanced set of Potentially Unwanted Programs (off by default) -
mark to detec t extended package of spyware: programs that are perfec tly ok
and harmless when acquired from the manufacturer directly, but can be
misused for malicious purposes later. This is an additional measure that
increases your computer security even more, however it can possibly block
legal programs, and is therefore switched off by default.
· Scan inside archives (on by default) - check to scan contents of archives
attached to e-mail messages.
· Enable thorough scanning (off by default) - in specific situations (e.g.
suspicious of your c omputer being infected by an virus or exploit) you may
check this option to activate the most thorough scanning algorithms that will
scan even those areas of your computer that can hardly get infected, just to
be absolutely sure. Remember though that this method is rather time
consuming.
E-mail attachments reporting
In this sec tion, you can set additional reports about potentially dangerous or
suspicious files. Please note that no warning dialog will be displayed, only a
certification text will be added to the end of the e-mail message, and all such reports
will be listed in the E-mail Scanner detec tion dialog:
· Report password protected archives – archives (ZIP, RAR etc.) that are
protected by password are not possible to scan for viruses; check the box to
report these as potentially dangerous.
· Report password protected documents – documents protected by password
are not possible to scan for viruses; check the box to report these as
potentially dangerous.
· Report files containing macros – a macro is a predefined sequence of steps
aimed to make certain tasks easier for a user (MS Word macros are widely
known). As such, a macro can contain potentially dangerous instructions, and
Page 83
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 83
you might like to check the box to ensure that files with macros will be
reported as suspicious.
· Report hidden extensions – hidden extension can make e.g. a suspicious
executable file "something.txt.exe" appear as harmless plain text file
"something.txt"; check the box to report these as potentially dangerous.
· Move reported attachments to Virus Vault - specify whether you wish to be
notified via e-mail about password protected archives, password protected
documents, macro containing files and/or files with hidden extension detected
as an attachment of the scanned e-mail message. If such a message is
identified during scanning, define whether the detected infec tious object
should be moved to the Virus Vault.
9.9.1. Certification
In the Certification dialog you can specify the text and language of the certification
for both incoming mail and outgoing mail:
The certification text consists of two parts, user part and system part - see the
following example: the first line represents the user part, the rest is generated
automatically:
No virus found in this message.
Page 84
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 84
Checked by AVG.
Version: x.y.zz / Virus Database: xx.y.z - Release Date: 12/9/2010
If you decide to use c ertification of either incoming or outgoing e-mail messages,
further in this dialog you c an spec ify the exact wording of the user part of the
certification text (E-mail certification text), and chose what language should be
used for the automatically generated system part of the certification (Language used
for the e-mail certification text).
9.9.2. Mail Filtering
The Attachment filter dialog allows you to set up parameters for e-mail messages
attachment scanning. By default, the Remove attachments option is switched off. If
you dec ide to activate it, all e-mail message attachments detec ted as infectious or
potentially dangerous will be removed automatically. If you want to define specific
types of attachments that should be removed, select the respective option:
· Remove all executable files - all *.exe files will be deleted
· Remove all documents - all *.doc, *.docx, *.xls, *.xlsx files will be deleted
· Remove files with these comma separated extensions - will remove all
files with the defined extensions
Page 85
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 85
9.9.3. Servers
In the Servers section you can edit parameters of the E-mail Scanner component
servers, or set up a new server fusing the Add new server button.
In this dialog (opened via Servers / POP3) you can set up a new E-mail Scanner
server using the POP3 protocol for incoming mail:
· POP3 Server Name - in this field you c an spec ify the name of newly added
servers (to add a POP3 server, c lick the right mouse button over the POP3
item of the left navigation menu). For automatically created "AutoPOP3" server
this field is deactivated.
· Type of login - defines the method for determining the mail server used for
incoming mail:
o
Automatic - Login will be carried out automatically, acc ording to your email client settings.
o
Fixed host - In this case, the program will always use the server
specified here. Please specify the address or name of your mail server.
The login name remains unchanged. For a name, you may use a domain
name (for example, pop.acme.com) as well as an IP address (for
Page 86
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 86
example, 123.45.67.89). If the mail server uses a non-standard port, you
can specify this port after the server name by using a colon as the
delimiter (for example, pop.acme.c om:8200). The standard port for POP3
communication is 110.
· Additional settings - specifies more detailed parameters:
o
Local port - specifies the port on which the communication from your
mail application should be expected. You must then spec ify in your mail
application this port as the port for POP3 communication.
o
Connection - in the drop-down menu, you can specify which kind of
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 also only available when the
destination mail server supports it.
· E-mail client POP3 server activation - c heck/uncheck this item to activate
or deactivate the specified POP3 server
In this dialog (opened via Servers / SMTP) you can set up a new E-mail Scanner
server using the SMTP protocol for outgoing mail:
Page 87
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 87
· SMTP Server Name - in this field you can specify the name of newly added
servers (to add a SMTP server, click the right mouse button over the SMTP
item of the left navigation menu). For automatically created "AutoSMTP"
server this field is deactivated.
· Type of login - defines the method for determining the mail server used for
outgoing mail:
o
Automatic - login will be carried out automatically, ac cording to your email client settings
o
Fixed host - in this case, the program will always use the server
specified here. Please specify the address or name of your mail server.
You may use a domain name (for example, smtp.acme.c om) as well as
an IP address (for example, 123.45.67.89) for a name. If the mail server
uses a non-standard port, you can type this port behind the server name
using a colon as the delimiter (for example, smtp.ac me.com:8200). The
standard port for SMTP communication is 25.
· Additional settings - specifies more detailed parameters:
o
Local port - specifies the port on which the communication from your
mail application should be expected. You must then spec ify in your mail
application this port as the port for SMTP communication.
o
Connection - in this drop-down menu, you can specify which kind of
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 the
destination mail server supports it.
· E-mail client SMTP server activation - check/unchec k this box to activate/
deactivate the above specified SMTP server
Page 88
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 88
In this dialog (opened via Servers / IMAP) you c an set up a new E-mail Scanner
server using the IMAP protocol for outgoing mail:
· IMAP Server Name - in this field you c an specify the name of newly added
servers (to add a IMAP server, click the right mouse button over the IMAP
item of the left navigation menu). For automatically created "AutoIMAP" server
this field is deactivated.
· Type of login - defines the method for determining the mail server used for
outgoing mail:
o
Automatic - login will be carried out automatically, ac cording to your email client settings
o
Fixed host - in this case, the program will always use the server
specified here. Please specify the address or name of your mail server.
You may use a domain name (for example, smtp.acme.c om) as well as
an IP address (for example, 123.45.67.89) for a name. If the mail server
uses a non-standard port, you can type this port behind the server name
using a colon as the delimiter (for example, imap.acme.com:8200). The
standard port for IMAP communication is 143.
· Additional settings - specifies more detailed parameters:
Page 89
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 89
o
Local port - specifies the port on which the communication from your
mail application should be expected. You must then spec ify in your mail
application this port as the port for IMAP communication.
o
Connection - in this drop-down menu, you can specify which kind of
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 the
destination mail server supports it.
· E-mail client IMAP server activation - chec k/uncheck this box to activate/
deactivate the above specified SMTP server
9.10. Resident Shield
The Resident Shield component performs live protec tion of files and folders against
viruses, spyware and other malware.
In the Resident Shield Settings dialog you c an ac tivate or deactivate the Resident
Shield protec tion completely by checking/unchec king the Enable Resident Shield
item (this option is switched on by default). In addition you can select whic h
Resident Shield features should be ac tivated:
· Scan for Tracking cookies (off by default) - this parameter defines that
cookies should be detected during scanning. (HTTP cookies are used for
Page 90
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 90
authenticating, tracking, and maintaining specific information about users,
such as site preferences or the contents of their electronic shopping carts)
· Report Potentially Unwanted Programs and Spyware threats - (on by
default): chec k to activate the Anti-Spyware engine, and scan for spyware
as well as for viruses. Spyware represents a questionable malware category:
even though it usually represents a security risk, some of these programs can
be installed intentionally. We recommend to keep this feature activated as it
increases your computer security.
· Report enhanced set of Potentially Unwanted Programs (off by default) -
mark to detec t extended package of spyware: programs that are perfec tly ok
and harmless when acquired from the manufacturer directly, but can be
misused for malicious purposes later. This is an additional measure that
increases your computer security even more, however it can possibly block
legal programs, and is therefore switched off by default.
· Scan files on close (off by default) - on-close scanning ensures that AVG
scans active objects (e.g. applications, doc uments …) 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 removable media (on by default)
· Use Heuristics - (on by default) heuristic analysis will be used for detection (
dynamic emulation of the scanned object’s instructions in a virtual computer
environment)
· Auto-heal (off by default) - any detected infection will be healed
automatically if there is a cure available, and all infection that cannot be cured
will be removed.
· Scan files referred in registry (on by default) - this parameter defines that
AVG will scan all executable files added to startup registry to avoid a known
infection being executed upon next computer startup.
· Enable thorough scanning (off by default) - in specific situations (in a state
of extreme emergency) you may c heck this option to activate the most
thorough algorithms that will check all possibly threatening objects into the
deep. Remember though that this method is rather time consuming.
Page 91
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 91
9.10.1. Advanced Settings
In the Files scanned by the Resident Shield dialog it is possible to configure which
files will be scanned (by specific extensions):
Decide whether you want all files to be scanned or just infectable files - if so, you can
further spec ify a list of extensions defining files that should be exc luded from scanning,
and also a list of file extensions defining files that must be scanned under all
circumstances.
The below section called The Resident Shield will scan further summarizes the
current settings, displaying a detailed overview of what the Resident Shield will
actually scan.
Page 92
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 92
9.10.2. Excluded items
The Resident Shield - Excluded Items dialog offers the possibility of defining files
and/or folders that should be exc luded from the Resident Shield scanning.
If this is not essential, we strongly recommend not excluding any items!
The dialog provides the following control buttons:
· Add Path – spec ify a directory (directories) to be excluded from the scanning
by selecting them one by one from the local disk navigation tree
· Add File – specify files to be excluded from the scanning by selecting them
one by one from the local disk navigation tree
· Edit Item – allows you to edit the specified path to a selected file or folder
· Remove Item – allows you to delete the path to a selected item from the list
9.11. Cache Server
The Cache Server is a process designed to speed up any scan (on-demand scan,
scheduled whole computer scan, Resident Shield scan). It gathers and keeps
information of trustworthy files (system files with digital signature etc.): These files
Page 93
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 93
are then considered safe, and during scanning 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 c ache memory. Please note that scanning might slow
down, and overall performance of your computer decrease, as every single file
in use will be scanned for viruses and spyware first.
· Enable adding new files into cache (on by default) - uncheck the box to
stop adding more files into the cache memory. Any already cached files will be
kept and used until caching is turned off completely, or until the next update
of the virus database.
Page 94
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 94
9.12. Update
The Update navigation item opens a new dialog where you can specify general
parameters regarding the AVG update:
When to update files
In this sec tion you can select between two alternative options: update can be
scheduled for the next PC restart or you can launch the update immediately. By
default, the immediate update option is selected since this way AVG can secure the
maximum safety level. Scheduling an update for the next PC restart c an only be
recommended if you are sure the computer gets restarted regularly, at least daily.
If you decide to keep the default configuration and launch the update process
immediately, you can specify the circumstances under which a possible required
restart should be performed:
· Require confirmation from the user - you will be asked to approve a PC
restart needed to finalize the update process
· Restart immediately - the computer will be restarted automatic ally
immediately after the update process has finished, and your approval will not
be required
Page 95
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 95
· Complete at next computer restart - the update process finalization will be
postponed until the next c omputer restart - again, please keep in mind that
this option is only recommended if you can be sure the computer gets
restarted regularly, at least daily
Post update memory scan
Mark this check box to define you want to launch a new memory scan after each
successfully completed update. The latest downloaded update might have contained
new virus definitions, and these could be applied in the scanning immediately.
Additional update options
· Build new system restore point during each program update - before
each AVG program update launch, a system restore point is 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 / Accessories / System tools / System
Restore, but any changes can be recommended to experienced users only!
Keep this check-box ticked if you want to make use of this functionality.
· Use DNS update (on by default) - with this item marked, once the update is
launched, your AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 looks up the information
about the latest virus database version and the latest program version on the
DNS server. Then only the smallest indispensably required update files are
downloaded, and applied. This way the total amount of data downloaded is
minimized, and the update process runs faster.
· Require confirmation to close running applications (on by default) will help
you make sure no currently running applications will be c losed without your
permission - if required for the update process to be finalized;
· Check computer time - mark this option to declare you wish to have
notification displayed in case the computer time differs from the correct time
more than specified number of hours.
Page 96
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 96
9.12.1. Proxy
The proxy server is a stand-alone server or a service running on a PC that guarantees
safer connection to the Internet. According to the specified network rules you can
then access the Internet either directly or via the proxy server; both possibilities can
also be allowed at the same time. Then, in the first 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, connect directly
If you select any option using proxy server, you will have to specify some further
data. The server settings can be configured either manually or automatic ally.
Manual configuration
If you select manual configuration (check the Manual option to activate the
respective dialog sec tion) you have to specify the following items:
· Server – specify the server’s IP address or the name of the server
Page 97
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 97
· Port – specify the number of the port that enables Internet acc ess (by
default, this number is set to 3128 but can be set differently – if you are not
sure, contact your network administrator)
The proxy server can also have configured spec ific rules for eac h user. If your proxy
server is set up this way, check the Use PROXY authentication 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 option to activate the
respective dialog sec tion) then please select where the proxy configuration should be
taken from:
· From browser - the configuration will be read from your default internet
browser
· From script - the configuration will be read from a downloaded script with the
function returning the proxy address
· Autodetect - the configuration will be detected automatically directly from the
proxy server
Page 98
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 98
9.12.2. Dial-up
All parameters optionally defined in the Update settings - Dial-Up connection dialog
refer to the dial-up c onnection to the Internet. The dialog'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) or you wish to confirm the connection manually every time (
Ask before connection). For automatic c onnection you should further select whether
the connection should be c losed after the update is finished (Close dial-up
connection when finished).
Page 99
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 99
9.12.3. URL
The URL dialog offers a list of Internet addresses from which the update files c an be
downloaded. The list and its items can be modified using the following control buttons:
· Add – opens a dialog where you can specify a new URL to be added to the list
· Edit - opens a dialog where you c an edit the selected URL parameters
· Delete – deletes the selected URL from the list
· Move Up – moves the selected URL one position up in the list
· Move Down - moves the selected URL one position down in the list
Page 100
A V G A nti-V irus F ree Editi on 2 011 © 20 1 0 C opyright A VG T ec hnologies CZ, s.r.o. A ll ri ghts res erved. 100
9.12.4. Manage
The Manage dialog offers two options accessible via two buttons:
· Delete temporary 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 button to delete the
latest virus base version from your hard disk, and to return to the previously
saved version (new virus base version will be a part of the following update)
Loading...