AVG forum: I just installed AVG and my computer crashed!

I reinstalled AVG and my computer blue-screened again; I received a out of memory error. I had only 1GB of RAM (I wanted to see if I could get the computer running before adding additional hardware) so I suspect I was very borderline on resources.

At any rate, the computer rebooted this time and all the AVG options were loaded, save for one. During the AVG installation my Firefox became corrupted when the computer crashed. I was able to reinstall Firefox and the remaining AVG program but the computer was running painfully slow.

I added 2GB of RAM (for a total of 3GB) and my computer is now running stable (about a week now without incident). AVG is a bit of a resource hog though as sometimes just launching Firefox or a Word document takes several minutes (compared to a few seconds prior to installing AVG). It's not unbearable and I guess that is to be expected with antivirus software.

After returning from a two week vacation I booted up my computer which had been shut off for the duration. The initial boot took over 45 minutes and I was unable to open any applications, including Firefox. (this was while the hard drive was thrashing endlessly). I eventually received a message that my AVG virus definitions needed to be updated. So far so good.

I said OK to update the definitions and after again chugging away endlessly my system eventually crashed. On reboot I received a message that there was a system error that may have been caused by recent hardware or software changes. The only change to the computer was the AVG update. After about six attempts I was able to boot the system where I then received an error message the one of the AVG files was corrupted and the AVG was shutting down. The system crashed again.

I tried to reboot the system using "The Last Known Good Configuration" to no avail and after repeated failed attempts I used the XP installation CD to repair the OS and was able to successfully boot the computer.

Once I was in I attempted to uninstall AVG during the middle of which the system crashed yet again. After the subsequent reboot I was able to successfully complete the AVG uninstallation.

Once AVG was uninstalled AVG my computer rebooted in four minutes and I am now able to open my applications without issue.

This process, from the time of initial system boot to the uninstall of AVG took over four hours. Adding this four hours to the eight hours I've spent rebuilding my hard drive , which was freshly rebuilt, after the first time AVG wiped out my OS (which resulted in reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling XP) and I'm now twelve hours into this process. Just to get back where I originally started.

Here's the bottom line: I have what I feel is a perfectly adequate computer for its intended purpose (browse the Internet, email, Office applications, etc.). The system has a Pentium 4 CPU, 3BG RAM, and an 80 GB hard drive. The hard drive was reformatted and a fresh copy of XP32 was installed. The system was plenty fast and the applications all performed as expected. Until I installed AVG.

Once I installed AVG the problems started. The initial install of AVG crashed my system resulting in the BSOD. After reinstalling the OS I upgraded the memory from 1GB to 3GB (1 was borderline, I understand). I was willing to give AVG another shot and, at the recommendation of AVG, I installed the full-blown trial version after which, if successful, I intended to purchase the license.

After installing the full AVG my system and applications functioned properly albeit with a HUGE performance hit: system boot was in the neighborhood of fifteen minutes and simply opening a Word document took several minutes. Even at that I was willing to sacrifice performance for security. Until the update. For the second time now AVG has corrupted the operating system. I have spent more time trying to keep the computer running than I have actually using it.

In my opinion I don't see any value in AVG: at best when the software is functioning "properly", the performance hit is so drastic as to be almost unbearable; at worst AVG has demonstrated that the software is so unstable it renders my computer useless.

I understand that with the infinite number of software and hardware configurations, my situation may very well be unique. But for me, I have to give AVG one big THUMBS DOWN and will pursue an alternative anti-virus software solution.

I went to the link you provided - I do not have any of the drivers or software listed installed.

I do have the minidump files you requested although I'm not overly interested in investing the additional time required to set up a Rapidshare or some other online sharing account - I've spent waaaay too much time with AVG already.

If you provide me with an email address or link I will gladly send the you the requested files.

Your call.

For what its worth, since I uninstalled AVG, my computer has been performing flawlessly.

I've installed a new hard drive (and the requisite OS - XP32) and have once again installed AVG Anti-Virus 9.0 (the free edition ,I figured I would start with the free version and see how it goes).

After fairly heavy usage (approximately twenty hours), my computer has been performing without incident.

The system performance took a VERY minor hit (which is to be expected with any anti-virus software, if it's working properly) and is running at a perfectly acceptable level. System bootup and Windows navigation times are all normal and I've downloaded and installed numerous programs and installed additional hardware all without a problem.

The installation went very smoothly and I found the user interface extremely easy to use. I re-installed the second hard drive and performed an entire system scan (about two hours for roughly 90GB of data). On one occasion while surfing the net AVG detected a potential intruder and stopped it dead in its tracks.

I'm thankful I stuck with this and worked out the problem, which turned out to be hardware related - AVG only exposed the problem.

I would like to thank AVG for their prompt responses, both on this forum and through personal email communications, in helping me work through the issue. I intend to upgrade to AVG Internet Security 9.0 so I can take advantage of the additional security features.

I was really rooting for AVG! I LOVE it when a company is so confident in their product that they will offer a FREE version, knowing that after you use it, you'll come off of the hip and pay a little extra for the bells and whistles. I think that shows confidence in your product, as well as your customers.

I custom build my own machines and load the software I want to use sparingly, one program at the time. (Read NO BLOATWARE) So if (when) I have a problem I have a pretty good idea WHERE to start looking.

I have used AVG Free, the McAfee Suite AND the Norton Suite, at different times. McAfee was pretty big at 200 MB (if I remember right?) and a little slow, but it worked fine.

When I uninstall software I use the uninstall program that comes with it, then I check it with "Absolute Uninstaller" to make sure it's gone... then I use Glarysoft's Registry Repair, then reboot. I have performed this sequence of operations many, MANY times on several different machines with 100% success.

I decided to try out AVG Free this past year. It worked very well, I never had any viruses or Malware slip through. It DID alert me a few times, when I received infected attachments in my email, and a few times when I followed links to malware sites. I have to say, the product worked as it should. And it "learned" as it worked. It can tell what has been added since the last scan, therefore each successive scan gets faster, to a point. (About 80K files in less than 4 mins)

Back around August 16, 2010 I began having BSOD on boot-up. I opened my machine up, checked all of the hardware and connections, vacuumed and cleaned out a small accumulation of dust and ran diagnostics on everything I could get support for. (I was sweating one of those $80 WD HDD's failing!) I read they have about a 10% failure rate, but these things don't even have 2000 hours on them yet.

Then I had a couple of programs go MIA. They just stopped working. (Heidi's Eraser and another one I can't remember right now.) I had to completely re-install the programs to regain their use. I kept having these intermittent BSOD on boot-up and I could NOT figure out why. I did a manual Windows update etc. It was driving me NUTS.

Then one day a week or two back, after DOZENS of BSOD over a six week period, my AVG Free DID NOT START on boot up. I went to the menu and tried to run in manually, no dice. So I un-installed it completely. Since I'd gone that far, I decided to re-install the Norton Suite provided by my ISP ... guess what ? The BSOD WENT AWAY COMPLETELY. I found the culprit by accident.

I did not install or remove any other hardware OR software during the time I was having these Blue Screen of Death issues. The last day I had a BSOD, was the day BEFORE I un-installed AVG Free.

To anyone out there that says, "I've never heard of BSOD being caused by anti-virus software." ... You have now. This ain't no B.S. I took the time and trouble to create a profile here at CNET tonight, and to type this small novel to let folks out there know.

I have an A.A.S. in Computer Engineering. I don't know everything about how all of the bits and bytes do their magic, but I do have formal training on hardware and software. I have a very controlled environment set up to use and test my hardware and software. I proved to myself beyond a shadow of a doubt, with six weeks of debugging and sending error reports to Microsoft, vacuuming dust, checking for loose connections, sweating and cussing and watching that BSOD every morning, by simply stumbling over the problem and un-installing AVG Free, it was the source of my BSOD problem.

I still liked the way AVG Free worked ... when it worked. Security software isn't an area I choose to cut corners on. If it works "most of the time" ... that isn't going to cut it for me. If it causes me BSOD .. I'll avoid it like the PLAGUE and I thought others might like to know too.

All of my hardware was assembled new
and is about one year old. READ - NO HARDWARE PROBLEMS

Vista Home Premium SP2 (32-bit) (Updated monthly at least)
BuildLabEx = 6002.vistasp2_gdr.100608-0458
CurrentBuild = 6002
WEI = 5.6
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz
4 GB DDR2 RAM
Gigabyte EP45-UD3P MB
Two Western Digital 250 GB drives in RAID 1
Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS
Silverstone 650 watt modular PS
Two 21" flat screen LCDs

Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, IE Ver 8 ...

After wasting about three hours of my life this morning, attempting to follow your instructions, fighting with Vista's UAC, NOT having Zip application installed, locating my dump files (17 of them), NOT being able to upload them to my google docs account because "I don't have administrative permission" blah blah blah. You know what, screw it. I have Norton installed. It works. No blue screen. I don't have to buy a $30 'Zip program' (Winzip) to load up dump files to you, so I can have free security software that doesn't work.

I really tried to do as you asked. How much time can I be expected to put into helping someone, when everything I try to do, requires me to do (or BUY) something else ? !

Here's a tip. If the dump files that are created by AVG's crashing my system are so important to AVG, why doesn't AVG put some code into their product to UPLOAD the information that THEY NEED ? ! I do remember checking the box to allow AVG to collect information from me to help improve the product.

I'm out.

someone please help me. i tried to upgrade from avg 8.5 to 9.0 and it stopped half way through. Now I cant download anything thing to my pc not off line not trhough email and not even with a disc... can someone please help me

Well, I experienced this maybe 6 or 3 months ago. My pc became slower when I installed AVG. "Lag" became heavier and heavier when running scans. And in some cases, my pc freezes. But when I uninstall it, my pc recovered its normal speed. I also noticed that some computer cafes don't use AVG as their antivirus. Please fix this problem so that we can appreciate AVG's antivirus powers =]

I downloaded AVG and it asked if it should restart and the computer did. It started up normal but them I got a blue screen with blue writing saying I have damage to my computer and it restarted on a loop. I called my computer geeks and one told me to restore factory setting. The other told me to use safe mode to uninstall AVG and hopefully it works.

My computer did a restore to when it was working. Problem solved.

My computer geek told me AVG is buggy and virusy.

That's odd. I've never had any problems with AVG. It's a great anti virus program.

Hi,

we have asked CNET for possibility to contact you for closer analysis of this unpleasant situation.

Thanks

Is is not recommended to have more than one software with active component installed, please uninstall NAV before trying to reinstall AVG.

Could you please be more specific?
If BSOD did occur please check the following thread:
http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-free-forum?sec=thread&act=show&id=51131

Otherwise please provide us with more information about your system environment (HW specc, other SW installed)

Esentially the same thing happened to me but I had AVG 2011 installed. The problem happened when trying to install an update to AVG 2011. Whole system crashed requiring me to use system restore to get things back working again. Of course, as soon as I did, the violating update popped up again. Only recourse was to uninstal AVG 2011 for now.