Advice Request Avast Free?

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ncage

Level 3
Thread author
Verified
May 20, 2017
103
Does avast free still throw up ads occasionally from their free product? I have a few people (non technical) that I would like to use it for but they will freak if they see one of avasts misleading screen come up (hey unless you buy avast premium you have serious security issues). I know they won't be opening the program manually and doing a scan or anything like that (because avast is almost acts like scareware when you do that). Also does avast free upgrade major versions without any intervention from the user or does it require this to be done manually?
 
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Templarware

Level 9
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Well-known
Mar 13, 2021
414
When I was using Avast free, I had the upgrade to Premium version like ever two days, nothing else, as long as you disable its "intelligent scan" which doesn't do anything other than tell you to upgrade. Disable that and you won't be getting any scareware.
The updates are done by itself; you don't need to manually download or install.
 

abbs

New Member
Nov 8, 2015
1
Hey,

For those people, take the standard security that is in Windows 10.
Since Windows 10, Windows Defender is a good free choice and in av testing it ranks as high as most good grats antivirus programs.
Advantage of Windows Defender no advertising with which they can then be misled.
 

SerialCart

From Serialcart.com
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Top Poster
Well-known
Oct 27, 2019
501
About the license for 1 device, does device mean computer and the license will also work on Android, or do you need 2 devices if you want PC and phone?
Dear @Templarware ,

AVG 1 device licenses only work on Windows PCs. If you would like to also install it on your Androis device or macOS you would need more than 1 device.

Please check here for more info:

Let me know if you have any questions.
 

Templarware

Level 9
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Well-known
Mar 13, 2021
414
I don't recommend Avast even its paid version. It slows down the Windows and isn't a good product.
If you want a good and light AV, I'd recommend Panda Dome Free.
Avast is very light on the system, it even has an option to suspend all non-gaming user processes. It gets top ratings from test companies and it's the most complete free AV, especially since they've recently included the Ransomware shield in the free version.
 
Last edited:

JasonUK

Level 5
Apr 14, 2020
232
Avast is very light on the system, it even has an option to suspend all non-gaming user processes. It gets top ratings from test companies and it's the most complete free AV, especially since they've recently included the Ransomware shield in the free version.
+1

I can understand why Avast got both barrels and lost a lot of user trust on the data collection issue but as an AV it's effective and light on the system. I'm using it (the four core shields only) after a spell using Windows Defender.
 

silversurfer

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Aug 17, 2014
10,055
I don't recommend Avast even its paid version. It slows down the Windows and isn't a good product.
If you want a good and light AV, I'd recommend Panda Dome Free.

Just your biased comment for personal user experience only. system impact of any AV for Windows depends most of time on newer or older Hardware.

Off-topic: Panda Free is one of the worst AV in terms of protection even on certain systems it's might be more "lightweight" compared to Avast.
 

AYIZEB

Level 2
Verified
Oct 18, 2016
73
avast free is a good product much better than panda, see the results speak for themselves, either here in the forum or in the tests, on the subject of telemetry, nowadays everything sends your information, either google, windows, android etc ... just enjoy your favorite antivirus and keep it safe.
 

Frib004

Level 2
Verified
Nov 17, 2018
78
Just your biased comment for personal user experience only. system impact of any AV for Windows depends most of time on newer or older Hardware.
Nop, I saw a lot of infected machines using Avast and AVG, this is not my only personal user experience.
Off-topic: Panda Free is one of the worst AV in terms of protection even on certain systems it's might be more "lightweight" compared to Avast.
When I used Panda to desinfect a machine, it always removed the malwares, if you're doing this affirmation based in Youtube videos tests, that's not correctly, because an AV shows your efficiency in daily usage, not in tests.
avast free is a good product much better than panda, see the results speak for themselves, either here in the forum or in the tests, on the subject of telemetry, nowadays everything sends your information, either google, windows, android etc ... just enjoy your favorite antivirus and keep it safe.
What tests? As I said, video test isn't useful to choose an antivirus software.
 

blackice

Level 38
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Top Poster
Well-known
Apr 1, 2019
2,730
Nop, I saw a lot of infected machines using Avast and AVG, this is not my only personal user experience.
Anytime I see stories like this I wonder how many of these people disabled the product or ignored warnings.

This is observation bias. Outside of a scientific study with a large data set it is nothing but personal observation of a small set of users.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
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Aug 17, 2014
10,055
Nop, I saw a lot of infected machines using Avast and AVG, this is not my only personal user experience.
Of course, it's possible for sure, but honestly, you will see infected systems even for Panda Free or any other AV, free or paid.

When I used Panda to desinfect a machine, it always removed the malwares, if you're doing this affirmation based in Youtube videos tests, that's not correctly, because an AV shows your efficiency in daily usage, not in tests.
Clean-install of any OS is always better than trying to disinfect other users PC, but it's your choice as always.

My opinion is based on my personal tests and even on "daily usage of Panda Free", daily usage shows something like performance and system impact, but what about overall protection, that you have to test against 0-day malware otherwise makes no sense!

To avoid further off-topic: Finally, once more said, Panda is one of the worst free AV, that's a fact for a lot of people on forums around the web...
 

Frib004

Level 2
Verified
Nov 17, 2018
78
Anytime I see stories like this I wonder how many of these people disabled the product or ignored warnings.
Yes, I know that a lot of people do wrong things in the security of the Windows like disabling UAC,antivirus,etc. But in 2016 I have been infected while I was using Avast and no, I didn't disable the real time protection or downloaded malicious things or clicked on a banner or e-mail, maybe I've been infected due to a malvertising attack or something like this.
When I changed to Panda, I never had problems with infections anymore. I just recommend Panda Dome because I use and I am satisfied with the product, everybody here have the right to disagree, I'm just telling my experience.
 

ninjagaiden

New Member
Feb 24, 2021
7
When I was using Avast free, I had the upgrade to Premium version like ever two days, nothing else, as long as you disable its "intelligent scan" which doesn't do anything other than tell you to upgrade. Disable that and you won't be getting any scareware.
The updates are done by itself; you don't need to manually download or install.
how do you disable intelligent scan?
 

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
Does avast free still throw up ads occasionally from their free product? I have a few people (non technical) that I would like to use it for but they will freak if they see one of avasts misleading screen come up (hey unless you buy avast premium you have serious security issues). I know they won't be opening the program manually and doing a scan or anything like that (because avast is almost acts like scareware when you do that). Also does avast free upgrade major versions without any intervention from the user or does it require this to be done manually?
These practices are not exclusive to Antivirus software:
  • Users may be subjected to sponsored software (i.e. Chrome browser), upsell Ads (i.e. prompts to paid subscriptions), placeholder images for extra features (i.e. additional services) when choosing the FREE version of commercial software.
I recommend running the software on your own PC, or VM with daily visits as an average user (i.e. web browsing, downloads, emails) and see how it operates, then make a call whether to use it or not. Two experiments: 1. Default installation and 2. Custom install with modified configuration.
 

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