AVG Internet Security and AVG AntiVirus - FAQs

Download and Installation

How do I install AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus?

What are the system requirements for AVG Internet Security and AVG AntiVirus?

Is a free-trial version of AVG Internet Security available?

Subscription and Activation

How do I activate AVG Internet Security?

AVG Internet Security is a paid app that requires a subscription to use. After installing AVG Internet Security, you may need to manually activate it using one of the methods below:

• AVG Account: Activate AVG Internet Security by signing in to the application with your AVG Account that is linked to the email address you provided during the subscription purchase. Click ☰ Menu ▸ Sign in.
  An AVG Account was created using the email address that you provided during the subscription purchase. To sign into your AVG Account for the first time, refer to the following article: Activating your AVG Account.
• Activation code: Activate AVG Internet Security using the activation code from your order confirmation email. Click ☰ Menu ▸ Enter activation code.

• AVG Account: Activate AVG Internet Security by signing in to the application with your AVG Account that is linked to the email address you provided during the subscription purchase. In the top-right corner of the main application screen, click ☰ Menu ▸ Sign in.
  An AVG Account was created using the email address that you provided during the subscription purchase. To sign into your AVG Account for the first time, refer to the following article: Activating your AVG Account.
• Activation code: Activate AVG Internet Security using the activation code from your order confirmation email. In the top-right corner of the main application screen, click ☰ Menu ▸ My subscriptions ▸ Activate paid features.

For detailed activation instructions, refer to the following article:

• Activating AVG Internet Security
• Activating AVG Internet Security

What should I do if activation is unsuccessful?

If you experience activation issues using an activation code:

1. Ensure you have correctly entered your activation code, including hyphens.
2. Use our webform or your AVG Account to retrieve a copy of your activation code, then try activating the app again.

If you experience activation issues using your AVG Account:

• Ensure that you are entering the credentials for the AVG Account that is linked to your AVG Internet Security subscription. To verify this, sign in to your AVG Account in your web browser and click the Subscriptions tile to see a list of the linked subscriptions.

In some cases, subscription synchronization may take up to 24 hours after purchase. If your subscription is still not active after this time, refer to the following article:

• Troubleshooting activation issues in AVG apps

If the issue persists, contact AVG Support.

How can I transfer AVG Internet Security to another device?

1. Uninstall AVG Internet Security from the original device.
2. Install AVG Internet Security on the new device.
3. Activate AVG Internet Security on the new device.

Can I use my AVG Internet Security subscription on multiple devices?

Refer to the information below to verify the device limit for your purchased subscription:

• AVG Internet Security (Multi-Device): You can activate AVG Internet Security on up to 10 devices simultaneously on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. You can transfer your protection freely between devices and platforms.
• AVG Internet Security for PC: You can activate AVG Internet Security on 1 Windows PC. You can transfer your protection to an alternative PC, but you cannot use your protection on more than 1 PC simultaneously.
• AVG Internet Security for Mac: You can activate AVG Internet Security on 1 macOS device. You can transfer your protection to an alternative Mac, but you cannot use your protection on more than 1 Mac simultaneously.

How do I know when my subscription expires?

Open AVG Internet Security and go to ☰ Menu ▸ My Subscription. The duration of your subscription is listed under Subscriptions on this PC.

Ensure AVG Internet Security is open and active, then click AVG Internet Security in the Apple menu bar and select Subscriptions. The duration of your subscription is listed under Subscriptions on this Mac.

How can I cancel the renewal for my subscription?

Features

What features are included in the different apps?

For more information about the different subscriptions offered by AVG, visit the AVG Store.

How do I use AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus?

For detailed instructions on how to start using AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus on your Mac, refer to the following article:

• AVG AntiVirus and AVG Internet Security for Mac - Getting Started

What is File Shield?

File Shield scans programs and files on your hard drive as they are opened, run, modified, and saved. If malware is detected, File Shield helps prevent the program or file from infecting your PC.

File Shield scans programs and files on your hard drive as they are opened, run, modified, and saved. If malware is detected, File Shield helps prevent the program or file from infecting your Mac.

What is Behavior Shield?

Behavior Shield monitors programs installed on your PC for suspicious behavior that may indicate the presence of malicious code.

What is Ransomware Protection?

Ransomware Protection helps secure your personal photos, documents, and files from being modified, deleted, or encrypted by ransomware attacks. This feature is designed to scan for and automatically secure folders which may contain personal data.

For more information about Ransomware Protection, refer to the following article:

• Ransomware Protection - Getting Started

What is Network Inspector?

Network Inspector scans your network for vulnerabilities and identifies potential security issues that may leave you vulnerable to threats. This feature checks the status of your network, devices connected to the network, and router settings. Network Inspector helps you secure your network to prevent attackers from accessing it and misusing your personal data.

To access Network Inspector, click Computer in the main application screen and select Open on the Network Inspector tile.

What is Web Shield?

Web Shield actively scans data that is transferred when you browse the internet to prevent malware from being downloaded and run on your PC.

Web Shield actively scans data that is transferred when you browse the internet to prevent malware from being downloaded and run on your Mac.

What is Email Shield?

Email Shield scans for threats in your incoming and outgoing email messages. Scanning applies only to messages sent or received using mail management software, such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird.

Email Shield scans for threats in your incoming and outgoing email messages. Scanning applies only to messages sent or received using mail management software, such as Apple Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird.

What is Enhanced Firewall?

Enhanced Firewall monitors all network traffic between your PC and the outside world to protect you from unauthorized communication and intrusions. Enhanced Firewall helps prevent sensitive data from leaving your PC and helps block attempted intrusions by hackers. You can also set the application rules to control network and internet communication for specific software applications.

For more information about Enhanced Firewall, refer to the following articles:

• AVG Enhanced Firewall - Getting Started
• AVG Enhanced Firewall - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hack Alerts?

Hack Alerts continuously monitors the dark web and warns you if your login credentials have been leaked online. The dark web is a more private part of the internet that can only be accessed with an anonymizing network like the Tor browser. The privacy offered by the dark web makes it the ideal environment for criminals to illegally buy and sell leaked personal information.

To start using Hack Alerts:

1. Select Web & Email on the main application screen.
2. Click Open on the Hack Alerts tile.
3. Click Protect my accounts.
4. Enter your AVG Account credentials and click Continue.
   An AVG Account was created using the email address that you provided during the subscription purchase. To sign into your AVG Account for the first time, refer to the following article: Activating an AVG Account.

AVG is now monitoring for leaks involving online accounts that are linked with the email address you provided.

What is Quarantine?

Quarantine is an isolated space where you can safely store potentially dangerous files, or send them to the AVG Threat Labs for analysis. Files in Quarantine cannot run or access your system and data, so any malicious code contained within a file should be unable to harm your PC. Access Quarantine by clicking ☰ Menu ▸ Quarantine.

Quarantine is an isolated space where you can safely store potentially dangerous files. Files in Quarantine cannot run or access your system and data, so any malicious code contained within a file should be unable to harm your Mac. Access Quarantine by clicking the Computer tile, then click Open on the Quarantine tile.

For more information about Quarantine, refer to the following article:

• Quarantine - Getting Started
• Quarantine - Getting Started

What is Do Not Disturb Mode?

Do Not Disturb Mode is an upgrade to the previous Game Mode feature and is available in AVG Internet Security and AVG AntiVirus FREE. Do Not Disturb Mode works to silence unnecessary notifications while you run almost any application in fullscreen. Each time you open an application in fullscreen, Do Not Disturb Mode automatically detects it and adds it to a list of applications. When you run applications from this list of entries, Do Not Disturb Mode automatically launches to silence notifications from Windows, AVG, and other applications. In the Do Not Disturb Mode applications list, you can also click the … More options (three dots) next to any application and tick the Maximize performance box, which allows the application to run at highest priority and boost the performance of your PC.

For more information about Do Not Disturb Mode, refer to the following article:

• Do Not Disturb Mode - Getting Started

What is the AVG Online Security browser extension?

The AVG Online Security browser extension helps protect your privacy when browsing the internet. Many websites use tracking systems to monitor visitor behavior, so they can obtain statistics and other data for marketing purposes. The AVG Online Security browser extension enables you to see details about the tracking systems used by the websites you visit, and prevent websites from tracking you.

After installing AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus FREE, you need to manually enable AVG Online Security in your web browser(s). Go to ☰ Menu ▸ Browser Extensions, then click Enable extension next to your preferred web browser and follow the on-screen instructions on how to enable the browser extension.

For more information about enabling and using AVG Online Security, refer to the following article:

• AVG Online Security - Getting Started

Premium Features

What is Password Protection?

Password Protection works to protect applications and malware from viewing, changing, or deleting passwords that are saved in your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and AVG Secure Browser browsers.

To ensure Password Protection is enabled and actively working to protect your passwords, click Hacker Attacks on the main AVG Internet Security screen. A green (ON) slider above Password Protection shows that the feature is enabled.

What is Remote Access Shield?

Remote Access Shield allows you to control which IP addresses are allowed to connect remotely to your PC, and block all unauthorized connection attempts.

By default, Remote Access Shield is designed to block the following connections:

• Connections from high-risk IP addresses.
• Connections that attempt to use known vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol, such as BlueKeep.
• Brute-force attacks that work by repeatedly trying to log in to your system with commonly used or stolen login credentials.

You receive a notification from AVG each time Remote Access Shield blocks a connection attempt.

We recommend keeping Remote Access Shield enabled at all times. To ensure Remote Access Shield is enabled, click the Hacker Attacks tile on the main application screen, then click Open above Remote Access Shield and ensure the slider is green (ON).

For more information about Remote Access Shield, refer to the following article:

• Remote Access Shield - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Phishing Net?

Phishing Net uses our cloud database to help catch the newest phishing sites and block spam, scans, and malicious phishing emails. This feature is designed to require minimal input from you. To ensure you have protection, all you need to do is keep Phishing Net enabled.

What is Ransomware Protection?

Ransomware Protection helps secure your personal photos, documents, and files from being modified, deleted, or encrypted by ransomware attacks. This feature is designed to automatically secures your Documents and Pictures folders which may contain personal data. Additionally, you can specify which applications are allowed to modify the files in your protected folders.

For more information about Ransomware Protection, refer to the following article:

• Ransomware Protection - Getting Started

What is Webcam Protection?

Webcam Protection helps prevent applications and malware from accessing your PC's webcam without your consent. With Webcam Protection enabled, untrusted applications should not be able to capture images or videos, nor compromise your privacy by sending the content outside of your PC.

To enable or disable Webcam Protection, click Personal Data on the main AVG Internet Security screen. A green (ON) slider above Webcam Protection shows that Webcam Protection is enabled. To modify Webcam Protection behavior, click Settings (the gear icon) in the top-right corner, and select Full protection ▸ Webcam Protection in the left panel.

For more information about Webcam Protection, refer to the following article:

• Webcam Protection - Getting Started

What is Sensitive Data Shield?

Sensitive Data Shield scans and helps protect your sensitive documents against unauthorized access and malware. Sensitive files contain your personal information, which if revealed, can compromise your privacy and identity. Sensitive Data Shield controls which applications and users have access to your files to help secure your private data. To start using Sensitive Data Shield, click Personal Data on the main AVG Internet Security screen and select Open above Sensitive Data Shield. Click Scan for sensitive documents to check your PC for sensitive documents.

For more information about Sensitive Data Shield, refer to the following article:

• Sensitive Data Shield - Getting Started

What is Fake Website Shield?

Fake Website Shield helps secure you against DNS (Domain Name System) hijacking, which is when a malicious program redirects you from an authentic URL to an inauthentic website to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details.

Every time you enter a URL into the address bar of your browser, this URL is translated to the IP address (Internet Protocol address) of the web server where the web page that you want to access is stored. Fake Website Shield provides an encrypted connection between your web browser and AVG's own DNS server to help ensure that the displayed website is the authentic one.

For more information about Fake Website Shield, refer to the following article:

• Fake Website Shield - Frequently Asked Questions
• Fake Website Shield - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Data Shredder?

Data Shredder (previously File Shredder) allows you to irreversibly erase your files or whole drives, which minimizes ways for anyone to restore and misuse your data.

When you erase a hard drive, or delete a file using standard tools, only a reference to its data is removed from the file system. Simply deleting sensitive files, such as user data or licensed software, may not be safe, as there are tools capable of restoring deleted files. Data Shredder overwrites files with meaningless data multiple times before deleting them, which prevents data from being recovered. Data Shredder is especially useful when selling/donating your computer or hard drive.

To access Data Shredder, click ☰ Menu ▸ Data Shredder.

For more information about Data Shredder, refer to the following article:

• Data Shredder - Getting Started

What is Network Inspector?

Network Inspector scans for vulnerabilities when you connect to a Wi-Fi network. This feature is automatically set to scan any new network that your Mac connects to. Network Inspector checks the status of your network, devices connected to the network, and router settings, identifying potential security issues that open the door to threats. This helps you secure your network to prevent attackers from accessing it and misusing your personal data.

Settings

How do I manage my application settings?

1. Open AVG AntiVirus then click ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences.
2. Select a tab to manage the following settings:
   • General: Adjust settings for application updates and opening preferences, notifications, and joining our beta program.
   • Subscription: Activate AVG Internet Security, upgrade your subscription, and view your subscription details.
   • Privacy: Access the AVG privacy and product policies, and and manage the sharing of your data usage with us as well as your communication preference for marketing offers.
   • Core Shields: Adjust settings and add exceptions for File Shield, Web Shield, and Email Shield.
   • Scans: Adjust settings and add exceptions for Smart Scan, Deep Scan, Targeted Scan, and USB / DVD Scan.
   • Network Inspector: (AVG Internet Security) View details of previously scanned networks and change whether you are prompted to scan new networks.
   • Ransomware Shield: (AVG Internet Security) Add apps to the allowed list and add file types to the protected files list.
   • Notifications: Specify when AVG should display non-critical notifications.

What is Passive Mode?

Passive Mode disables all active protection, such as shields and Enhanced Firewall, so that you can use more than one antivirus application at a time without interfering with the performance of your PC or the reliability of antivirus detections. In Passive Mode, AVG Internet Security and AVG AntiVirus FREE receive all virus definition and application updates, which allows you to manually run scans to check for issues on your PC. However, AVG does not provide active protection.

To enable Passive Mode, click ☰ Menu ▸ Settings ▸ General ▸ Troubleshooting. From the Troubleshooting screen, tick the box next to Enable Passive Mode, then restart your PC.

For detailed instructions, refer to the following article:

• Using Passive Mode in AVG AntiVirus

How can I update Virus definitions?

AVG uses a database of known virus definitions to identify malware and other threats on your PC, so it is important to ensure virus definitions are regularly updated.

AVG uses a database of known virus definitions to identify malware and other threats on your Mac, so it is important to ensure virus definitions are regularly updated.

By default, AVG updates virus definitions automatically. However, AVG cannot perform the update if you are offline.

To manually check for available updates, click the refresh icon above Last updated in the bottom-left corner of the main application screen.

To manually check for available updates, click the refresh icon next to Virus definitions in the bottom-left corner of the main application screen.

How can I specify what to do with detected threats?

Any threats detected during a scan are sent to Quarantine by default. After running a scan, you can access Quarantine from the Computer tile on the main application screen. Quarantine is an isolated space where potentially dangerous files are safely stored. From Quarantine, you can also perform specific actions, such as sending suspicious files to AVG Threat Labs for analysis.

How can I control which data I share with AVG?

To change your personal privacy settings, follow these steps:

1. Go to ☰ Menu ▸ Settings.
2. Select General ▸ Personal Privacy in the left panel.
3. Untick the boxes next to the privacy settings according to your preferences.

1. Go to ☰ Menu ▸ Preferences.
2. Select the Privacy tab.
3. Untick the boxes next to the privacy settings according to your preferences.

For more information, refer to the following article:

• Managing privacy settings in AVG products

Scans

What is Smart Scan?

Click Run Smart Scan on the main screen of AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus to perform a comprehensive scan of your Mac. This scan detects malware, spyware, and viruses.

What is Smart Scan?

Click Run Smart Scan on the main application screen to perform a comprehensive scan of your PC. This scan detects malware, poorly rated browser add-ons, sensitive documents, and performance issues.

How do I scan my Mac for potential threats?

To perform a comprehensive scan of your Mac, click Run Smart Scan on the main application screen. This scan detects malware, spyware, and viruses.

If you suspect suspicious activity on your Mac or network, apply a predefined scan. Open AVG AntiVirus, then click Run other scans and select one of the predefined scans. The following predefined scans are available:

• Deep Scan: Performs an in-depth scan of your system, including checking your storage drives and memory for malware.
• Targeted Scan: Scans specific files or folders on your Mac.
• External Storage Scan: Scans removable storage devices connected to your Mac.
• Custom Scans: Allows you to create a scan and set your own scan parameters, including scheduling your custom scans to run regularly and automatically.

For more information about scanning your Mac for viruses, refer to the following article:

• Scanning your Mac with AVG AntiVirus or AVG Internet Security

How do I scan my PC for potential threats?

To perform a comprehensive scan of your PC, click Run Smart Scan on the main application screen. This scan merges scan methods to detect malware, poorly rated browser add-ons, sensitive documents, and performance issues.

If you suspect suspicious activity on your PC or network, apply a predefined scan. Open AVG AntiVirus, then click Run other scans and select one of the predefined scans. The following predefined scans are available:

• Deep Scan: Performs an in-depth scan of your system that checks your storage drives and memory for malware.
• File or Folder Scan: Asks you to select an individual file or folder for scanning.
• Boot-time Scan: Performs a scan at bootup to detect and remove malware that is hard to reach after startup. For detailed instructions on how to run a Boot-Time Scan, refer to the following article: Running a Boot-Time scan in AVG AntiVirus.
• USB / DVD Scan: Scans removable media that is currently attached to the PC, such as USB flash drives and external hard drives.
• Performance Scan: Scans your system for useless data and other issues that may affect the speed and security of your PC. To resolve issues that are detected, you need to first install AVG TuneUp.

For detailed instructions on how to scan your PC for viruses, refer to the following article:

• Scanning your PC for viruses with AVG AntiVirus

Can I pause a scan mid-progress?

No. Pausing a scan is not possible. You can completely terminate a scan by clicking Stop scan. However, the next time you run the scan, it will start over.

What does the status message 'Unable to scan' mean in scan results?

The status message 'Unable to scan' means that the file could not be scanned, possibly due to an encrypted ZIP archive or because the file is currently in use. The status does not necessarily mean that the file is malicious, only that it is not available for scanning.

Troubleshooting

How can I uninstall AVG Internet Security or AVG AntiVirus?

For detailed uninstallation instructions, refer to the relevant article below:

• Uninstalling AVG Internet Security
• Uninstalling AVG AntiVirus
• Uninstalling AVG Internet Security
• Uninstalling AVG AntiVirus

How can I report a problem or suspected bug?

If you experience unexpected results or error messages, report the issue to AVG Support.

Send a detailed description of how to reproduce the error and include the following information:

• Your version of Windows and your PC's brand, model, and graphics card.
• Your macOS version.
• A detailed description of the problem and the sequence of actions leading up to the issue.
• Any error messages displayed.
• Any differences on your PC following the issue.
• Any differences on your Mac following the issue.

How can I create scan exclusions?

Although it is generally not recommended, it is sometimes useful to exclude certain files, folders, or URLs from scanning if you want to speed up your scans, or avoid false positive detections. For information about creating scan exclusions, refer to the following article:

• Excluding certain files or websites from scanning in AVG AntiVirus
• Scanning your Mac with AVG AntiVirus or AVG Internet Security ▸ Manage scan settings