Review by Reuben Gathright

AVG Internet Security 2011 is comprehensive computer protection package. The software includes the AVG Firewall, AVG Identity Protection, AVG Antispam and of course the virus scanner. AVG now uses a feature called Smart Scanning which scans files while you are using your computer as a low priority process. In the past, you may remember virus scanning programs would tend to freeze your games while playing. Now with AVG 2011, this problem has almost disappeared. In my experience, the software ran just fine on a dual core desktop computer while playing Jewel Quest with a full system scan running in the background.

My Experiences With Virus Activity In AVGnI used AVG Internet Security 2011 on my brother’s computer because I know he tends to surf the web much more than I do. Sure enough, after just a week of use, AVG had generated over a dozen virus alerts on his machine and I was able to clean them all off. The computer has a Windows Vista 32bit based operating system on a rather slow SATA hard drive but it managed to repair itself after about four reboots.

Recommended Hardware ConfigurationnPlease be aware that running a virus scan on any hard drive will fully utilize its available bandwidth. As such, this product is best used with computers that have more than one cpu core. You should also consider running a file defragmentation before installing AVG Internet Security 2011 so that when the scan does take place, it will be able to complete in a timely manner. I also recommend using at least 2 GB of memory, especially if a virus has been found a purge operation is conducted.

ConclusionnAVG Internet Security 2011 is my personal pick for virus scanning at home and in my day job as a DBA. No virus software package can fix a computer flooded with viruses already, but AVG can get you close to a solution, quickly. My brother’s PC is an example of what an extreme power user can do to a machine and how AVG can slowly bring you back. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

AVG should be your key preventative measure against malicious virus or spyware attacks!