4 replies to this topic

[webbie]

So, I'm in a bit of a quandry here. I'm generally a fierce advocate of licensing and copyright standards, but recently discovered I'm in a tenuous situation. Since this place is obviously full of great minds, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has run across this.

I think I need to uninstall AVG Free because I'm breaking the license agreement.

According to section 1:

You may install (download) and use only one copy of the program designated for protection of exclusively one personal computer, notwithstanding as to how many times you download the program and how many times you accept the License Agreement. You must not use the program in a network or on more than one computer.

Am I misunderstanding this?

It would appear that because my home computer is networked to my husband's, neither of us can use AVG Free. And, if I should open up for business again, even just web design, and this computer were involved in any way, I would be doubly disqualified.

I've been recommending it for years, never stopping to ask if a PC was used for a home business or networked to other computers in the house. Just about everywhere you look, AVG Free is being recommended as a first line of defense, but I never see a single question raised about the status of the computer on which it will reside.

Tell me I'm wrong!

And if I'm not, where the next best place to go?

[Abydos]

Hi Webbie Hehe, yeah, it sure sounds like it. But; With regards to networks, I think the meaning is that only one and no other can benefit from it. For instance, if you are routing net-traffic through a machine, with AVG installed, thats violating the licence as all machines would benefit. Just because you're in a network should not violate the terms. So if you and your husband are using a copy each, on different machines, shouldn't break the terms in my opinion. But try email Grisoft and hear how they stand on this point. As for other good AV's, AntiVir and Avast comes to mind. IMHO Avast is the better of the 3. As of recently, they've added more anti-spyware protection and anti-rootkit to their arsenal. Also in the free version. Downside is that it can be a resource hog, so if you aint got a fast machine with enough RAM, you may find your machine being bogged down abit. Regards Abydos

[webbie]

Thanx Abydos. Put that way, it does make sense. I'm just stymied by that bolded line. I'll drop them a line for the official word...and post back in case anyone else actually reads it and takes it to heart. So Avast sounds like it would be good to try on my machine. It was designed to give me all the resources I could ever want. (I'm a spoiled, spoiled girl.) I'm careful, and rarely turn up anything other than cookies etc. with Spybot S&D and Adaware. But I also can't afford to be taken by surprise. The suspected RootKit (and other) problems I'm trying to get through on a friend's machine has me doing an awful lot of research on protection mechanisms! My husband, on the other hand, has my old machine and isn't as careful. It's not a bad system, and he's not using it for much, but I think maybe we should try out AntiVir on his. We can always go back to AVG if necessary, and Avast might drag him down. Regardless of the AVG Free licensing, I hate having all my eggs in one basket and a single resource to recommend. Like, I relied on Norton for years and was scrambling when the resource bonanza got to be more costly than the infections it was preventing a couple of years ago! So, have you got safe downloads for them, or will a simple search get me to the right place? Thanx again. I've been thinking about this for a week!

Edited by webbie, 17 April 2008 - 05:52 PM.

[Abydos]

Hey webbie

Avast can be downloaded from there own site: LINK

You need to register it, and a key will be sent to you, still free of charge of course.
As a note, the default skin for the interface is not to my liking. Maybe you to, if so, there are skins on their page free to download.

Avira's Antivir, you can get also from their homepage: LINK
AntiVir is very easy to use and have a pleasant intuitive interface.

Good luck with trying them out. And as you mentioned, you can always switch back to AVG. The AVG 8.0 freeware release should be due very soon.

Regards Abydos

[LDTate]

You could check with Grisoft but my bet would be they are talking about a business / commercial type setting not home pc's.