Manually Update AVG Free 7.5

The AVG Free saga continues.

When we last stepped into the theatre with our popcorn and refreshing soda-fountain beverage in hand, it appeared quite clearly that AVG Free would and/or would not stop the automatic updating component of the AVG Free 7.5 builds after June 25th.  Customers using the AVG “Paid” versions of 7.5 would continue to get updated through the end of December.

Today is June 28th and as of this post, I can confirm with my own systems that AVG Free 7.5 servers are still funneling automatic virus file signatures to users via the automatic update mechanisms.

So where does that leave AVG Free users of 7.5?

Confused as ever.  What did you expect?

So, thanks to several kind requests in the comments of a GSD AVG post from “Grateful Granny” I’m sharing a method to manually download and install your AVG 7.5 DAT file signatures into your Windows system if you are running AVG Free 7.5.

This might be useful information to know if AVG does eventually decide to turn off the automatic update spigots for AVG Free 7.5 users, but continues to publish them for it’s paid version customers.

So without further delay--lest AVG changes something on me--here we go.

How To Manually Update AVG Free 7.5 Anti-Virus Signatures

For these steps I'm using AVG Free Edition 7.5.524 on a Windows XP system. Link is to FileHippo an alternative download site I’ve used and trusted for years.

1.  Go to the following official AVG site link and download the following update file: AVG Free V 7 Priority updates.  The current link file you are looking for is called “IAVI: / 1523.”  It's the bottom one and the numbers in the name will change as it gets updated. A few days ago it was listed as  “1521”. The trick is to check the date column and try to snag the most current one. Should be updated daily but you might want to do this every few days if not daily. Make a note where you saved the downloaded file.

2. On your computer, launch either the AVG Free Test Center or Control Center from the right-clicking the AVG system tray or browsing for AVG in the Program Files location in the Start menu.

3. Find the "Check for Updates" button on either AVG program window and click it to launch.

4. In the pop-up window, DESELECT the "do not ask for update source next time..." checkbox. You will probably need to be manually updating them from here on out once the auto-update servers get turned off for AVG 7.5 and this will keep you from getting error messages. Until then you can leave it checked if you want to.

5. Click the "Folder" button at the bottom of that dialog window.

6. Browse to the location where you saved the BIN file you downloaded in step 1 then click OK. If everything is good, AVG should find the "New Update File".  This is why I like to save my update files directly to the desktop. It’s easier to find them quickly in the browser tree.

7. Click "YES" to update AVG Free.

8. The file will be unpacked and the AVG updater window should kick off like before.

9. When done, it will give a report that it was done successfully.

You have now manually updated AVG version 7 to to the latest virus signature files!

Easy-Peasy!

This works (for now) on both XP and Vista system running AVG 7.5 Free.

Feel free to delete the BIN update file from your download location if you wish. No need to keep it around if you got a good update applied.

My advice to AVG Free 7.5 users is to continue letting AVG 7.5 Free auto-update the signature updates as long as they keep coming this way…who knows maybe everyone will get lucky and the auto-updates won’t turn off for the AVG Free 7.5 version until after December 2008 as well.  Just don’t hold your breath for that.

However, if you want to practice using this method, have at it.  If you try it on a system with auto-updates enabled and current, the only thing that will happen when you get to step seven is that it will report that the file is already the most current.

Cheers!

--Claus