AVG Anti-Virus 2012

This is AVG’s latest general antivirus software. AVG Anti-Virus 2012 aims to offer the user protection from ever-evolving threats like spy- and malware attacks and, of course, viruses. Thanks to its intuitive interface and wide range of features, it offers very good value for money.

What we like best

The interface is modern, minimal and intuitive – a lot of antivirus software looks like a manual on how to manoeuvre a submarine, complete with blinking red and green lights, but AVG Anti-Virus 2012 blends in very well with most current versions of Windows.

This software package comes with the AVG Accelerator (not available to users of the free version), which optimises a user’s internet connection to make for smoother streaming and quicker downloads.

The ‘smart scanning’ function has been retained, which essentially means that files are scanned once and only re-scanned if AVG detects any changes. Unique to the paid-for version of AVG Anti-Virus 2012 is the chat link shield, as well as 24-hour phone support.

Scan times are mercifully short, and the malware removal and detection rate is higher than that of most competitors. AVG Anti-Virus 2012 is especially useful when used in conjunction with AVG Internet Security 2012.

What we like least

We can’t remember consciously opting into the AVG Secure Search feature, but after installation, there it was – along with a Security Toolbar we didn’t actively choose to install, either.

Both turn out to be reasonably helpful features, but by automatically installing them AVG will annoy quite a few users who like to have control over which new applications land on their computer.

The software runs slightly faster than the 2011 version, but there is a distinct impact on boot-up time of around 15 seconds.