Sunday, January 3, 2016

AVG + Google Chrome = TROUBLE

Happy and healthy New Year to everybody!
... It's the first post in 2016 ...

The title describes the newest formula for disaster.

For years I have advised against using Google Chrome as your primary web browser.

For years I have advised against using AVG's free "security" programs.

Now this combination has become a wide open barn door for malicious software and/or viruses to take over your computer. You can read more about the details here.

If you use AVG I recommend to uninstall it and instead rely on Microsoft's Defender respectively Security Essentials in Windows 7. If you run into problems when you uninstall AVG you find AVG's special removal programs here. Take care to download the correct "bittedness" version for your version of Windows.

I you use Google Chrome I recommend to install Mozilla's Firefox browser; in Firefox you need to install two extensions or add-ons:
  1. Adblock Plus and  
  2. WOT (Web Of Trust)
After you install Firefox go to the Bookmarks manager (Bookmarks, Show All Bookmarks. Import and Backup, Import Data from Another Browser, select Google Chrome) and import bookmarks ONLY! When you have your bookmarks in Firefox please uninstall Google Chrome.

That plus some applied common sense is all you need to be and stay safe on the Internet.

If you want to do more against eventual advertisement malware and so called PUPs then download THE FREE version from here. Install Malwarebytes only AFTER you read this article about how to install and use it correctly.

Stay safe!


2 comments:

Unknown said...

this is difficult to do when android phones and tablets have Google operating systems, please comment on this

Eike Heinze said...

James J,
Thanks for reading and commenting.
In the header I clearly state about my customers "... all have MS-Windows ...".
This blog talks about issues that PC users with MS-Windows might encounter.
If you have an Android phone I still would recommend NOT to use the default Google browser but rather Firefox instead, naturally only with Adblock Plus and WOT!