FAQ

Please let us inform you that we have recently discovered an issue in the AVG application which prevents accessing some websites (written in ASP.NET and running JavaScript). This issue occurs only in case that a combination of AVG Security Toolbar and Mozilla Firefox is used (other web browsers are not affected). In case that you are using Mozilla Firefox browser and AVG Security Toolbar, please resolve this issue this way:

• Update your AVG to the latest version (8.5.374 or higher).
• Update the AVG Security Toolbar:
  • Open the drop-down menu by clicking on the arrow next to the AVG icon in the AVG Toolbar in your internet browser.
  • Choose the Update option.

In case the AVG Toolbar is deactivated and you wish to use it again, please activate it by performing steps from FAQ 1643 and update it according to the instructions above (steps for activation are identical to steps for deactivation).

Should the issue persists, please do not hesitate to contact the AVG Technical Support team.

Due to the recent change in Google search (www.google.com) format in which results are returned, you may not see the AVG Linkscanner verdict icon displayed.

Please note, that AVG Linkscanner is still working correctly and will warn you when accessing dangerous pages.

This issue will be resolved in upcoming program update for AVG.

After recent program update of AVG, it is possible that AVG Security Toolbar will be displayed in the browser although it was disabled before. Browser displays the toolbar again because several files were replaced during the update.

If you want to disable the toolbar again or uninstall it, please follow steps in FAQ 1643 or FAQ 1882.

The LinkScanner component provides protection against websites, that are designed to install malware into your computer via the web browser or its plugins. The LinkScanner technology supports MS Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, and consists of two features, AVG Search-Shield and AVG Active Surf-Shield.

AVG Search-Shield contains list of websites (URL addresses) which are known to be dangerous. When searching Google, Yahoo!, MSN or Baidu, all results of the search are checked according to this list and a verdict icon is shown (for Yahoo! search results only "exploited website" verdict icons are shown). Also if you type some address directly into your browser, click a link on any website or e.g. in your e-mail, it is checked automatically and blocked if necessary.

AVG Active Surf-Shield scans the contents of the websites you are visiting, regardless of the websites address. Even if some website is not detected by Search-Shield (e.g. when a new malicious website is created, or when a previously clean website now contains some malware), it will be detected and blocked by AVG Active Surf-Shield once you try to visit it.

The LinkScanner component can be connected with the AVG Security Toolbar, which is part of Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Internet browsers. You can read more about AVG Security Toolbar in FAQ 1188.

The AVG Security Toolbar is a new tool which works together with the LinkScanner component and checks search results of the supported Internet search engines (Yahoo!, Google, MSN, Baidu).  

This tool is available in all editions of AVG 8.5. If you select to install the toolbar during the installation of AVG, it will be added into your Internet Explorer and/or Mozilla Firefox. Please let us inform you that in case you are using some alternative Internet browser instead of Internet Explorer, (e.g Avant Browser) you can meet unexpected behavior. 

The AVG Security Toolbar can be used to control the LinkScanner functions and to adjust its behavior, and to update your AVG in case new updates are available. There are some other functions included in AVG Security Toolbar.

If you decide that you do not wish to use the AVG Security Toolbar, you can either skip its installation during the AVG installation process, or disable it manually in your Internet browser.
Note:
When you just disable the AVG Security Toolbar it will be automatically enabled again in one week by default. If you want to disable it permanently please right-click the AVG Security Toolbar and select the "Toolbar Options" from context menu. Click the "Advanced Options" tab and untick the "Re-display the AVG Security Toolbar when hidden (weekly)" option. Save the change by pressing the "OK" button. If you want to deactivate the AVG Security Toolbar just for one week you can skip this step.

Procedure of disabling differs based on used web browser:

1. Internet Explorer

• Use the mouse right-click in the space above the toolbar and check-off the AVG Security Toolbar option in the list.

2. Mozilla Firefox

• Tools menu -> Add-ons, find the AVG Security Toolbar here and click the Disable button.

Disabling or uninstalling the AVG Security Toolbar has no negative effect on the level of security provided by LinkScanner component. The only consequence of missing toolbar is an absence of some of the options, and less verbose information about the threats found by the LinkScanner component. The main settings of the LinkScanner component can be still configured in AVG User Interface. 

More information about AVG Security Toolbar here.
You can find more information about the AVG LinkScanner component in FAQ 1189.

Note:
AVG Security Toolbar contains also a Yahoo! search box, which is an integral part of the toolbar and can not be removed separately.

There's also a possibility to set up Yahoo! as a default search engine in your Internet browser while running the AVG First Run Wizard. However that is not connected with AVG Security Toolbar anyhow.

Please download the current installation file of AVG from the Download section of our website, and run it to start the installation process.
The installation process recognizes the existence of installed AVG and the Add/Remove Components, Repair installation and Uninstall options are offered.

• Please close your Internet browser.
• Choose the "Repair installation" option.
• On the next page uncheck the "Yes, I wish to install the AVG Security Toolbar" option.
• Finish the installation wizard and update AVG.

This way the AVG Security Toolbar will be permanently uninstalled from your computer.

Note: Uninstalling the AVG Security Toolbar has no negative effect on the level of security provided by LinkScanner component. The only consequence of missing toolbar is an absence of some of the options, and less verbose information about the threats found by the LinkScanner component. The main settings of the LinkScanner component can be still configured in AVG User Interface.

AVG 8.5 contains a plugin for scanning of search results in Google, Yahoo, MSN and Baidu search engines. This plugin (AVG SafeSearch) is designed for MS Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox Internet browsers. If you would like to disable it kindly proceed as follows:

1. Internet Explorer:

• Run Internet Explorer.
• Choose the Internet Options from the Tools menu.
• Switch on the Programs tab.
• Click on the Manage add-ons button.
• Select the AVG Safe Search add-on.
• Tick in the Disable option at the bottom of this window.
• Confirm changes by clicking on the OK button.
• Close Internet Explorer and run it again. 

2. Mozilla Firefox:

• Run Mozilla Firefox.
• Choose the Add-ons option from the Tools menu.
• Select the AVG Safe Search add-on and click on the Disable button.
• Close Mozilla Firefox and run it again.

While browsing web, you may receive a warning from AVG Search-Shield or AVG Active Surf-Shield. These two features are scanning the websites you are visiting or searching for, and provide protection against threats within malicious or hacked websites.

In the browser, there is Total Protection button (possibly Limited Protection or No Protection buttons based on the active features) which control whether these features of the LinkScanner component are active:

• AVG Search-Shield - disabling this option will stop scanning of the search results in Google, MSN, Yahoo! and Baidu, and also the scanning of Internet addresses (URL's) you enter into the web browser (either manually, or by clicking on a link on any website, in an e-mail, etc.).
• AVG Active Surf-Shield - when you disable this option, active detection of malicious code within the visited websites will be switched off.

In case you are not using the AVG Security Toolbar, you can enable/disable the AVG Search-Shield or AVG Active Surf-Shield this way:

• Run AVG User Interface 
• Double click the LinkScanner component. 
• Tick/Un-tick the Enable AVG Search-Shield and Enable AVG Active Surf-Shield options.
• Confirm changes by clicking on the Save changes button.

It is possible that the AVG Search-Shield will fail to scan some link(s) when using the supported Internet search engines. Such link is then marked by question mark instead of the actual scan result. The reason is usually a time-out when trying to scan the website. This does not pose any major problem, since if you decide to visit such website, it will be scanned again by the Search-Shield and also by AVG Active Surf-Shield.

To clear the history in AVG Security Toolbar please proceed as follows:

• Open your Internet browser (Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox).
• Click on the button with recycle bin icon in AVG Security Toolbar.
• Select the category you wish to delete:
  • Delete Complete History
  • Delete Search History
  • Delete Browse History
  • Delete Download History
  • Delete Cookies (What are tracking cookies?)

There are several possibilities how a clean and legitimate website may become infected:

• Website was exploited by some hacktoolkit which searches for vulnerable websites, and automatically infects them.
  

• Infection was inserted on the machine that is used to create/upload websites, which means that the author's/administrator's computer is infected.
  

• An attacker gained direct access to the website administration thanks to a weak or stolen access password.
  

We recommend to contact the administrator of such website. In case you are the creator of such website, please review its code. If the website seems to be clean, please contact our Technical Support and provide us with a link to the website. We will provide you with additional information about the detection.

When searching Google, AVG Search-Shield does scan all search results, including the sponsored links. However, scanning of the sponsored links is designed to retrieve the target URL address without clicking on the link.

The same applies to all other supported search engines - sponsored links are never analyzed in such a way that would affect the click counter and statistics.

When using Google, Mozilla Firefox automatically reads the contents of the top-most found website. In case that the first found website contains some malicious code, the threat will be detected by AVG immediately after the search results are displayed, and although the detection is shown on the Google website, it does not belong to the contents of Google search itself.

This behavior occurs only when using Mozilla Firefox, in Internet Explorer are websites tested (and reported, if malicious content is found) only upon their direct visit.

In case that the Limited Protection button is shown in AVG Security Toolbar after updating to AVG 8.5 build 322 and it is not possible to enable the AVG Active Surf-Shield feature, this issue might have been caused by an incorrect re-installation from AVG Free Edition in the past.

Please proceed as follows to resolve this situation:

• Please download the AVG repair tool.
• Run the downloaded tool.
• Mentioned issue should be fixed now.

NOTE:

• The utility works only if the reinstallation from AVG Free to AVG Professional was done with program version 8.5.230 and newer.
• If the reinstallation was done with older program versions, the tool only warns you that a repair installation is necessary. In this case please perform the repair installation of AVG as described in FAQ 948.
• In case you are using Windows Vista, UAC dialog can be displayed. If it appears, please confirm it.

Should you have any further issues please do not hesitate to contact AVG Technical Support as described in FAQ 1467.