How can I get one-on-one support for removing a virus?

Removing a virus by yourself can be tricky but you can count on our TechBuddy experts, available 24/7 to solve your virus problems for you, saving you time and worries.

Here's what we will do to help you:
Connect remotely to your device
Perform a comprehensive security scan
Diagnose your issues
Permanently remove any identified viruses, spyware, malware, trojans or other threats
Update your AVG software to make sure you've got the latest versions and patches
Configure basic safety and security settings to protect against future infections and common threats
Offer advice and answer any questions you may have about staying protected

Stop worrying. We can fix those security threats that are slowing you down and putting you at risk.

How can I check if a file on my device is a virus or other malware?

Do you have a file that you think may be a virus or other type of malware, but AVG doesn't seem to detect it? Submit it to our sample virus scanning portal and get an instant report on the results.

How can I be fully protected from malware and spyware?

AVG Internet Security 2015 is our best virus protection. It not only detects and stops viruses, threats and malware, but also:
Checks files before you click so you can download and share safely
Stops instant messaging viruses
Keeps your email protected from online spam and scammers
Protects the personal information you enter online so you can shop and bank online without worries
Blocks hacker attempts to access data stored on your PC
Comes with QuickTune to keep your PC running more smoothly

If you need to exclude a certain file, folder or URL from any detection by AVG, please follow these steps:
Open the AVG Admin Console
Go to "Options" menu then click on "Advanced Settings"
Click on "Exceptions" on the left hand menu
Click on the "Add exception" button located in lower left hand corner of this window
Choose the Exception type this dialog window
Now find the file or folder you want to exclude and click OK to save these changes

How to remove cookies?

AVG detects and automatically moves Tracking Cookies to the Virus Vault, blocking them from doing anything to your computer.

However, you can protect your PC further from these files by:
Removing all cookies manually through your web browser, the same way you delete your navigation history
Disallow third-party cookies from being downloaded by your web browser

How to clean system files?

If a virus is detected by AVG on an important system file, it will not be automatically removed. This functionality has been added to prevent accidental removal of infected system files that are running the operating system.

Below you may find examples of important system files:
WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
WINDOWS\system32\user32.dll
WINDOWS\explorer.exe

If a virus is detected in a system file, you can restore the infected file with a clean one from the system back-up. More information on how to restore the operating system to a previous state can be found in Microsoft’s knowledge base at:

. How to remove a virus that keeps coming back?

Dealing with a recurring computer virus can be tricky and may require a high level of technical knowledge to remove.

The first and easiest thing to try is:
Restart the computer in Safe Mode and run your AVG Anti Virus software. In Safe Mode your computer is only running the vital processes, therefore your Anti Virus will be able to scan more files.
To start your computer in Safe Mode, press the F8 key right when Windows starts, usually right after you hear your computer beep when you reboot it.
If a virus is detected during the scan in Safe Mode, remove it like a normal virus (see also Question 1) and restart your computer.
Run a virus scan again in normal mode. If the infection was detected and removed in Safe Mode, it should come clean.
If the virus continues to return, it could be accompanied by an undetected rootkit or infected system file. In this case we recommend you restore to a previous version of the operating system (see also Question 5), or contact our TechBuddy experts, available 24/7, to solve your device's virus problems for you.