If you are using AVG (an anti-virus/spyware program) for personal use on a personal computer you can continue to use the free version. There is a free version of AVG 9 available. If you use the computer for business/non-personal purposes you are expected to buy AVG.
Most of you who use AVG have had a message popping up in the last month telling you need to upgrade by December 1. Here is how to get the free version from that pop-up box.
Click the Upgrade Now button. On the next screen scroll down to the bottom. The very last words "update my current product only" are a link. Click on them.
Click the red Download button below the AVG Anti Virus Free column.
Choose the second option to download (AVG Free 9.0 for Windows) to download the entire program. The first option just downloads the downloader and then when you start to install it must do the full download. If you are using dial-up the first option is better as it will keep track what is downloaded if the connection is interrupted.
Choose RUN in the pop-up box. The download will take about 5 minutes or less on DSL and cable, but a lot longer on dial-up. If you are using Windows Vista or 7 you may get a popup box asking if you want to allow AVG to make changes to your computer. If so, answer Yes.
You will now start in the installation. First screen asks which language, choose English (unless you read in another language) and click the Next button. After looking at the agreement click the check box that says "I have read the license agreement". Click the Accept button.
On the next screen leave Standard clicked and click Next unless there are features you want to customize, in which case choose Custom. Click Next on the Activate screen. The next screen lets you install the AVG toolbar and change your search engine to Yahoo. I do not check those as I want Google as my search engine and I do not want another toolbar on IE. If you want to reject both you must uncheck Yahoo first. You can accept them or not. Click the Next button.
It will tell you in the next screen if any programs that are running that will conflict with the installation. You can either shut the programs down yourself (if you are doing editing in them, save and shut them down manually) or you can just hit Next and AVG will close any still open at that point.
Now it will do the installation which will take several minutes. Then the screen will change saying it is done and you need to click the Finish button. AVG then wants to shutdown and restart Windows. You can click Yes to restart or No to have it finish the installation later when you restart or shutdown and start yourself. You are finished installing AVG when it restarts.