AVG Antivirus provides excellent protection against malware, viruses, and other threats. However, to ensure a smooth and fast computing experience, you must adjust AVG’s settings for a balance between security and performance. In this post, we’ll guide you through the best AVG settings to keep your computer safe without slowing it down.
1. Enable Smart Scan for Quick and Efficient Scanning
Smart Scan is a great option for users who want quick protection without interrupting daily activities. It scans the most common areas where threats are likely to appear and offers faster results compared to a full scan.
Steps to Set Up Smart Scan:
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Open AVG.
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Go to the Menu and select Settings.
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Under General Settings, select Scan.
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Enable Smart Scan for daily or weekly scans.
This will allow AVG to scan your system for threats quickly without consuming too many resources.
2. Use the Silent Mode for Undisturbed Scans
Silent Mode allows AVG to run scans without showing pop-ups or notifications, ensuring that your work or gaming experience remains uninterrupted. This is particularly useful during system scans, which can take time and use up resources.
How to Enable Silent Mode:
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Open AVG and go to the Menu.
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Select Settings.
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Under General Settings, select Silent Mode.
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Toggle the switch to On.
When Silent Mode is enabled, AVG will silently scan your system without interfering with your tasks.
3. Schedule Scans for Off-Peak Hours
Scheduling scans during off-peak hours, such as when you’re not actively using your computer, ensures that your system’s resources are not used while you’re working. This helps minimize any performance impact.
How to Schedule a Scan:
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Open AVG.
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Go to Menu > Settings > Scan.
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Choose the scan type (Full, Quick, or Smart Scan).
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Set the time and frequency for the scan to occur, such as late at night or when you’re not using the computer.
You can set a Full Scan to run once a week and a Quick Scan to run more frequently.
4. Optimize Web and Email Protection
AVG offers web and email protection features that help protect your computer from harmful sites, malicious email attachments, and phishing attempts. However, excessive blocking of safe websites can cause delays. You can fine-tune these settings for better performance.
How to Adjust Web and Email Protection:
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Open AVG.
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Go to Menu > Settings > Components.
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Under Web & Email Protection, ensure Web Shield and Email Shield are enabled.
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Adjust the settings to reduce false positives by clicking on the Advanced Settings option.
This ensures that AVG blocks harmful content while preventing unnecessary interruptions during your browsing and emailing activities.
5. Customize Real-Time Protection
Real-time protection constantly monitors your system for threats and malware. While it’s crucial for security, it can sometimes impact performance. You can customize which types of threats AVG scans for in real-time to optimize the balance between protection and speed.
How to Customize Real-Time Protection:
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Open AVG and go to Menu > Settings > Protection.
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Select Core Protection.
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Adjust the protection level based on your needs (e.g., turn off less critical features like PUP (Potentially Unwanted Programs) detection if not needed).
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Enable Auto-Update to ensure that AVG updates the protection definitions without manual intervention.
This ensures that AVG focuses on the most critical threats, keeping your system running smoothly while still providing strong protection.
6. Adjust Performance Settings
AVG includes a variety of performance-related settings that can help reduce the impact on your computer’s speed. You can tweak these settings to make sure AVG runs efficiently while keeping your PC safe.
How to Adjust Performance Settings:
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Open AVG and go to Menu > Settings > General.
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Under Performance, enable Optimize Performance. This helps AVG use fewer resources during scans.
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You can also enable Low-Impact Mode to prioritize speed while AVG runs scans or updates.
Low-Impact Mode ensures that AVG minimizes its impact on your system’s resources, resulting in smoother performance without compromising security.
7. Disable Unnecessary Features
AVG includes many helpful features like Identity Protection, Firewall, and File Shredder. However, some of these may not be essential for your daily needs, and disabling them can improve overall performance.
How to Disable Unnecessary Features:
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Open AVG and go to Menu > Settings > Components.
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Disable features you don’t regularly use, such as Firewall (if you have another firewall installed) or Identity Protection (if not needed).
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Ensure Anti-Virus Protection and Web & Email Protection remain enabled for core security.
This will help ensure that AVG does not consume too many resources with features you don’t require.
8. Use AVG TuneUp for Performance Boost
AVG TuneUp is a tool that cleans junk files, optimizes startup processes, and fixes issues that can slow down your system. Using TuneUp regularly can improve your computer’s overall speed while maintaining AVG’s protection features.
How to Use AVG TuneUp:
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Download AVG TuneUp if you haven’t already.
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Open AVG TuneUp and run a System Scan to identify issues.
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Use the One-Click Maintenance feature to clean unnecessary files and optimize your system.
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Schedule regular TuneUp scans to keep your system running efficiently.
This will help free up resources that AVG may need for its scans while boosting your computer’s performance.
Conclusion
To achieve the perfect balance between protection and performance with AVG, follow these steps to customize your settings. Scheduling scans during off-peak hours, enabling Silent Mode, adjusting real-time protection, and using AVG TuneUp for system optimization are all key ways to ensure AVG provides strong security without slowing down your system. These settings will keep your PC protected while maintaining optimal speed and efficiency.
