hi i have AVG anti-virus. the other day i decided to download a virus to test it out. AVG detected it but to my amazement it wouldn't delete the file straight off. I had to do a full system scan for the file to be deleted. Why is it like that?

What is the exact name of the virus you downloaded? You may not be aware, but AVG is limited in what it can detect and clean, especially a newer "in the wild" virus. As it's a free program, there are limitations, hence why I would never personally use a free product for such an important task. I suggest using Symantec Norton Anti-Virus, a complete, fully featured AV scanner.

EC,this is not true.AVG detected and cleaned for me every virus test file I found... I downloaded ESET'S NOD32 and I tested it with the wellknown Eicar'w test file and it detected it also as AVG,could not clean it but it could delete it,or rename it.It's the same. I will keep NOD32 for 20 more days and try it but as I can see it is not at all better when you are concerned for ease of use,not interfering with other programs... I know all the tests and detection rates but I don't like either to have other programs freezing or delayed when they start when AMON is enabled (like jv16 power tools). I was using Norton and it is just worse than NOD32. I will buy NOD32 or I will go back to AVG for the third time...

There is an independent virus test scanning site called virus bulletin that shows the results for AVG and many others, and AVG does not look so good. I have known a few people who have gotten infected while using AVG, some with KLEZ variants. Unfortunately, the word is out there, but I wish it were not true, as I think the idea of free AV scanner is excellent, but realistically how can they keep up with up so many new definitons, sometimes daily, without an income source from a free product, and maybe their paid version is not enough. If you read some of the more respected security sites and forums it's all there. I mean, they try, I know, but in my opinion it's just not possible. Jump over to www.broadbandreports.com and punch in AVG at the search and see what is being said and reported. As I have been using Norton for so long, and have never been infected. But funny how some others have reported problems with Norton not detection some, etc. I know some people who "forget" to update, try to update and it says "no new updates available" when in fact there are, but their PC is blocking the requests, etc. So, certainly, I respect your option to use AVG and respect your opinions about it, am just reporting here what I have seen and read, personally.

I was not clear at my post... (English is not my native language) I didn't mean that AVG is better at virus detection than Norton or NOD32. It is not so popular just because it is free. I believe that this popularity comes from the good behaviour this program has with any system. As I said,I had problems using NAV and some minor with NOD32 and never with AVG !!! This is true for many people... Sometimes these problems are irritating and make me think that AVG is the way even when there are some better-at detection-programs.

You have all missed the point of what the original guy said. he states that AVG detected the virus through the resident shield, but didn't clean it straight away. He had to run the full AVG scan to clean, which it did.