Diana, To gain the best protection daily scans are required but they need not slow everything up. You can choose when the daily downloads are done and scans are carried out and, to a certain extent what gets scanned (by file type and location on your machine). I think the AVG default is that any update waiting and whole-system file scan and e-mail scan are initiated at start-up ... probably the worst time, from the user's point of view, they could happen. Double-click on your AVG multi-coloured icon on the system tray and click the Tools menu and the Advanced Settings button. There a lot of things you can fiddle with here but let's just concentrate on rescheduling the heavy activities: In the 'Advanced Setting' panel there is an Explorer-like hierarchy of settings - find 'Schedules' and open it to show 'Scheduled scan', 'Virus database update schedule' and 'Program update schedule'. Scheduled scan Three tabs: Schedule settings - here you can change the frequency of virus scanning - various day and time options available (I now have mine set at Monday, Wednesday & Friday at 12.00) How to Scan - I'd not touch most of the settings here except a) to make sure that the 'Selected file types' have the 'Scan infectable files only' selected and b) consider different positions of the 'Scan process priority' slider (Slow, Auto, Fast) - Slow might suit you 'low impact over a longer period' or Fast, 'high impact for a short period' (the auto is supposed to take account of what you are trying to do at the same time but that's not happening for you right now) What to Scan - I choose just to scan my C: drive but any disk choice (or folder, just below) is a bit more risky - you have to know what you've put where to be sure about these choices. Virus Database Update Schedule Timing of this, if changed, should be set relative to the scan frequency - either you download updates before you need them or they are not ready before updates are run. It might be safest to leave things as they are as downloads are only carried out if there are new virus signatures to add and you've got to load them eventually. But the time of day they are loaded could be tuned to your usage. Program Update Schedule Much the same as the database update but much less urgent. Time of day could be changed. (Note, unless you change some other parameters hidden here somewhere the time you set really equals 'earliest time' so if you set a scan, say, for 14.00 and the PC's not on then, the scan will start almost immediately after the PC is subsequently started.) These (above) perhaps have the most effect on the impact of running the virus scanner - try these and report back to your enthralled audience! Mike _____ From: u3aavcuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:u3aavcuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Diana Richmond Sent: 11 December 2009 20:03 To: u3aavcuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [u3aavcuss] avg 9.0 I have recently downloaded version 9.0 of AVG free edition - no problems with the download. However, every time I switch my computer on it now goes through a lengthy scan that takes AGES and slows everything else up. Is this necessary each time? I realise it has to scan to protect but should it take sooo long? Diana No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.716 / Virus Database: 270.14.104/2559 - Release Date: 12/11/09 19:37:00