I use AVG Antivirus to protect my computer from viruses. It does a good job, but it constantly warns me with a popup balloon in the lower-right corner saying that Firefox, Google Chrome or other applications are using too much memory. It’s normal for these applications to use a large amount of memory, so the warning gets pretty constant as well as irritating. You can shut off these popup notifications with these steps.
Note: These steps were created using AVG 2015 for Windows.
- Select the AVG icon in the system tray then select “Open AVG“.
- Select “Options” located at the upper-right corner of the window.
- Choose “Advanced Settings…“.
- Select “Appearance” on the left pane.
- Uncheck “Display system tray notifications“.
- Select “OK” once you’ve made desired changes and you should now be free of these annoyances when using your computer.
FAQ
How do I disable the “You have lost your advanced protection! Your protection has expired.” popup?
There is no setting for that. You’ll have to install the completely free version of AVG. Follow the steps to remove the AVG trial on AVG’s website.
Sean Browne says
AVG have effectively lost me as a customer (I have been with them since they started in those heady days when the free package was refreshingly helpful and reassuring.). My package runs out in November and I will probably ditch it before then.
They continually frighten my wife with messages designed to scare you into purchases. I just ignore them knowing I will not renew but she cannot help feeling exposed and insecure. By by AVG
Fred says
Thank you @TheWheat !
TheWheat says
2019 Solution:
1. Open AVG
2. Click “Menu” drop-down near the top right corner
3. Go to “Settings”
4. Under “General” tab, go to “Notifications”
5. Check “Use silent mode and turn off all pop-ups, alerts, and messages”
6. Also Uncheck “Show AVG tray icon”, if you don’t want that on your taskbar, I’m guessing
James says
No this did not help! There is no “Options” at top right. I am so sick of deception used by companies like AVG to grow their bank account I can hardly stand it anymore.
David Wolfson says
This information is out of date and no longer works. Please update!!
Abby says
The only way I could stop the pop-ups was to go to the task manager and end the avg processes that were going on. Every 20 seconds is very annoying when you’re trying to work or watch a show. I couldn’t find ‘options’ either so I just shut it off in my task manager.
Justsomeguy says
Just so you all know, also….Under “General-Privacy” “Participate in the AVG Community” was checked on mine by default – “By Enabling this option, you are giving your consent to anonymously forward certain security-related information to AVG”. Funny how it being on by default turns into me having given my consent.
Antoine M Devine says
I chose ‘silent mode’ in Settings in the new updated screen, which was unchecked.
Jennie says
I am SO fed-up with AVG pop-ups. I’m not a techi so the coding answers fill me with dread. I never suffered from these before, but now they’re awful.
The instruction:
Select the AVG icon in the system tray then select “Open AVG“.
Select “Options” located at the upper-right corner of the window.
I can find no ‘Options’.
I’ve tried going on ‘silent mode’ (though I worry I then miss something important) but still get at least one a day.
This is a shocking ‘service’ from AVG – especially as they push their ability to block annoying stuff!! . I think I may well go back to Norton.
Can anybody help? I am using Windows 10.
Thanks
Ed says
You need to employ a more sophisticated approach than just hoping that the AVG software itself will allow you to disable the ads that their business model relies on.
Go to the command prompt, and disable the services which the AVG free software requires in order to run (I’ve only ever used the free version, so this probably won’t work for the Trial or Paid versions) –
Type these commands at the command line, one by one (or use copy-and-paste), then press ENTER.
Step 1: Disable the Services –
SC CONFIG “avgsvc” START=disabled
SC CONFIG “avgwd” START=disabled
SC CONFIG “avgAMPS” START=disabled
SC CONFIG “AVGIDSAgent” START=disabled
Step 2: Stop the running Services –
SC STOP “avgsvc”
SC STOP “avgwd”
SC STOP “avgAMPS”
SC STOP “AVGIDSAgent”
Step 3: Stop the running Processes –
TASKKILL /F /IM avgemca.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgidsagent.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgnsa.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgrsa.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgcsrva.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgui.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgsvca.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avguix.exe /T
TASKKILL /F /IM avgwdsvca.exe /T
Grace says
This worked for me. So annoying…. Thank God!
dj says
May 15, 2016 at 5:58 am
1. Disable AVG self protection:
Right click the AVG icon in the taskbar (near the clock)
Select to Temporarily Disable AVG Protection
Agree the default timeout – usually 10 minutes?
2. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer and Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG201x\ …… for 32bit systems (201x means 2013 or 2014)
C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\AVG201x\ for 64bit systems
3. Delete the following three folders: Awacs, Banners, Tuneup
Do not delete anything else you see inside the AVG201x folder.
If you accidentally delete anything else go to the recycle bin and restore it.
Note: If you have already paid for the Tuneup addon then keep this folder
4. Close the My Computer/Explorer window
5. Enable AVG self protection:
Right click the AVG icon in the taskbar (near the clock)
Select to Enable AVG Protection – takes 20 seconds or so to fully activate.
Open the AVG program – you should now have a clean AVG interface.
This fix survives the AVG daily updates and minor program updates but
after each major program update you will need to redo the fix.
Kyle says
Thank you so much. I was considering uninstalling AVG, but most free antivirus programs do advertise now, so I’m not sure what I was going to do. This solves that.
Chris says
Hey, Thank you! these popups were driving me nuts.
Richus says
The fact that this happens is terrible. Had no problems with the Pro version until about a month before it expired. Now its worse than the malware I try and keep off my system. Windows notifications, phone notifications, constant popups. I would have repurchased but AVG has earned a permanent uninstall from me. Will be switching to either Kaspersky or Bitdefender whose marketing practices are hopefully less aggressive.
Oliver says
Awesome, thanks so much!
blythe says
no way BRIEN, search the registry for all AVG stuff and delete them and all AVG directories on the HDD after an uninstall. It’s leaving stuff behind is all.
dj says
1. Disable AVG self protection:
Right click the AVG icon in the taskbar (near the clock)
Select to Temporarily Disable AVG Protection
Agree the default timeout – usually 10 minutes?
2. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer and Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG201x\ …… for 32bit systems (201x means 2013 or 2014)
C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\AVG201x\ for 64bit systems
3. Delete the following three folders: Awacs, Banners, Tuneup
Do not delete anything else you see inside the AVG201x folder.
If you accidentally delete anything else go to the recycle bin and restore it.
Note: If you have already paid for the Tuneup addon then keep this folder
4. Close the My Computer/Explorer window
5. Enable AVG self protection:
Right click the AVG icon in the taskbar (near the clock)
Select to Enable AVG Protection – takes 20 seconds or so to fully activate.
Open the AVG program – you should now have a clean AVG interface.
This fix survives the AVG daily updates and minor program updates but
after each major program update you will need to redo the fix.
Mike Blais says
Don’t do a full uninstall but choice install free version when you click on uninstall/modify.
Brien says
I’m afraid this does NOT work either. I uninstalled AVG Pro after the 30 day trail period and reinstalled the AVG Free and I still get the annoying, senseless, stupid popup every single day to tell me that the Pro version ran out. I think they are trying to annoy people to the point where they will subscribe to the paid version but from the comments here and other places even the paid subscription has a problem with these popups which makes no dam sense.
“How do I disable the “You have lost your advanced protection! Your protection has expired.” popup?
There is no setting for that. You’ll have to install the completely free version of AVG. Follow the steps to remove the AVG trial on AVG’s website.”
Wayne says
Just be advised if you turn off notifications it will also stop the system tray icon from loading.
Anynomous says
Thank this saved me from slamming my computer with a hammer these alerts were sooo annoying.
John says
Your advice just worked for me. Thanks so much. You saved my sanity and my laptop from going out the window.
Frank says
So far I have had success if you also un-tick all the boxes in the privacy section especially the cloud section. Don’t worry that avg says it needs this and that for it you work well …. they need it for all there pop ups they send to you.
Go to advance settings up the system tray notifications.. Then go to privacy preferences unlick all the boxes.
Cheers all
Terence Brennan says
followed your comments but still have pop ups. This all happened since selling part of the business & the adding more companies to their fold & someone is intent on trashing AVG
Noob says
Thank you … !
Mr Big says
I have the Paid version of AVG 2015, and it is popping up EVERY DAY because my plan will expire in 197 DAYS!! (todays message), Unbelievable!
S Gater says
Irritating pop-ups prompting the sale of AVG’s products when one is in the middle of working
on a spreadsheet does no more than harm AVG’s reputation.
I just wonder how long I will put up with these messages ( despite opting out of pop-up’s in Tools ) before I decide to ditch AVG once again …………. I suspect not long.
DrewA says
Popups are still happening and crashing my full screen applications. I’ve had the latest version and these messages are NOT security information (as AVG says). They are ads for tune up products.
I just complained to their chat and told them I was no longer going to use AVG and no longer going to recommend any of their paid products to my consulting consulting clients.
I will try avira or avast again.
Gk says
I disabled all notification in the AVG settings and AVG still opens popups.. I used AVG for many many years. But since I can’t stop these annoying messages I un-installed AVG from all my computers.
I know I’m nobody wen you have many many users but all those users are annoyed too they just take this annoying behavior and don’t say or do anything. I am not going to take it so goodbye AVG. Long time I thought AVG was different then all the others but your not.
ctsurv553 says
I have the “Display System Tray Notifications” unchecked for the last three months but still get AVG pop-ups at least once or twice per session. These are pop-ups trying to get me to upgrade to “Pro” or warning me that some component is not turned on. Very annoying as these pop-ups steal the typing cursor and force me to stop what I am doing to close them before I can continue typing,
Paddy says
I’m really grateful for your article on how to get rid of that irritating AVG pop-up. I followed the steps and it worked a dream.
Imagine a service which is designed to stop spam etc, indulging in the very thing you’ve paid them to get rid of. Goodbye AVG!
Max Manners says
Hi
Thank you, the AVG Pop Up window stops my typing in Word, which annoys me because I am not a touch typist so I have to retype!
Max
Marcella says
I can no longer scan because the “buy now” pop up is on a loop. Pop up says “your free program has expired” even though I bought AVG Tune up 2015. I’m going back to Windows Defender until I can something else.
jenn says
Thanks for your article.AVG use to be one of the best free programs out there. To learn that even buying it would not stop the push pop ups has convinced me to move on down the road.
j
Heather March says
My free AVG protection trial expired. I not only have those annoying little ads popping up down right saying something like “this program took too long to load . . . etc” but I also have what must be completely fictitious pop-ups saying that my disk is badly fragmented and various other things are wrong with parts of my system. It offers to run maintenance, but then says “well, you’ll have to buy AVG” or words to that effect
Excuse me? I DID buy AVG and now I’m wondering why.
Milrose says
Enjoyed the read. After 8 years I am getting rid of everything AVG, if I can–cannot get rid of the constant ads and popups.
Mike says
This does NOT stop the annoying popup ads that avg sends to its paying customers (yes, even the pro versions!) to nudge them into buying more avg software.
It’s totally annoying and while I have always liked avg’s service, I will not tolerate a PAID program that spams me on my own desktop!
I tried Kaspersky and it sucks too. For other reasons.
I recommend Avast or ANYthing other than AVG. Unless you like being spammed by your own Firewall company.
Gail says
Thank you.