How to Scan PC with AVG Free Antivirus: Which Scan to Run and When

AVG AntiVirus Free gives you six different ways to scan your PC for viruses and malware, and it isn’t always obvious which one to use.

In this guide I’ll show you how to run every AVG scan, step by step: Smart Scan, File or Folder Scan, USB / DVD Scan, Deep Scan and the Boot-Time Scan. I’ll also show you what to do when AVG finds something, where to find AVG Quarantine, and which pop-ups you can safely ignore.

These steps are for AVG AntiVirus Free on Windows 11 and Windows 10. AVG is owned by the same company as Avast, so if you’ve used Avast before, a lot of this will look familiar.

The Short Version

  1. Open AVG and click Run smart scan for a quick check.
  2. For a full check, click Run other scans and then Deep Scan.
  3. If you think your PC is infected, run a Boot-Time Scan first, then a Deep Scan.
  4. Anything AVG finds goes into Quarantine (Menu, then Quarantine), where it can’t do any harm.

Table of contents

AVG Antivirus Scan Options

AVG AntiVirus Free has six types of antivirus scan. Smart Scan has its own big button on the main screen. The rest are under the Run other scans link.

  • Smart Scan: the everyday quick scan. It checks for malware, browser threats, outdated apps, network problems and performance issues, and usually only takes a few minutes.
  • Deep Scan: AVG’s full system scan. It checks every drive and the computer’s memory, including for rootkits (malware that hides itself). It can take a while.
  • File or Folder Scan: checks only the files or folders you pick. Ideal for anything you’ve just downloaded.
  • USB / DVD Scan: checks any USB sticks, external hard drives or discs plugged into your PC.
  • Boot-Time Scan: runs as your PC starts, before Windows loads, so it can catch malware that hides once Windows is running.
  • Performance Scan: not really a virus scan at all. More on that below.
AVG AntiVirus Free Run other scans menu showing all six scan types
Every scan apart from Smart Scan is under Run other scans.

Which AVG Scan Should You Run?

Here’s the simple version of which scan to use and when.

  • A quick weekly check: Smart Scan. Better still, schedule it so it runs by itself.
  • You’ve downloaded a file and aren’t sure about it: File or Folder Scan.
  • Someone has given you a USB stick: USB / DVD Scan, before you open anything on it.
  • A thorough check once a month: Deep Scan.
  • You think your PC is infected: Boot-Time Scan first, then a Deep Scan once Windows has restarted.

What About the Performance Scan?

The AVG Performance Scan looks for junk files and other things that slow your PC down. To fix anything it finds, you need AVG TuneUp, which is a separate paid program.

It won’t find viruses or other malware, so you can safely skip it.

How to Run a Smart Scan in AVG Free

The Smart Scan is the quickest and easiest AVG virus scan, and it’s the one you’ll use most often.

  1. Open AVG AntiVirus Free from the Start menu.
  2. Click the Run smart scan button.
Run smart scan button on the AVG AntiVirus Free main screen
Click Run smart scan to start a quick AVG virus scan.

The AVG Smart Scan

AVG’s Smart Scan starts straight away. It doesn’t usually take long, but that depends on how fast your PC is.

First, AVG checks your system settings for weaknesses.

AVG Smart Scan checking the system settings for weaknesses
AVG checks your system settings first.

Then it runs the actual malware scan, checking your PC for viruses and other nasties. If you need to stop it for any reason, click Stop scan.

AVG Smart Scan progress screen while it scans for malware
Then the virus and malware scan runs.

What Does Advanced Issues Found Mean?

When the scan finishes, you’ll probably see an Advanced issues found screen. These are extra problems AVG has spotted, such as settings it thinks could be stronger. Fixing them needs the paid version, AVG Internet Security.

If you want to stay with the free version, click Skip for now.

AVG Advanced issues found screen with Skip for now marked
Advanced issues can only be fixed with the paid version of AVG. Click Skip for now.

Don’t Skip Real Threats

If the Smart Scan finds an actual virus or other malware, click Resolve all. That’s free, and it’s the whole point of the scan.

It’s only the advanced issues that need the paid version.

AVG may then offer you a free trial of its paid version. You don’t need it to stay protected, so it’s entirely up to you.

AVG offering a free trial of its paid version after the Smart Scan
AVG may offer you a free trial. You don’t need it to stay protected.

After the Scan Has Finished

At the end of the Smart Scan, AVG gives you the option to schedule a Smart Scan. I’d turn this on, so AVG checks your PC regularly without you having to remember.

Then click Close smart scan.

Turning on a scheduled Smart Scan in AVG AntiVirus Free
Scheduling a Smart Scan is a good idea.

AVG will have one more go at selling you something, usually a screen telling you that your PC is getting slower. This is an advert for AVG TuneUp. Click Ignore to get back to the main screen.

AVG Your PC is getting slower advert with the Ignore button marked
This is an advert for AVG TuneUp. Personally, I’d click Ignore.

How to Schedule an AVG Scan

To change when your scheduled Smart Scan runs, click Edit frequency on the Smart Scan results screen, then pick the day, the time and how often.

You can schedule the other scans too, such as a monthly Deep Scan:

  1. Open AVG and click Run other scans, then Scheduled scans.
  2. Click Create a Custom Scan.
  3. Give the scan a name, choose the Scan type (for example Deep Scan) and pick the Frequency.
  4. Click Create.
Creating a scheduled Deep Scan in AVG AntiVirus Free
Choose the scan type and how often it should run.

Quick Tip

Pick a time when your PC is usually switched on but you’re not busy on it, like lunchtime. If the PC is off at the scheduled time, the scan won’t run then.

How to Run a File or Folder Scan in AVG

The File or Folder Scan is the easiest scan of all. It checks just the file or folder you point it at, and nothing else.

It’s the one to use on anything you’ve just downloaded. Right-click your Downloads folder and you can check everything in it in one go. Not sure where your downloads end up? Here’s how to find your browser’s download folder.

You can run it from inside AVG (Run other scans, then File or Folder Scan), but I find it quicker to use the right-click menu in File Explorer.

  1. Right-click the file or folder you want to check.
  2. On Windows 11, click Show more options first.
  3. Click Scan selected items for viruses.
Right-click menu in File Explorer with Scan selected items for viruses highlighted
Right-click a file or folder and then click Scan selected items for viruses.

Windows 11 Right-Click Menu

Windows 11 uses a much shorter right-click menu than earlier versions of Windows, which is why you have to click Show more options first.

If you’d rather have the full menu every time, here’s how to restore the old right-click menu in Windows 11.

How to Scan a USB Stick with AVG

If someone hands you a USB stick, or you’re plugging in an old external hard drive, it’s worth checking it with AVG before you open anything on it.

  1. Plug the USB stick or drive into your PC.
  2. Open AVG and click Run other scans.
  3. Click USB / DVD Scan.

AVG finds every USB stick, external hard drive and disc that’s connected and scans them all. You can also right-click the drive in File Explorer and use Scan selected items for viruses, just like a folder.

Once it’s clean, here’s how to copy files to and from a USB drive.

AVG AntiVirus Free running a USB / DVD Scan on a USB stick
The USB / DVD Scan checks every USB drive and disc connected to your PC.

How to Run a Deep Scan in AVG Free

The Deep Scan is AVG’s full system scan. It checks every file and folder it can find on your PC, plus the computer’s memory.

  1. Open AVG and click the Run other scans link in the bottom right-hand corner.
  2. Click Deep Scan.
AVG Run other scans menu with Deep Scan highlighted
Click Run other scans and then click Deep Scan.

AVG starts scanning your whole computer for any sign of malware. Because a deep scan can take a long time, there’s an option to have AVG shut down your PC when the scan finishes. Handy if you start it before bed.

AVG Deep Scan progress with the option to shut down the PC when finished
Would you like AVG to shut down your computer when the scan is done?

When the scan finishes, if nothing was found, just click Done.

AVG Deep Scan finished with no malware found and the Done button marked
Nothing found. Great.

How Long Does an AVG Deep Scan Take?

Anything from 30 minutes to a few hours. It depends on how fast your PC is, whether it has an older hard drive or a faster SSD, and how many files you have.

Two things help. Close any other programs while it runs, and make sure the PC won’t go to sleep halfway through. Here’s how to stop your computer going to sleep.

If yours seems to take forever, I’ve covered the reasons in why your antivirus takes so long to scan.

AVG Deep Scan Found Something

If the Deep Scan finds something, AVG automatically moves it into Quarantine.

Quarantine is a safe, locked area inside AVG. Whatever is in there can’t run or spread, so it’s fine to just leave it there.

AVG Deep Scan has found an infected file and moved it to quarantine
Gotcha. AVG has found an infected file and moved it to Quarantine.

Antivirus Quarantine

Most antivirus programs quarantine a threat rather than deleting it straight away. The reason is that even the best antivirus programs sometimes get it wrong. These mistakes are called false positives.

With the file in quarantine it’s cut off from the rest of your PC, but you can still get it back if it turns out to be safe.

How to Run a Boot-Time Scan with AVG Free Antivirus

The Boot-Time Scan runs before Windows starts up. Some types of malware hide themselves once Windows is running, so scanning before Windows loads gives AVG a better chance of finding them.

Because it runs before Windows, you schedule it for the next restart, and AVG needs to download a special set of virus definitions first.

  1. Open AVG and click Run other scans.
  2. Click Boot-Time Scan.
AVG Run other scans menu with Boot-Time Scan highlighted
Click Run other scans and then click Boot-Time Scan.

Install Specialised Antivirus Definitions

Before you schedule a Boot-Time Scan, AVG asks you to install the specialised definitions it uses.

  1. Click Prepare Scan.
  2. Wait while the definitions download and install.
  3. Click Restart Now.
  4. Close AVG and restart your computer.
AVG Boot-Time Scan screen with Prepare Scan button.
Click Prepare Scan.
Restart Now button indicated to begin a boot time scan in AVG free.
Click Restart Now and your PC will reboot and AVG will scan the computer before Windows loads up.

What Happens When Your PC Restarts

As your PC restarts, just before Windows loads, the AVG Boot-Time Scan runs on a plain screen. AVG says it usually takes several minutes, but on a big, full drive it can take a lot longer.

If you need to skip it, press the Esc (Escape) key on your keyboard.

AVG Boot-Time Scan running before Windows loads, with Esc to skip highlighted
To skip the scan, press Esc on your keyboard.

When the scan finishes, AVG briefly shows the results and then carries on loading Windows.

AVG Boot-Time Scan results showing infected files found
The AVG Boot-Time Scan has found something.

If anything was found, AVG asks you to deal with it once Windows has started. Click See results.

AVG asking you to resolve threats with the See results button marked
Click See results.

The AVG Scan history page opens. Check what’s been moved to Quarantine, then click Done.

AVG Scan history screen showing files moved to quarantine
Check what’s been quarantined, then click Done.

Where to Find AVG Quarantine

Whatever scan you use, anything AVG finds ends up in AVG Quarantine. Here’s how to find it:

  1. Open AVG.
  2. Click ☰ Menu.
  3. Click Quarantine.

You’ll see a list of every file AVG has quarantined. From here you can put a file back or delete it for good.

AVG Quarantine screen with a file ticked and More options open
You can restore or delete quarantined files from here.

How to Restore a File from AVG Quarantine

Only do this if you’re sure the file is safe, for example a program you’ve used for years that AVG has suddenly flagged.

  1. Tick the box next to the file.
  2. Click … More options.
  3. Click Restore to put it back where it was, or Restore and add exception if you want AVG to stop flagging it.
  4. Click Close.

To get rid of files for good, tick them and click Delete selected, or Delete all to empty the quarantine. Then click Yes, delete. This can’t be undone.

What If AVG Got It Wrong?

If AVG has flagged something you know is safe, that’s a false positive. You can tell AVG about it on its submit a file for review page. Click Open submit form under False positive and fill it in.

If you’re not sure whether a file is safe, leave it in quarantine. It can’t do any harm there.

Is AVG Free Good Enough?

Yes. In the latest independent tests from AV-TEST (August 2026), AVG AntiVirus Free scored full marks for protection, performance and usability, and won a Top Product award.

The catch with AVG Free isn’t the protection, it’s the adverts. As you’ve seen, AVG regularly nudges you towards its paid products. You don’t need any of them to stay safe from viruses.

AVG or Windows Security: Which Should You Use?

Windows 11 and Windows 10 already have their own antivirus, Microsoft Defender, which lives in the Windows Security app. It won a Top Product award in the same round of AV-TEST tests, and it has no upgrade pop-ups.

When you install AVG, Windows switches Microsoft Defender off automatically, so the two don’t clash. If you ever uninstall AVG, check that Windows Security has switched back on.

My advice: if you’re happy with AVG, keep it. If the pop-ups confuse you, or you’d rather have one less program on your PC, Windows Security does the job just as well. Here’s how to use Windows Security.

Only Run One Antivirus

Never install two antivirus programs at the same time. They fight over the same files and slow your PC down.

A one-off second opinion scanner like Malwarebytes Free is the exception, and I’ll come back to that below.

Troubleshooting AVG Scans

The Scan Is Stuck or Taking Hours

A Deep Scan on a big drive can genuinely take hours, so give it time. If it hasn’t moved off the same percentage for an hour or more, click Stop scan, restart your PC and try again.

I’ve covered the common causes in my guide to slow virus scans.

AVG Won’t Open or Won’t Start a Scan

First, restart your PC. If that doesn’t help, make sure AVG is up to date:

  1. Open AVG, click ☰ Menu and then Settings.
  2. Under General, click Update.
  3. Click Check for updates for both the virus definitions and the application.

Still not working? Repair AVG. This keeps all your settings:

  1. Right-click the Start button and click Installed apps (on Windows 10 it’s Apps and Features).
  2. Find AVG AntiVirus FREE, click the three dots next to it (or click its name on Windows 10) and click Uninstall, then Uninstall again.
  3. If Windows asks for permission, click Yes.
  4. In the AVG Setup window, click Repair.
  5. When it’s finished, click Restart computer or Done.

Don’t worry about clicking Uninstall. It only opens the AVG Setup window, and nothing is removed unless you choose to in there.

AVG Keeps Finding the Same Threat

If AVG finds the same malware every time you scan, something is putting it back. Run a Boot-Time Scan, then a Deep Scan, then get a second opinion with Malwarebytes Free. Here’s how to scan for malware your antivirus missed.

Can’t Open AVG at All?

Some malware stops your antivirus from opening. If that happens, you can schedule a Boot-Time Scan from Safe Mode instead.

  1. Restart your PC in Safe Mode with Command Prompt. If you’re not sure how, here’s how to get into Safe Mode.
  2. Type these three lines one at a time, pressing Enter after each one.
cd "C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus"
sched /A:*
shutdown /r

The first line opens AVG’s folder, the second schedules a scan of all your drives and the third restarts your PC. The Boot-Time Scan then runs before Windows loads.

AVG Scan FAQ

Q: How long does an AVG scan take?
A: A Smart Scan usually takes a few minutes. A Deep Scan can take anything from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on your PC and how many files you have. A Boot-Time Scan usually takes several minutes, but longer on a big, full drive.

Q: How often should I scan my PC with AVG?
A: AVG checks files in the background all the time, so you don’t need to scan every day. Schedule a Smart Scan once a week and run a Deep Scan about once a month. Run a scan straight away if you think you’ve clicked on something dodgy.

Q: Is there an AVG online virus scan?
A: No. AVG doesn’t offer a scan that runs in your web browser. To scan your PC with AVG you need to install AVG AntiVirus Free, which is free to download from avg.com. Be wary of any website that claims to scan your PC in the browser and then says you’re infected. That’s a common scam.

Q: Do I have to pay for AVG to remove a virus?
A: No. AVG AntiVirus Free removes and quarantines viruses and other malware for free. The paid version is only needed for extras, such as fixing the advanced issues the Smart Scan finds.

Q: Does AVG scan for malware as well as viruses?
A: Yes. AVG looks for all kinds of malware, not just viruses. The Deep Scan and Boot-Time Scan are the most thorough, and the Deep Scan also checks for rootkits, which are designed to hide.

Q: Where is the AVG Quarantine?
A: Open AVG, click Menu and then click Quarantine. You’ll see everything AVG has quarantined, and you can restore or delete each file.

Q: Can I use AVG and Windows Security at the same time?
A: You don’t need to. When you install AVG, Windows turns off Microsoft Defender automatically so the two don’t clash. Never install two full antivirus programs together. A one-off scanner like Malwarebytes Free is fine as a second opinion.

Q: Is AVG the same as Avast?
A: They’re separate programs, but both are owned by Gen Digital and use the same detection engine. That’s why AVG and Avast look and work in such a similar way.

Q: Is AVG Free good enough?
A: Yes. In AV-TEST’s August 2026 tests, AVG AntiVirus Free scored full marks for protection, performance and usability. The main downside is the regular adverts for AVG’s paid products.

Summary

AVG AntiVirus Free protects your PC in the background all the time, but it’s still worth running a scan yourself now and then.

  • Schedule a Smart Scan once a week, and run one straight away if you’ve opened a dodgy-looking email or website.
  • Use the File or Folder Scan on anything you download, and the USB / DVD Scan on any USB stick before you open it.
  • Run a Deep Scan about once a month.
  • If you think your PC is infected, run a Boot-Time Scan first, then a Deep Scan.
  • Anything AVG finds goes into Quarantine, where it’s safe to leave.

Scan Computer for Malware Your Antivirus Missed
If you suspect you’ve been infected, get a second opinion with Malwarebytes.

How to Scan Your Computer with Avast Free Antivirus
Avast is AVG’s sister program, and it’s free too.

How to Use Microsoft Windows Security
Windows’ own antivirus is free, built in and very good.

Beware of Device Encryption on Windows 11 Home

Device Encryption is silently being enabled on all Windows 10 and Windows 11 Home editions that meet the hardware requirements and you’re signed in with a Microsoft account.

Device Encryption on Windows Home editions

It’s very important that you check whether or not device encryption is enabled on your computer and if it is, then you MUST either disable it or find your recovery key. I’ll show you how to do both.

Device Encryption

You can find this and other related step by step guides in – At Home Computer Security Guides

Written by Jeff Porter. I’ve been fixing Windows PCs since 2010 and I’m CompTIA Network+ certified. More about me

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