n01getsout.com’s blog

The new AVG Anti-Virus 8 comes with a component called LinkScanner (sometimes also called Safe Search) that automatically checks the results from Google, Yahoo, and MSN and displays security information in the form of an icon next to the link. You can hover your mouse over a link and it will pop up detailed information.

This extension can be disabled in AVG by going to the “Tools->Advanced Settings” menu and selecting “LinkScanner” in the tree menu on the left. However, if you do so the AVG icon in your system tray will complain that you have it disabled. I prefer to be able to see if my AVG has the latest definitions simply by looking at the system tray and seeing the normal icon.

According to the AVG Free FAQ you can uninstall LinkScanner, but I didn’t really want to get rid of it completely. I found that you can disable the LinkScanner extension itself in Firefox and Internet Explorer and AVG will think that everything is fine and display the normal icon. In Firefox, go to the “Tools->Addons” menu, click on “AVG Safe Search” to select it, and then click the “Disable” button. In Internet Explorer, go to the “Tools->Internet Options” menu, click on the “Programs” tab, click the “Manage add-ons” button, click on “AVG Safe Search” to select it and select the “Disable” setting below. You will have to restart your browser for this to take effect.