Anyone having problems with AVG causing BSOD?

[Mini-Me]

Hi.
My brother is trying to install AVG update to 8.4 I think it was, and although the process completes fine and asks for a reboot, when he does reboot, the system falls over with a BSOD; Stop error 0x0000000A - which according to what I can find, is a 3rd party application causing problems, so in this case the AVG update/installer.

We rolled back the registry to get things going again, and this time, he downloaded the new full version instead of the update, and the exact same thing happens.

Windows XP Pro SP2.
Dual Core 2.1GHz, 1GB RAM.

It's odd - I've not seen this before.
Anyone else having issues with AVG update/new installs on XP systems?

[Paul Komski]

There was a recent time when installing AVG that the installer wouldn't continue till you had applied a particular WinXP update. Suggest installing SP3 and all other critical updates before retrying.

Also ensure no other a/v or scanner running that could be causing conflicts.

Over the years a number of security programs have caused misc problems due in large part (I have guessed) because they want to load before anything else on the PC. I have had problems with both AVG and Avast in the past but not (yet) with Avira, which I increasingly use (particularly on systems with lower resources) more and more. AVG used to be nice and simple but like so many good apps has got more and more bloated and multifunctional.

I guess it's quite difficult with malware nowadays since there are so many rogue elements out to attack us - and fewer and fewer actually seem to be true viruses any more.

[Mini-Me]

Cool, thanks, will update to SP3, and then see what happens.
Are there any other alternatives to AVG?
Preferably free AV, but then, who wants to code an AV app to give it away free...

[Paul Komski]

Avira (free for non-commercial use) as mentioned (http://www.free-av.com/)

Most of the freebies do this and obviously want the commercial clients but probably see free use by domestic users as a way of getting market exposure and acceptibility.