Annoying LinkScanner? Yeah, Actually, i am happy with AVG 8.0 Free because the Anti-spyware finally comes built-in with the antivirus for a better internet-security. But, the one that was ever annoying for me (for you too?) was its new feature, LinkScanner.
What is LinkScanner? (from the official website)
LinkScanner is a new security component included in the AVG 8.0 Free Edition, which provides the Search-Shield functionality. Its purpose is to scan all results of the supported Internet search engines (Yahoo!, Google, MSN), and provides you with an evaluation of a safety level of each found website. At the same time, the LinkScanner also checks all Internet addresses typed into the address bar of your browser, or linked on other websites.
SO, WHAT’s WRONG with this new feature ?
One of the LinkScanner components, AVG Search-Shield (one which is available for Free edition, Surf-Shield only in paid version), was slowing down my browsing speed everytime i was searching in google! It was controlling the checking of visited links in search engine. For me, it helped nothing, I think Google (my favorite search engine) already has anti-phishing protection on sites i find anyways. So, in this case LinkScanner was NOT so useful for me. If it was, It’s just only a warning, not Surf-Shield (yeah i must pay for it, but it will make my search-engine more annoying again, my search-speed will be slower..slower and slower..) so It annoyed me! Slow, slow, slow 
:(
OK, If you have the same problem, i guess you’ll ask How to remove this annoyance on your search results?
If you say it’s easy, JUST DISABLE IT from your AVG’s option? You’ll see then AVG will constantly warn you that you may not be protected. (Look at the AVG icon in the desktop-taskbar, in your System Tray there will always be the “Exclamation Mark” on the AVG icon, Is it annoying again for me? yes!, ‘not-for-you?’ 
) OK, that’s enough for the prologue..then the How-To:
OPTION A. (RECOMMENDED for TEMPORARY USE) >> HOW to ‘just’ DISABLE it ? (AVG will stop telling your that your computer is unsafe and you will no longer be annoyed by LinkScanner interfering with your searches)
WARNING: The program still runs in the background and takes up resources!!
1. Internet Explorer:
* Run Internet Explorer.
* Choose the Internet Options from the Tools menu.
* Switch on the Programs tab.
* Click on the Manage add-ons button.
* Select the AVG Safe Search add-on.
* Tick in the Disable option at the bottom of this window.
* Confirm changes by clicking on the OK button.
* Close Internet Explorer and run it again.
2. Mozilla Firefox:
* Run Mozilla Firefox.
* Choose the Add-ons option from the Tools menu.
* Select the AVG Safe Search add-on and click on the Disable button.
* Close Mozilla Firefox and run it again.
WARNING: The program still runs in the background and takes up resources!!
Yeah, I think you read those ‘WARNINGS’ so i think, if you feel this new feature is not for you, it’s useless, it’s bad, it’s slow , etc.. You’ll choose option B.
OPTION B. (Recommended for PERMANENT USE) >>> IF YOU WANT TO REMOVE IT FOREVER, READ THIS (i chose this!):
What to do: You must install AVG without LinkScanner from the beginning. If you only disable it, the program still runs in the background and takes up resources. So in this case i assume your AVG 8.0 Free is already installed. You should uninstall it first. REBOOT. Then reinstall it without the feature, How? you must do this:
# Run the installation with the parameters :
/REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSurf /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch.
One way to achieve this is to:
* save the AVG Free installation file directly to disk C:\
* open menu Start -> Run
* type:
c:\avg_free_stf_*.exe /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSurf /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch
# The installation will be started, and AVG will be installed without the LinkScanner component.
DONE! The AVG 8.0 Free Edition has NO LinkScanner, and I am now happy. Hope it was useful for you. I hope you’ll be happy too.
> AVG 8.0 Free SCREENSHOT BEFORE LinkScanner removed:
> AVG 8.0 Free SCREENSHOT Without LinkScanner:
> Your Internet Explorer / Browser so SLOW like a SNAIL ? Download Firefox
www.HWDOT.com
Hi! Welcome to 
Excellent! Like you, both link scanner and the warning annoyed me so to find this was great, why do these software developers never think to include options to disable annoying things like this?
I’m still using a very old google toolbar version 1.1.70-big/en and old eBay toolbar both of which I like as they do what I want. I’ve had to use the hosts file to prevent them from updating versions with more bloat I can’t turn off!! so so annoying!!! (especially the google toolbar which never even asks just updates.. at one point “breaking” IE6),
thanks again
It worked..! Great work-around..
Great article!
I had a small question but for the other user: the web site creators.
When you make a search for my website in e g. google my website appears but the AVG check does not come next to my site link. It just keeps on searching and searching.
Do you know what I need to do to make AVG scan my site rapidly?
Thanks!
@Sandra
As a website creator, you may check this interesting url talking about linkscanner and search engine : http://www.webmasterworld.com/search_engine_spiders/3657953.htm
Excellent. Haven’t tried it yet but I will. I also hate the (!).
Wow! This worked! I _hate_ this feature, and I want a simple antivirus program for simple protection, as I’m not stupid and I’m more than capable of not getting viruses on my system. I don’t need too many resource-hogging features…
Nice one but the is a setting for disabling linkscanner (or any other warning, go to: AVG tools\Advanced Settings\Ignore faulty conditions and tick the linkcanner box to turn off warning.
Works like a charm!! Thank you very much…..
i need to remove the Doctor antivirus in my computer and i cant disable it, please help me please.. thnx
Ahhh! De-bloated! Thank you!
Well, here is the interesting thing.. The version I downloaded and installed today (8/13/2008) was v8.138 and the installer program can remove linkscanner. I did a complete install. I half liked and half did not like linkscanner and i already had mcafee siteadvisor which I have enjoyed for its constant real time querieis to symantec for recommendations. So I reran the installation file again and this time it gave me three options.
1)Repair AVG installation
2)Add/Remove components (which let me remove linkscanner and office plugins
3)uninstall AVG
I figured id give it a shot and it appears to have removed linkscanner
Thanks for your site and your manual way to remove
HMMM - makes me wonder if from the command line adding a /help or /? to the installation program filename would generate a list of everything installable/removable.
Nice one but seemed confusing for me, step by step instruction would be helpful like in option A, never the less…
go to: AVG tools\Advanced Settings\Ignore faulty conditions and tick the linkscanner box to turn off warning. worked out just fine.
thanks
it helps me alot!!!! tenx for dis….
i never have saved a downloaded file to c:\, how do you do this , when i click on the option to choose a destination , i go to my computer, but when i click on C: c opens up and shows all
you can replace c:\ drive with another drive where the installer is, then go to start menu, in “Run”, just type the parameters completely (yeah, it’s a long list), then press ENTER, the installer will automatically begin. Good luck.