# Computer Pop Up **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2015, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612 "2015-06-27T08:48:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/1 "2015-06-27T08:48:55Z")
This morning I have a big white box on my screen that says “Fix Common PC Problems Reduce problems with your printer, scanner, sound or network connection” I can’t find any information about this and a spybot scan shows nothing. Anyone got any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/2 "2015-06-27T08:50:43Z")
Grrr - Got it - Damn thing is from AVG - always nagging to make me upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/3 "2015-06-27T09:22:48Z")
The free Avast does the same sort of thing, although it does have the good grace to use a small popup down at the RH corner of the screen. ---
**Author:** ![skipper1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@skipper1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skipper1)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/4 "2015-06-27T13:02:19Z")
I have the paid for version of AVG and just started getting this popup this morning. What do I do? Is there a way to make it go away? Do I need to contact AVG? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/5 "2015-06-27T13:44:10Z")
Turn off notifications. > [@](#): > > To disable the notification dialogs about AVG activities that appear from the system tray, please follow these steps: > Open AVG. > In the top menu click Options, and then click Advanced settings. > In the left menu, click Appearance. > Untick Display system tray notifications to disable the notifications. > Click OK to save changes. [http://www.avg.com/us-en/faq.num-5422](http://www.avg.com/us-en/faq.num-5422) ---
**Author:** ![skipper1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@skipper1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skipper1)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/6 "2015-06-27T14:04:50Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Turn off notifications.[http://www.avg.com/us-en/faq.num-5422](http://www.avg.com/us-en/faq.num-5422) I honestly thought that had worked and was getting ready to send a thank you when it came back. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/7 "2015-06-27T14:09:44Z")
I clicked on the white box, down in the left bottom corner somewhere and the AVG screen came up. Killed that and the thing went away. I appreciate that we get it for free, but this kind of thing is annoying and confusing, because the initial box looks just like a scam. ---
**Author:** ![skipper1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@skipper1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skipper1)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/8 "2015-06-27T14:21:29Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I clicked on the white box, down in the left bottom corner somewhere and the AVG screen came up. Killed that and the thing went away. > > I appreciate that we get it for free, but this kind of thing is annoying and confusing, because the initial box looks just like a scam. Thanks Bob. I originally clicked the box but nothing happened. When I read your reply I went back and started clicking and it finally went full screen. It is AVG trying to sell more stuff. I closed the window and it has gone away but I don’t know for how long. ---
**Author:** ![skipper1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@skipper1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skipper1)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/9 "2015-06-27T14:27:18Z")
Thank you Fear Itself too. I followed your instructions and unticked display system tray notifications. Now, maybe the whole thing will be gone for good. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/10 "2015-06-27T14:40:46Z")
I have Avast and a way to shut off these notifications is to turn on “Silent/Gaming Mode” ---
**Author:** ![sleepvektor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@sleepvektor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleepvektor)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/11 "2015-06-27T21:46:37Z")
I tried both clicking on the white box (nothing happened) and disabling notifications in AVG. The damn thing’s still there, even after a restart. Any other ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Monkey88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Monkey88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey88)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/12 "2015-06-27T22:05:16Z")
I just had that problem now. I opened AVG to run a whole PC scan. I then noticed that there were 2 AVG tabs open on my desktop taskbar. One of them was the scan, the other was just labelled “AVG” with the quotation marks around it. I right clicked on the “AVG” tab and clicked the ‘close window’ button. That’s got rid of it for me. Hope it works ok 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/13 "2015-06-27T23:00:28Z")
> [@sleepvektor](#): > > I tried both clicking on the white box (nothing happened) and disabling notifications in AVG. The damn thing’s still there, even after a restart. Any other ideas? You have to click the right place. Keep trying until you find it ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/14 "2015-06-27T23:05:47Z")
Anyone else noticed GWX.EXE in their Processes list. It is apparently to do with the free upgrade to Windows 10. (Get Windows 10) What’s the consensus here - I wave W7 - should I allow the upgrade or not? ---
**Author:** ![electriced](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b4bc9f/32.png) [@electriced](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/electriced)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/15 "2015-06-28T00:38:00Z")
Thank you Monkey 88, your fix worked for me as well… I have to find a way to make AVG stop opening these messages if anyone knows how… please post it… ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/16 "2015-06-28T08:09:09Z")
I think it a small price to pay for an excellent free program. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Monkey88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey88)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/17 "2015-06-28T12:30:58Z")
You’re welcome. Glad it worked 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![secondmouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@secondmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/secondmouse)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/18 "2015-06-28T20:02:45Z")
I have the same problem. i bought a cheap AVG license key from ebay and it worked fine for a few weeks then a popup showed **THIS IS AN IELGAL COPY OF AVG** for a few days but now it has been replaced with the white _fix computer problems_ which looks kinda unprofessional I’m wondering if the white popup is masking the **THIS IS AN IELGAL COPY OF AVG** to buy the seller more time? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-pop-up/723612/19 "2015-06-28T22:56:46Z")
AVG is free - why would you buy it? The white fix computer problems box does look like a scam but it seems that it is genuine. Just find somewhere to click it that brings up an AVG screen.