Windows Defender or Avast ???

firefox1956

Laptop with Windows 10.
Avast free version is on it but it's starting to annoy me.
Presume Windows Defender will do the job just as well ??

kwikbreaks

It annoyed me too and I currently just use Defender. The biggest source of virus infections is being a dipstick about opening email attachments or downloading software from dodgy sites.

I take regular image backups of my PCs and personal documents get stored on a NAS so if one of my machines did get infected it would hardly be the end of the world.

What it really boils down to is...

Do you feel lucky, punk.

Browntoa

I no longer run AV software as I'm not a dipstick

firefox1956

Ha I'm not a dipstick so perhaps I should get rid of it !!!

AndyPix

bin Avast - do it now ..


As mentioned above, all you need is a basic form of protection (windows defender will do)
and a bit of common sense.


If you feel you are able to spot a dodgy email, and are able to resist clicking on links that offer to expose
"This amazing secret that the rich folks don't want you to know", then you'll be fine .


Most free (or otherwise) antivirus software are massive resource hogs and do sod all to protect you from the biggest threat which is malware (See other thread on here where certain user had hunderds of malware on his machine and was confused about that because he had run an avast scan and it said he was clean !)


Hope that helps
Andy

firefox1956

Always used Microsoft Security Essentials on my other 2 computers & been more than happy with that.
I bought a secondhand refurb laptop & it had Avast on it.
Thought I would use it.....what a load of bloated slow cr*p.
Binned it now & using the installed Windows Defender.
Thank for all you comments.

pendragon_arther

Avast is fine, I've used the free version for years. And for those who think you don't need an av run Rogue Killer or AdwCleaner or similar and see what's lurking in the shadows. Surprise!!!

Jivesinger

Staying safe is more than just not clicking on dodgy links. Sometimes the crooks can get into quite reputable websites, for instance by getting a malign advert to be shown.

kwikbreaks

I never said clicking dodgy links or opening email attachments was the only way to get an infection just that those are probably the main ways machines get infected.

I don't run an adblocker but I do run ghostery which blocks both ads and tracking cookies.

If I download freeware from any source I always run MalwareBytes after to highlight any sideloaded crap which isn't always done in plain sight.

I have had a machine infected in the past but that was down to a risk I knowingly took as an experiment - I ran a Windows machine (probably XP) in the DMZ with no software firewall either. It got hit within the hour by a buffer overrun exploit known to MS for 18 months at the time but the patch was only an optional one (???). I'm pretty sure the machine had an AV at the time but can't be sure which - most likely AVG back then.

To my mind the surest way to avoid problems from a virus infection is a backup policy which allows you to restore with the least loss of time and data because no AV will offer 100% protection but they will all consume resources and give annoying false positives. The free ones usually nag annoyingly too.

Jivesinger

kwikbreaks wrote: »

I never said clicking dodgy links or opening email attachments was the only way to get an infection just that those are probably the main ways machines get infected.

Agreed - I wasn't particularly thinking of your post.

I also totally agree that having a good backup strategy, using Windows Defender and the other stuff you mention seems a sensible way to go.

But sometimes I get the impression that some people think that the only thing they need to do is be careful on what they click on, and that they can switch off all anti-malware software.

These people are more confident in their clicking ability than I am in mine... (is there anyone who has never clicked on something and instantly wished they hadn't) ... and also could get caught out if a legitimate website gets compromised.

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Do you feel lucky, punk.

Quite.