windows 8 / avira / mcAfee / norton

canaldumidi

My BB provider Plusnet has emailed to say they are replacing McAfee with Norton security.

I had no idea they offered McAfee ( use Avira currently) unless maybe they use it behind the scenes in some way.

Anyway, I have the option to download Norton free for 2 years.

Worth doing?

Grey_Critic

Microsoft Defender comes FREE with Windows 8 so why would you need any other.

debitcardmayhem

Grey_Critic said:

Microsoft Defender comes FREE with Windows 8 so why would you need any other.

I'd suggest updating W8 to 10/11 first, 8 is out of mainstream support already and extended support until Jan 23. As for the Norton offer if it comes with the 75GB cloud backup it may be worth taking it but that's another story

400ixl

McAfee has been offered as a free download from Plusnet for a few years now to be used on your PC, not as a behind the scenes tool.

Windows 8 went out of mainstream support in 2016 and 8.1 in 2018. Extended support if you are able to get it ends in January 2023. You have most likely not had security updates since the end of mainstream support, putting it at high risk.

I would be upgrading to Windows 10 to get back up to date with security patches and then using Windows Defender as the built in anti-virus.

Even with an up to date anti-virus Windows 8 is not safe to be connected to the internet.

grumpycrab

"windows 8" - why?

canaldumidi

Yeah that's another story. I upgraded the other laptop to W10 - hate W10 quite apart from the fact it keeps updating during which everything stops for 20 minutes.

W8 with Classic Shell feels comfortable but I guess i'll have to bite the bullet sometime.

Neil49

I wouldn't use Defender with Windows 8 as it is significantly less effective than when running within Windows 10 or 11.

Norton would be a good option especially as it is free. 

With regards to Windows 10 updates being an issue you can schedule these to take place at a time convenient to you and not have to wait 20 minutes during your working hours. 

Withbellson

canaldumidi said:

Yeah that's another story. I upgraded the other laptop to W10 - hate W10 quite apart from the fact it keeps updating during which everything stops for 20 minutes.

W8 with Classic Shell feels comfortable but I guess i'll have to bite the bullet sometime.

Bite the bullet and fit and swap your cranky old HDD storage for solid state. Then updates wont interrupt you. You are okay with Windows 8.1 Update 3 up until the 10th of January 2023.
If you are on the aforementioned, then of course you have received security updates. A bit of scaremongering going on there.