[corvairbob]

so i have been using the chromebooks for the last 4 to 5 years and then google decided to start an end of life. so i got back into windows machines. i used the chromebooks for the security but now that has ended and i'm back on the laptops and windows 10. i upgraded for windows 7 that last machine i had ran that os. so my machines now have 10 professional on them and 8gb ram 64 bit systems.

so my question is what is the general consensus on antivirus and malware programs to run with windows 10? i have the defender running but some are telling me i need more. so what is the more? i did install the free avast program and i put spybot and whocrashed, but not to sure about them yet.

so i'm thinking the best place to find good antivirus and malware programs will be a site like this windows forums. any help is welcome. thanks. bp.

[tgp]

In general, Windows Defender is sufficient. Since Windows 10 it is quite robust. With older versions of Windows it was often helpful to use a more powerful 3rd party solution, but not so much anymore.

[Ryujingt3]

I use Bitdefender Total Security. It works well enough for me.

[Laura Knotek]

I use NOD32 from ESET. It works well and is lightweight, doesn't slow down my PCs.

[Al Sacco]

I'd check out Windows Central's list of recommended antivirus options.

[DudeVanDudenstein]

so i have been using the chromebooks for the last 4 to 5 years and then google decided to start an end of life. so i got back into windows machines. i used the chromebooks for the security but now that has ended and i'm back on the laptops and windows 10. i upgraded for windows 7 that last machine i had ran that os. so my machines now have 10 professional on them and 8gb ram 64 bit systems.

so my question is what is the general consensus on antivirus and malware programs to run with windows 10? i have the defender running but some are telling me i need more. so what is the more? i did install the free avast program and i put spybot and whocrashed, but not to sure about them yet.

so i'm thinking the best place to find good antivirus and malware programs will be a site like this windows forums. any help is welcome. thanks. bp.

Windows Defender and uBlock Origin. That's it.

Run Malwarebytes once in awhile if you're suspicious of being infected. You're good to go with the free version. I install and run it myself maybe once a month, and never been infected with just the above installed. Do not use Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky. You don't need them, and they'll slow your system down.

[jkelek]

if you know what you are doing and you're not on a network with other users then windows defender should be plenty adequate, convenient, and free. if you are a normal user you'd probably want to have an additional AV. ESET makes a great lightweight AV called NOD32. it will do a great job and run well. don't get all crazy thinking about it though, just don't click on links you don't know what they are on websites and in email and don't install or run anything you don't know what it is and you'll generally be fine.

[bobsentell]

File Hippo has a good selection.

I personally use Kaspersky on my desktop and Surface. I'm stuck with McAfee at work.

[wpcautobot]

I too just use Windows Defender Security.

[neo158]

A properly configured Windows Defender is all you really need these days. I've now found the site with the PowerShell commands to enable the more advanced features of Windows Defender:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...2-881c5a1a0285

[William Morton01]

I personally use Malwarebytes Premium on my PC's and phone. That's all you need.

[Hirox K]

Nowadays I don't install unnecessary win32s (e.g. Unreal, VisualStudio, Adobe, trustworthy big names), it's either UWP (sandboxed, no more system tampering, clean uninstall and no more slow down overtime) or web.
WinDefender is enough and it has a pretty good reputation.

My PC usage...
I don't DL anything anymore... no more vid or things... no visiting dodgy websites and use no torrent.

Netflix, YouTube, OneNote, Todo, Messenger, OneDrive, etc are all cloud-based.
I buy digital games and I only play games with cloud save. It allows me to run 1 copy on multiple xboxes and PC, worry free.
My project files <- version control.
Raw Photos <- version control.
Compressed photo for sharing <- Google Photo.

WinDefender is good enough for me.

[Cbarnhorst]

Defender is very good and I don't even notice it working. I stay away from third-party software, especially "do-everything" utilities. Things have sure changed since XP SP2 regarding security in Windows.

[Hirox K]

"do-everything" utilities

True, I also don't trust these typpa applications.
How the hell can one know how other people code their applications or how they use reg and file system? Decompile an application? Magic? 0 issue guaranteed?

[Monte Constable1]

Windows Defender for me. It works well and is updated regularly

[EXboxNick]

Sophos Home. it's free, had a web based manageable client to oversee all connected devices, also let's you pick and choose threat levels of protection. you can force a scan too either immediately or next time it's powered on. it's truly Enterprise security and features at your finger tips, for free

[EXboxNick]

That is, if you want something robust that isn't just built in client or shelling out cash

[Matthias Boerner]

so i have been using the chromebooks for the last 4 to 5 years and then google decided to start an end of life. so i got back into windows machines. i used the chromebooks for the security but now that has ended and i'm back on the laptops and windows 10. i upgraded for windows 7 that last machine i had ran that os. so my machines now have 10 professional on them and 8gb ram 64 bit systems.

so my question is what is the general consensus on antivirus and malware programs to run with windows 10? i have the defender running but some are telling me i need more. so what is the more? i did install the free avast program and i put spybot and whocrashed, but not to sure about them yet.

so i'm thinking the best place to find good antivirus and malware programs will be a site like this windows forums. any help is welcome. thanks. bp.

Just Windows defender.

[GraniteStateColin]

As with many here, I'd recommend just using Windows Defender, not only because it's plenty good enough but also because it seems to be a much better job than any of the third-party options at remaining invisible in the background without surges that take over the CPU or drive, both of which are real battery killers. And MS does also push a separate updated malware scanner once a month through Windows Update.

[jazman_777]

None of these third parties is transparent about their own coding practices. Are they secure, just as likely they're another piece of carp software with vulnerabilities that's part of your attack surface.

[jazman_777]

The evaluation of security software based on how much CPU, RAM, disk I/O it uses is a red herring. None of those has anything to do with security.

[tgp]

The evaluation of security software based on how much CPU, RAM, disk I/O it uses is a red herring. None of those has anything to do with security.

This is true. OTOH, do we have evidence that one security suite is better than another? All else being equal, I'd choose the one that uses the least resources.

In general, Windows 10's built in Windows Defender, used along side Common Sense™, is sufficient.

[Laura Knotek]

if you know what you are doing and you're not on a network with other users then windows defender should be plenty adequate, convenient, and free. if you are a normal user you'd probably want to have an additional AV. ESET makes a great lightweight AV called NOD32. it will do a great job and run well. don't get all crazy thinking about it though, just don't click on links you don't know what they are on websites and in email and don't install or run anything you don't know what it is and you'll generally be fine.

I use NOD32 as well.

[TechFranz]

This is true. OTOH, do we have evidence that one security suite is better than another? All else being equal, I'd choose the one that uses the least resources.

In general, Windows 10's built in Windows Defender, used along side Common Sense™, is sufficient.

Common Sense™ slows my machine down and has all those nag screens telling me wise things to do, I much prefer ThinkB4Click™ as it is Open Source and has an Active Community.

[Martin Pelletier]

From (a comparison site), Windows Defender seems to protect well. Just it seem to suffer from high false positives and performance. What I did not like with it is when activating the folders protection against ransomwares. It's a pain to whitelist the applications manually.

That is why I prefer using Eset Internet Security 11.1. It's fast, low footprint, and protect very well and usually always in the top 5 AV solutions.

From the same site, you can see Bitdefender and Kaspersky being the top 2 AVs in protection. Did try Bitdefender but found out that it slow internet browsing compared to Eset.