Best antivirus for Windows 10?

[Jack Neill]

Common Sense. Version 1.0

 

[Keith Wallace]

Right quick, here's what I use (together):

--Malwarebytes: For general malware scans, though the latest version's scan is, like, 90% faster, and it leaves me wondering if it's lost its thorough scanning ability, so I might start looking for a new option.
--CCleaner: Dumps crap from your registry, browser (when it starts chugging from months of temp files and cache data), and other programs well.
--Revo Uninstaller: Good for removal of nasty programs and for making sure that when you uninstall a program, it's 100% gone. Some programs will leave registry files and other crap behind, and it can be annoying.
--Spybot: Kind of hangs around for seniority, but I did have an instance not too long ago where it turned out to be the only thing known to remove a specific browser highjacker from a relative's laptop, so it gets to hang around for a while longer on my PC, just in case.
--Windows Defender: The first 4 programs, those are used situationally. None are run real-time on my PC (though I think that they can ALL be left running full-time, at least MWB and CCleaner definitely can). Windows Defender's good enough for real-time protection, I guess. At least, it's better than nothing.

Windows Defender is enough for most people, how is it not doing a good job keeping windows secure?

You don't need a 3rd party antivirus, antivirus companies still play the fear card for naive consumers

For the love of whoever has to deal with malware on your PC if you get it, IGNORE THESE PEOPLE. Windows Defender basically exists on everything you buy nowadays. However, as the person who serves as family (and their friends) IT, it is NOT good enough on its own. My mom recently had me do clean-ups on a couple of friends' laptops. One took maybe 5 hours with the aforementioned MWB and Revo to clean up. The other took around 15 hours of repeated scans, as it had upwards of 300 infected files the first time through and more than 200 the second time. It was a hellish nightmare. As I also stated, I had to get a browser highjacker off of my brother-in-law's laptop a while back as well, and Spybot ended up being the only solution to the problem I found.

There are enough free programs that can do SOMETHING to help you, like the ones I listed. There's no excuse to lazily leave a computer so barren like leaving Windows Defender (which, while it's shown improvement, still hasn't matched the competition) as the only line of defense. Trust me when I say that no one wants to spend 15 hours running virus scans and OS restores on your computer because you thought the built-in stuff (and never actually doing your own maintenance with it) was enough.

Oh, and since my mom just had this happen and almost had a stroke freaking out (even though it's nothing):

When those stupid pop-up things come up and say you've got a virus in your browser, THEY'RE NOT REAL. Hers, it brought up a blue screen of death as the scary warning (that only comes up on older versions of Windows when the OS crashes; that it'd appear in a browser is a hilarious giveaway that it's fake), and some audio file on a loop kept telling her she had a virus. When these kinds of things occur, it's pretty simple to stop:

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete or right-click the Start button)
2. Find your browser in the Programs tab
3. End the browser process. (side note: when you're on Firefox or Chrome and ads pop up and slow down your browser, if you don't have AdBlock, you can do something similar in the Processes tab and kill the Adobe Flash process to stop most ads and not harm what you're doing, unless it's YouTube-related)
4. When you re-open the browser, it'll be gone, but the browser will probably ask you about restoring your last session. Given how that session ended, don't do it. Close the browser normally again, then re-open it. You'll be fine from there.

Last point: It is at a point where getting a virus isn't a thing to constantly fear. I mean, I run manual scans when I get bored and remember, which might mean several months, but nothing ever comes up in them. Still, make SOME kind of effort to clean things up yourself so they don't spiral out of control. If the browser is consistently running like crap, run CCleaner, clear it out, and put up with retyping passwords to get some speed back. When you find an errant program on the computer, run Revo on it. If you think you have some malware, run Windows Defender AND Malwarebytes manually. If you're like me, and keep Spybot on just in case, take it out for a jog now and then, to see if it picks up any little spyware annoyances that the other programs don't go after. Whatever you get, make an effort and run manual scans on occasion.

Norton is very resource intensive and tends to slow down a PC.

Yeah, Comcast gives you Norton free with their Internet service (or, at least, used to). It never seemed to be worth the trouble.

 

[asmac]

I've relied on Windows Defender for a few years now for home machines and have never had a problem. Occasionally I run MalwareBytes as it looks for "potentially unwanted software" (PUPs) that cannot be treated as 'viruses' for legal reasons. I've yet to have it find anything and I'm not particularly careful about where I surf and I install lots of stuff.

I have used Sophos in an enterprise environment and believe the primary (only?) reason to use it or other 3rd party AV systems is because they provide central management of users' AV installations and central reporting.

If you really want to boost security, get a PC such as an MS Surface or other enterprise-grade machine with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Turn on Bitlocker and the TPM will record and monitor a vast pile of parameters and not allow your machine to boot if it has been tampered with. I've run it for years and it just hums away in the background. Regular users would not even know it's there.

The best thing you can do to boost security (in addition to keeping your machine updated through automated updates) is to set up an admin account that is separate from your normal non-admin user account. Never use the admin account unless you need to do admin tasks. And if you're asked to provide elevated admin credentials to perform a task, think carefully before saying yes. Also be sure to download software from its native site (e.g. download Reader from Adobe.com, not from software.com) and look carefully for installers that ask you to piggyback unwanted crap with the desired installation. Just uncheck the checkbox to avoid the unwanted extras.

That's my two cents. So far so good.

 

[Jazmac]

Right quick, here's what I use (together):

--Malwarebytes: For general malware scans, though the latest version's scan is, like, 90% faster, and it leaves me wondering if it's lost its thorough scanning ability, so I might start looking for a new option.
--CCleaner: Dumps crap from your registry, browser (when it starts chugging from months of temp files and cache data), and other programs well.
--Revo Uninstaller: Good for removal of nasty programs and for making sure that when you uninstall a program, it's 100% gone. Some programs will leave registry files and other crap behind, and it can be annoying.
--Spybot: Kind of hangs around for seniority, but I did have an instance not too long ago where it turned out to be the only thing known to remove a specific browser highjacker from a relative's laptop, so it gets to hang around for a while longer on my PC, just in case.
--Windows Defender: The first 4 programs, those are used situationally. None are run real-time on my PC (though I think that they can ALL be left running full-time, at least MWB and CCleaner definitely can). Windows Defender's good enough for real-time protection, I guess. At least, it's better than nothing.




For the love of whoever has to deal with malware on your PC if you get it, IGNORE THESE PEOPLE. Windows Defender basically exists on everything you buy nowadays. However, as the person who serves as family (and their friends) IT, it is NOT good enough on its own. My mom recently had me do clean-ups on a couple of friends' laptops. One took maybe 5 hours with the aforementioned MWB and Revo to clean up. The other took around 15 hours of repeated scans, as it had upwards of 300 infected files the first time through and more than 200 the second time. It was a hellish nightmare. As I also stated, I had to get a browser highjacker off of my brother-in-law's laptop a while back as well, and Spybot ended up being the only solution to the problem I found.

There are enough free programs that can do SOMETHING to help you, like the ones I listed. There's no excuse to lazily leave a computer so barren like leaving Windows Defender (which, while it's shown improvement, still hasn't matched the competition) as the only line of defense. Trust me when I say that no one wants to spend 15 hours running virus scans and OS restores on your computer because you thought the built-in stuff (and never actually doing your own maintenance with it) was enough.

Oh, and since my mom just had this happen and almost had a stroke freaking out (even though it's nothing):

When those stupid pop-up things come up and say you've got a virus in your browser, THEY'RE NOT REAL. Hers, it brought up a blue screen of death as the scary warning (that only comes up on older versions of Windows when the OS crashes; that it'd appear in a browser is a hilarious giveaway that it's fake), and some audio file on a loop kept telling her she had a virus. When these kinds of things occur, it's pretty simple to stop:

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete or right-click the Start button)
2. Find your browser in the Programs tab
3. End the browser process. (side note: when you're on Firefox or Chrome and ads pop up and slow down your browser, if you don't have AdBlock, you can do something similar in the Processes tab and kill the Adobe Flash process to stop most ads and not harm what you're doing, unless it's YouTube-related)
4. When you re-open the browser, it'll be gone, but the browser will probably ask you about restoring your last session. Given how that session ended, don't do it. Close the browser normally again, then re-open it. You'll be fine from there.

Last point: It is at a point where getting a virus isn't a thing to constantly fear. I mean, I run manual scans when I get bored and remember, which might mean several months, but nothing ever comes up in them. Still, make SOME kind of effort to clean things up yourself so they don't spiral out of control. If the browser is consistently running like crap, run CCleaner, clear it out, and put up with retyping passwords to get some speed back. When you find an errant program on the computer, run Revo on it. If you think you have some malware, run Windows Defender AND Malwarebytes manually. If you're like me, and keep Spybot on just in case, take it out for a jog now and then, to see if it picks up any little spyware annoyances that the other programs don't go after. Whatever you get, make an effort and run manual scans on occasion.



Yeah, Comcast gives you Norton free with their Internet service (or, at least, used to). It never seemed to be worth the trouble.

Question Keith. Your mom's friends running Windows 10 and has a need for this level of support?

 

[Keith Wallace]

Question Keith. Your mom's friends running Windows 10 and has a need for this level of support?

No, that was before W10 launched. I think both were on W7.

Also, the W10 upgrade process has been a nightmare in my life. I had to fight it on my PC because the update locked up twice on my PC doing a DL. Then, my dad's desktop and brother's laptop had GIGANTIC fits at Windows Update. I actually did a clean W8 (not 8.1) refresh on the laptop, and told my dad he should just save what he most on an external drive and run a fresh W7 install on his desktop. I never got either to W10, as I didn't have the time. I mean, both were so screwed up beyond reason. Of course, that's what being stupid and never updating your PC will get you. Both were throwing some horrid updating errors I couldn't be asked to fix, and as I don't go over to my dad's much, I haven't had a chance to solve the issue again.

 

[Jazmac]

" Of course, that's what being stupid and never updating your PC will get you. ". Well, you what technicians say, as long as they are around, we'll always have jobs.

 

[TechAbstract]

If you don't want popups from free antivirus, use Windows Defender, Bitdefender Free, or Panda Free Antivirus (turn off Panda News in settings). Run Malwarebytes and AdwCleaner once a month or so. Avast for Business is free to anyone with an email

 

[xkinn]

Common Sense Proffesional is what you actually needed.
All other antivirus is just make a malware easier to attack.

 

[Arizona Willie]

Many people consider Norton to be a virus itself.

It is very intrusive and is very difficult to uninstall.

There is an old saying in the computer world ... " friends don't let friends use Norton ".

I've been told their software for businesses is pretty good and not as bad as for personal computers but I don't know about that. But I don't let anything Norton anywhere near my computers.

 

[orlbuckeye]

I use Norton and have been for years. Back in the day if you got attacked the virus would mess up Norton and I had to go into registry to remove it to reintall it. But it has improved and I use Norton 360 and Anti-Malwarebytes. I purchased the AMB license so it does real time scans.

 

[Donald E Vaughan]

I basically like Windows Defender! I have been using it since Windows 8. It does not slows down your PC. Avast is also a good option. I would not recommend Kaspersky and ESET Nod 32! They both suck! Still why would someone want to go for a third party antivirus? :?

 

[TechAbstract]

I use Norton and have been for years. Back in the day if you got attacked the virus would mess up Norton and I had to go into registry to remove it to reintall it. But it has improved and I use Norton 360 and Anti-Malwarebytes. I purchased the AMB license so it does real time scans.

I remember those days. Norton was so bad back then

 

[Amit Mishra3]

Kaspersky n NOD32

 

[MrWhiteman]

If you want ultra-protection against malware / root-kits / potentially unsafe software then it has to be Malwarebytes. It cannot be shut off by clever viruses because it has 'chameleon' as well as early start on your pc . I has protected me very well over the last 6 or 7 years and there is no monthly prescription. You pay about ?20 and you have it for life. I have run it along other anti virus software and MWB trumped them every time.

https://www.malwarebytes.org/

 

[Suq Madiq Lel]

I find Avira really good. It has less false detection than Avast!!!!!!!!!!! and BitDefender.

 

[LightspeeD00711]

Why?
Cuz Windows Defender has come out pretty much last place time & time again. All the major Antivirus Labs tests show that. BitDefender & Kaspersky being the top 2 in the world many years straight now.\
But having said that, windows Defender IS better than nothing. Just make sure to use a second opinion malware scanner. I recommend MalwareBytes. So does the world from it's downloads

my answer was to this question...

I basically like Windows Defender! I have been using it since Windows 8. It does not slows down your PC. Avast is also a good option. I would not recommend Kaspersky and ESET Nod 32! They both suck! Still why would someone want to go for a third party antivirus?

 

[andrewstop]

I think kaspersky is the best choice for win 10
U can download kaspersky at https://keykaspersky.com or http://kaspersky.com

 

[Carlo Razzeto]

Hi! I'm new to these forums.

What is the most unobtrusive antivirus that runs on Windows 10? My dad is insistent that Windows Defender does not do a good job keeping Windows secure. I am new to Windows (I have lots of experience with OS X and the Mac), so I'm not really used to having to run 3rd-party software like that, and I don't feel comfortable downloading a program from a website (because on my Mac I got everything from the App Store) and I worry about the security of that.

I'm sorry if I'm not being very clear with my questions. If you want me to go into more detail on anything, please ask.

I've used Avast free for years and I've been happy with it. One bonus is that it's approved for use with many corporate systems (like my company) so if you need access to the company network with your computerthe free edition might well be fine.

 

[gar216]

Hi! I'm new to these forums.

What is the most unobtrusive antivirus that runs on Windows 10? My dad is insistent that Windows Defender does not do a good job keeping Windows secure. I am new to Windows (I have lots of experience with OS X and the Mac), so I'm not really used to having to run 3rd-party software like that, and I don't feel comfortable downloading a program from a website (because on my Mac I got everything from the App Store) and I worry about the security of that.

I'm sorry if I'm not being very clear with my questions. If you want me to go into more detail on anything, please ask.

I've been a long time user of the free, basic version of AVG antivirus. I've been using it since 2004 or 2005 with very little trouble. In fact I can only think of one issue in 2009 or 2010 (something like that) where AVG let something slip through and I had to download a separate Malware tool.

Either way, I routinely download the newest version of AVG (once a year). The program has gradually become slightly more intrusive, and gradually more of a resource hog, but, with it's proven track record (in my experience) I keep going back to it.

 

[Stef8600]

Hi! I'm new to these forums.

What is the most unobtrusive antivirus that runs on Windows 10? My dad is insistent that Windows Defender does not do a good job keeping Windows secure. I am new to Windows (I have lots of experience with OS X and the Mac), so I'm not really used to having to run 3rd-party software like that, and I don't feel comfortable downloading a program from a website (because on my Mac I got everything from the App Store) and I worry about the security of that.

I'm sorry if I'm not being very clear with my questions. If you want me to go into more detail on anything, please ask.