Should I get an AV for my new Surface 3?

[Doctor_Who]

A friend of ours, who has an older Surface, probably a Surface Pro, got a virus on it. This makes me wonder if we should get an anti-virus software package for our new Surface 3?

 

[Yazen]

A friend of ours, who has an older Surface, probably a Surface Pro, got a virus on it. This makes me wonder if we should get an anti-virus software package for our new Surface 3?

When you think you need AV you should definitely purchase one lol.

Search "Kaspersky Internet Security 2014" on eBay.
There are plenty of options under $18/year, and the license works for the 2015 version.

KIS 2015 is excellent for security and relatively lightweight. Has all the whistles you would need!

Good luck

 

[gnd1]

It comes with Microsoft Defender already on it. This has worked fine for me on my laptop and previous tablet

 

[seanpr]

Ditto, I have only used defender with no problems for years.

 

[Dos101]

Windows Defender plus Spybot: Search and Destroy and you should be good (don't forget plain old common sense as well).

EDIT: I forgot to add that you should be updating the virus definitions for Windows Defender at least weekly. Either set Windows Update to atomically download or install updates, or manually do it yourself.

 

[Doctor_Who]

Windows Defender plus Spybot: Search and Destroy and you should be good (don't forget plain old common sense as well).

EDIT: I forgot to add that you should be updating the virus definitions for Windows Defender at least weekly. Either set Windows Update to atomically download or install updates, or manually do it yourself.

So does Windows Defender not update its virus definition files automatically?

 

[Dos101]

So does Windows Defender not update its virus definition files automatically?

It will only update itself if you have Windows Update set to automatically download and install updates, otherwise you need to do it manually through Windows Update.

 

[MobileVortex]

If you feel like you need an AV, this is the only one I'll use or recommend. I don't run an anti-virus personally, but if you are worried and want active protection this is the product to use.

https://store.malwarebytes.org/342/purl-consumer?x-source=website

 

[Killer BIGxyz]

Avast! is a great and free AV program I've been using for years on various devices, including my sp3

 

[Pete]

Search "Kaspersky Internet Security 2014" on eBay.

No. No. No. Don't buy software from eBay, go to a reputable and official supplier. Buying cheap deals on eBay will expose you to pirated or hacked software that'll only give you more problems.

As others have stated, the Windows Defender software and safe browsing habits will protect the user in the vast majority of cases. AV products are typically pretty invasive pieces of software and can result in laggy performance.

 

[anon(5327127)]

None of them will stop you getting infected once you click 'yes'. Remember to change your pop-up blocker, within IE, to HIGH instead of medium.

 

[Yazen]

No. No. No. Don't buy software from eBay, go to a reputable and official supplier. Buying cheap deals on eBay will expose you to pirated or hacked software that'll only give you more problems.

As others have stated, the Windows Defender software and safe browsing habits will protect the user in the vast majority of cases. AV products are typically pretty invasive pieces of software and can result in laggy performance.

You are joking right? There are sealed retail packages that can be shipped for under $16
Additionally, you are barking to me my own mantra haha.

On another note, Kaspersky > BitDefender.

 

[Doctor_Who]

Windows Defender plus Spybot: Search and Destroy and you should be good (don't forget plain old common sense as well).

EDIT: I forgot to add that you should be updating the virus definitions for Windows Defender at least weekly. Either set Windows Update to atomically download or install updates, or manually do it yourself.

How do I make Windows Update refresh Windows Defender definition files on a weekly basis? I was just in it, but didn't see anything about making it refresh the definition files for Windows Defender. I'm sure its there, but don't know how to do it.

 

[xandros9]

How do I make Windows Update refresh Windows Defender definition files on a weekly basis? I was just in it, but didn't see anything about making it refresh the definition files for Windows Defender. I'm sure its there, but don't know how to do it.

It's delivered like a typical Windows Update.

 

[Dos101]

How do I make Windows Update refresh Windows Defender definition files on a weekly basis? I was just in it, but didn't see anything about making it refresh the definition files for Windows Defender. I'm sure its there, but don't know how to do it.

When you check for updates, assuming there are new definition files to download, you'll see this (see the highlighted red box):

 

[seremify]

Avast! is a great and free AV program I've been using for years on various devices, including my sp3

I also went with Avast. Reading reviews of this and bit defender, it seemed to be a better choice for my lightweight surface 3. I've been using avast for many years and whilst it is become a bit more bloated and annoying eg the voiceover, for the most part I can disable those annoyances.

 

[onlysublime]

For free, stick with Defender. It's lighter weight than Avast or AVG. Especially with a Surface 3.

If you're going to pay, the best ones are Kaspersky and Bitdefender.