# Is 3rd party Antivirus still needed? Microsoft Defender Antivirus thats included with Win 11? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512 "2026-02-09T02:05:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/1 "2026-02-09T02:05:15Z")
Use Search —programs & files “Windows Security”, click on that App, Virus & Threat protection, Scan Options I ran a full one-hour scan. Clean​✔ Then ran the offline-scan that reboots and scans. Takes 15 to 20 minutes. clean ✔ That Search also finds Windows Defender Firewall Advanced Settings. Is that Enough protection? I’m not sure if the Windows Antivirus is scanning real-time. Windows Defender Firewall is real-time. It tried to stop my App install. I had to give exception for the App to have Internet access I’ve seen and repaired many staff pc’s with viruses at my job. They all had antivirus software that was unaware and useless in preventing or removing the threat. It’s been my experience that Antivirus catches the very old threats and simple stuff. **Do Pc’s still need 3rd party antivirus?** _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/2 "2026-02-09T02:11:28Z")
Your post title and poll are backwards, but I generally advise people to use Defender and not 3rd party AV software. Defender does a pretty good job and is significantly easier on resources than crapware like McAfee. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/3 "2026-02-09T02:16:44Z")
**Fixed** I realized the Poll should ask if 3rd party antivirus is still needed. Then had to reword the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/4 "2026-02-09T02:16:55Z")
I voted no. Been using Defender for many years, never had a virus. I’m certainly no expert but I’d say the #1 best way to avoid viruses is to practice safe browsing/downloading habits. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/5 "2026-02-09T02:24:46Z")
Everything I’ve read in the past few years has told me that: - The stock Windows programs are sufficient now - The major anti-virus programs are bloated, tend to degrade performance, and nag you incessantly to buy more products. I’ve been using nothing but Windows Defender, et al, on this laptop which I bought 2+ years ago. I have not ever had an issue, either with performance, or with a threat slipping through. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/6 "2026-02-09T02:39:46Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Everything I’ve read in the past few years has told me that: > > - The stock Windows programs are sufficient now Does that include those of us still on Windows 10? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/7 "2026-02-09T02:41:47Z")
Is defender actively watching web browsers for threats and redirecting us to a safe place? I haven’t seen it do that on my pc. I’m not inclined to test Defender’s browser protection either. LOL I’m reasonably sure protection is real-time. firewall has blocked me with two Apps I know are safe. it was easy to make an exception. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/8 "2026-02-09T02:42:46Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Does that include those of us still on Windows 10? > [@aceplace57](#): > > Is defender actively watching web browsers for threats and redirecting us to a safe place? i haven’t seen it do that on my pc. I’m not expert enough to be able to answer either of those. But, I will note this: > [@aceplace57](#): > > firewall has blocked me with two Apps I know are safe. it was easy to make an exception. I’ve had the same experience. But, back when I used Mcafee, that program seemed to (a) like to block legit programs, and (b) made it difficult to tell it to stop doing so. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/9 "2026-02-09T02:46:33Z")
You would have gotten infected after 2 years if the browser protection isn’t real-time. Attacks are so well hidden and sophisticated. I agree step 1 is being careful where you go on the web. Defender is there when step 1 isn’t enough. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/10 "2026-02-09T03:16:46Z")
Google answered any of my lingering concerns. Defender is real-time protection. Unless, a 3rd party Antivirus Software program turned it off to prevent conflicts with two similar Apps running at the same time. (That could nullify both Apps protection.) You manually turned it off. Windows 10. Win 11 should be similar. Except it has Tamper Protection. Turning off Defender is usually unnecessary. [Turn On or Off Real-time Protection for Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Tutorials](https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3569-turn-off-real-time-protection-microsoft-defender-antivirus.html) [Turn On or Off Tamper Protection for Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Tutorials](https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/123792-turn-off-tamper-protection-microsoft-defender-antivirus.html) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/11 "2026-02-09T09:02:27Z")
Looking at the Poll. Alrighty then, the poll has overwhelmingly spoken. 92% do not use 3rd party antivirus on Windows computers. Windows Defender does the needed job of protection. I still have nine months left on a [BitDefender](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/) license. I will leave it on my old Win 10 laptop. It’s there and installed already. I’ll remove it when that license expires. Bitdefender is also on my Android phone and Tablet. I will continue using Antivirus software on Android devices. The new Windows 11 laptop will not use any antivirus software except Windows Defender Antivirus. Link [How to get started with Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows 11 | Windows Central](https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/how-to-get-started-with-microsoft-defender-antivirus-on-windows-11) Thank you for participating in the Poll and Discussion. Hopefully more SDMB posters will vote in the next few days. It will be interesting to see how well the voting trend of last night’s original small sample continues. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/12 "2026-02-09T12:00:33Z")
I haven’t used any third-party AV for at least ten years, probably longer. Occasionally, when I was concerned about something, I’d download MalwareBytes and run a scan, but only Defender was installed and running all the time. On the browser front, Chrome (and Chromium products) also have some in-built malware protection. The only malware I’ve seen recently (and it was on others’ computers) was some adware that hijacked the search bar – annoying, but fairly benign. It was probably installed when some other software was installed and the user just blindly clicked OK to every option. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/13 "2026-02-09T12:48:26Z")
I wondered if Malware Bytes could be used as a on-demand 2nd scan. AFAIK it has never conflicted with any brand of Antivirus. Windows Defender should be the same. I normally use **Duck Duck Go browser** Does a good job of blocking Trackers Has a Flame button 🔥 that closes all Tabs and deletes Cookies/cache. Web sites like SDMB are fire-proofed to Save my log-in credentials. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/14 "2026-02-09T12:53:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Is that Enough protection? I’ve been using nothing but the Windows Security for years, and I’ve been fine. I do want to stress, though, that the first and best defense against intrusion is a wise and cautious user. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/15 "2026-02-09T12:58:40Z")
Definitely. I’m sure my nephew waved in that search-bar-hijacking adware, just said yes. There’s no way that thing installed itself. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/16 "2026-02-09T14:34:17Z")
I use MS Defender, but MalwareBytes catches stuff from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/17 "2026-02-09T15:32:47Z")
I’ve only gotten hit by a virus twice, both times long ago. I think the obvious holes for ‘unattended’ break-ins have been plugged by now; most of the problems these days are errors by careless users. I used to use Malwarebytes, and still occasionally do a scan with the free version. But it hasn’t turned up anything in years now. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-3rd-party-antivirus-still-needed-microsoft-defender-antivirus-thats-included-with-win-11/1027512/18 "2026-02-10T03:01:07Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Does that include those of us still on Windows 10? Yes. Probably more so now – the virus writers are concentrating on the new Win 11 – that’s new code with more new bugs to be exploited, while Win 10 code is old & stable enough that most bugs have been found & patched.