# What Anti Virus software would you recommend? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504 "2016-04-30T14:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/21 "2016-05-03T03:21:43Z")
If you upgrade to Windows 10 you can use Windows Defender. I have had it installed for maybe 5 or 6 months and have had no issues at all. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/22 "2016-05-03T04:04:43Z")
I have Win10 and let Defender run, but have Avast on top of it. My computer guy installed it when he replaced my hard drive and I like it, so have kept it. Then occasional runs of Malwarebytes and Ccleaner. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/23 "2016-05-04T21:04:33Z")
> [@HeXen](#): > > Webroot. It’s extremely light and you basically don’t know it’s there. I loved it, but it didn’t work well with my Win10. I kept getting messages and pop ups saying I had no virus protection, even though I did have Webroot. Customer service did little but to tell me to reinstall, both the Webroot and Win 10. Which I did and it never solved the problem. Others have had the same issue, and Webroot simply doesn’t seem to care. Too bad because it’s awesome on my Win7 machine. I went with Bitdefender for my Win10. ---
**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BrianJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianJ)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/24 "2016-05-07T03:41:53Z")
> [@Carryon](#): > > I loved it, but it didn’t work well with my Win10. I kept getting messages and pop ups saying I had no virus protection, even though I did have Webroot. > > Customer service did little but to tell me to reinstall, both the Webroot and Win 10. Which I did and it never solved the problem. Others have had the same issue, and Webroot simply doesn’t seem to care. > > Too bad because it’s awesome on my Win7 machine. > > I went with Bitdefender for my Win10. Yeah I had similar strange issues. In fact one game I was playing stopped responding to the WASD movement keys. I couldnt figure out what was going on. It was only one game too. So eventually I tried uninstalling webroot. The problem went away just like that. And then Webroot kept trying to reinstall, until I figured out they put a program in the root directory that started up when I rebooted. Any antivirus that acts like an actual virus I can do without! Oh, and someone suggested Panda antivirus to me. Havent found any issues with it so far. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/25 "2017-05-17T05:18:42Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I use Kaspersky. It’s not free. Is Kaspersky trustworthy, especially with the Russian shenanigans of late? I’ve used it for years, but it’s starting to behave strangely these days (won’t open properly when I try to run the software, can’t update it’s database, etc.) For me it might be time to jump ship and get a different antivirus software anyway. Hopefully something under $100 a year. Edit: I’m using Windows10, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/26 "2017-05-17T05:55:25Z")
I wouldn’t trust Kaspersky at this point. Also, a number of people in this thread mention using two different AV at the same time. You should disable one when you run the other. Running both engines together can cause problems. Windows Defender should detect if you’re using another software and turn off. If you’ve installed another type of software, then it’s likely that Defender is not running. [PC Mag has a good review of the top products.](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369749,00.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/27 "2017-05-17T18:16:53Z")
FWIW I ended up sticking with Avira (thread is from last year). But always like to hear opinions. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/28 "2017-05-18T00:45:48Z")
Try IMMUNET antivirus powered by Clamwin. Its Free and built with some Open Source Software. The virus defintions are always updated, it is smooth and ad free and it is seamless. Works well and quaratines instantly. I’ve been using it for a year now and I’m satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/29 "2017-05-18T10:53:29Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I wouldn’t trust Kaspersky at this point. > > Also, a number of people in this thread mention using two different AV at the same time. You should disable one when you run the other. Running both engines together can cause problems. > > Windows Defender should detect if you’re using another software and turn off. If you’ve installed another type of software, then it’s likely that Defender is not running. > > [PC Mag has a good review of the top products.](http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2369749,00.asp) Kaspersky Labs does good and important work. Not every bit of malware is the work of the Russian government, after all. But Eugene Kaspersky himself is a former KGB man and is tight with the Putin regime. I (US citizen) wouldn’t run Kaspersky on my machines. Immunet is partly based on ClamAV and is owned by Sourcefire, which is owned by Cisco. It’s not purely open source. It’s “community driven”. I haven’t used it (I’m still happily virus free with Windows Defender) but it’s worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504/30 "2017-05-18T11:41:44Z")
> [@HeXen](#): > > Webroot. It’s extremely light and you basically don’t know it’s there. I also run Webroot, along with Malwarebyte’s pro (real-time protection), as do a few of my friends, one of which does IT at a local college. Very fast scans, very light on resources. Just don’t listen to anyone pushing Windows Defender. Gee, if I were writing malware, wouldn’t I try to get around the software that comes with every Windows install? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-anti-virus-software-would-you-recommend/753504.md?page=1)