Please share your opinion on positive/negative aspects of anti-viruses.
[Moderating]
“Best” is a matter of opinion. Moving.
Basic AVG has been pretty solid for years. Protects with only minor nuisance messages to upgrade and try there better version or VPN software. Be careful to not upgrade, pretty easy and it is a very effective free Anti-Virus.
Thanks – downloaded.
A little late, but for future reference the built in, free AV in Windows 10 is actually great. It’s certainly the best bang for the buck.
You’re talking about Windows Defender?
It recent years it has come up to the level of most paid for AVs, but I still worried it will be specifically targeted by organized malicious code writers. (Like maybe Russia or China).
I’ve done very well with AVG and put up with its nuisance messages in exchange for the protection it gives. Also whenever I review free options, it still rates at or near the top for what is now over a decade.
We’re not that many years removed from Windows Defender was barely a defense.
Yes, Windows Defender. Agreed it was a poor substitute once upon a time but no longer. Microsoft now seems to be leveraging their knowledge of the OS to make it better at detecting rootkits and other particularly nasty stuff.
Defender consistently scores toward the top of the AV pack but this is somewhat misleading because Microsoft freely distributes it’s AV database to all other AV companies. No other company does that. So all other AV companies have Microsoft’s database + their own and Defender still beats most of them in detection rates.
A lack of central management is it’s big weakness but this is a non-issue for home users.
Avira Free antivirus has worked for me for years.
Just go with Windows Defender – it’s way less intrusive and less of a burden than most of the other anti-virus software. Whenever I get (or help a friend set up) a new computer, the very first thing I do is uninstall whatever free AV trial is installed and turn on Defender. No complaints yet!
Generally speaking the 2 consistently top rated free Anti-Virus programs are **AVG **& Avast. Avira is a small step down.
The Windows Defender recommendations are solid, probably a great suggestion but I’ve had enough issues in the past where I am not willing to rely on it. But that is me and I can’t really argue the suggestion.
I’m not really sure what I’m defending against – it never seems to find anything and I don’t have any viruses (whenever I check with MalwareBytes, for example, it comes up empty). Is it because I’m careful about links in e-mails or something?
Sounds like you’re careful, which is a great defense. But Malware can be served up by ads and without protection, it sometimes works.
Or you could let my Father-In-Law use a computer in your house for 15 minutes, and you’ll probably need to clean it up when he’s done. One of the most brilliant men I know, but keep him away from computers. 