I’ve been chucked off BT (one of the casualties of a separation I guess!) so I no longer have the ‘free’ BT Protect package on the machine.

So it needs replaced and I’m wondering what is out there, ideally free, that does virus/spyware and malware protection? Doesn’t need to be a single package but would like to get them all covered.

Email and browsing would also be good.

Cheers.

What’s wrong with the included stuff in Windows?

Defender/MSE or something. I’ve never had an issue, and as I can’t even remember what it’s called it must be doing its job?

Used to be AVG Free back in the day when you had to install a third party prog.

What he said. What version of Windows?

AVG used to be the go-to, but the free version got increasingly worse with each new release. I’ve not used it in years.

What they said.

Windows Defender (Win10) and a weekly scan with Malwarebytes (free) for me.

Windows 10…my previous experience of the built-in Windows protection was it was utter bobbins.

I’ve stuck a trial of Avira on the machine and see what that does…apparently it covers everything (although the Firewall appears to be Windows Firewall so that might be better than it was in previous versions of the system).

“Hi, I’d like some advice.”

“Here’s some advice.”

“Thanks, I’ve ignored it and done something totally different.”

my previous experience of the built-in Windows protection was it was utter bobbins.

Prior to Windows 8, there wasn’t any built-in AV. That might be why it didn’t work very well.

It was Windows Defender I think…

I had posted the question whilst doing some digging around…so hadn’t ignored it but took me the 45 minutes to get something installed and played with…by the time I got back to the forum, I’d already done something (I’m sure, like the very few, I don’t sit on the forum all day, so whilst doing my own research, I’d found something that appears to tick all the boxes).

When the test period runs out I’ll take another look at the built-in Windows stuff though – obviously with several people suggesting it, it obviously works better than previously.

I sit corrected. Sorry. (-:

TBH, it depends what you expect from a solution. Defender is a competent AV – and nothing else. It’s biggest strength is it’s biggest weakness, if you need some sort of “total Internet security” suite to protect you from yourself then it’s probably the wrong solution. If you can be trusted not to click on stupid shit then it’s perfectly adequate.

I really should write a blog post on this, it’d save a lot of typing.

What happened previously?

I think any solution still requires some common sense. So no installing that GHOSTLOG.EXE file that ‘Botswana Edwards’ emailed from Sierra Leone.

I’m reasonably competent with a PC, but my previous experience of the built-in Windows solution was that it never updated unless you manually kicked an update off. I’m competent but I’m not razor-sharp and prefer a system that updates itself.

Previous experience also showed me that the Windows solution didn’t detect all viruses, so I wasn’t convinced it was that good.

I tend to be reasonably careful online – I’ve not been caught in anything untoward yet, but the risk is always there so having something that pro-actively monitors things is handy, hence the need for a solution rather than bits that sit in the background.

Definition updates are part of Windows Update under W10.

Previous experience also showed me that the Windows solution didn’t detect all viruses, so I wasn’t convinced it was that good.

Your in for a painful surprise with all AV products then 😀

I had more viruses in 12 months of Avira (before moving to Panda) than I ever had with any anti-virus before or after.

No problems so far with Defender.

Definition updates are part of Windows Update under W10.

Which is fine unless you’re one of “those” people.

Well quite. But that’s kinda Darwinism.

Say it again… Windows 10 Defender. It does the job fine and unlike 99.9% of all other AV products it’s not grinding your system to a halt and acting like malware itself (Norton being the ultimate offender. Even the once respected likes of Avast! and AVG are bloatware resource hoggers now).

It’s not a total security solution. It isn’t checking all your internet traffic (slowing it down), and your email as it arrives (slowing it down, crashing email clients and generally buggering them up). However it catches them on scheduled scan or attempt to open/execute whatever garbage you’ve downloaded or been sent in email. A good email provider though will be scanning the email anyway, and downloads are your own fault. Don’t click on anything you don’t trust and take care what you install and don’t install crap you don’t actually need.

As extra bonus Malwarebytes for extra piece of mind, but it’s never found anything that Win Defender hasn’t (which includes malware scans these days).

Far worse is Android malware and crapware. There are AV solutions but they kill the phone. Again, best defence is common sense on downloading apps.

AVG and Commodo

But these as said above are becoming malware’esque.

Your in for a painful surprise with all AV products then

Not quite, I’m aware that virus issues and associated things (spyware/malware) are happening constantly and all virus software needs to update – my previous experience was that the Windows stuff didn’t.

I suspect I shouldn’t have done any of my own ‘research’ and referred back to this thread as the software that I thought looked ok has got a slating – with Windows Defender as the better option.

So I’ll let the trial end and then go with Defender and see how that goes.

Virus and Firewall are probably the 2 most important ones for me…I’m careful enough to manage to avoid most other things i.e. the system I have had previously has never reported anything untoward other than 4 virus threats in the last 4 years – all 4 from spam email. So I’m generally ok but want to make sure I’m not introducing any chinks in my protection.

You worried me there for a minute by specifying W10 – still on W7 here as it works fine, and just checked Windows Update history to make sure, last entry is:

Definition Update for Microsoft Security Essentials – KB2310138 (Definition 1.235.3184.0)

Installation date: ?19/?02/?2017 19:03

I’m fairly sure MSE/Defender automatically updated under XP (though that may have been independent rather than under Windows Update?), so not sure how long ago the OP last tried it.

Just to add to the chorus, I’ve used nothing other than MSE and Window Firewall on my computer (also like most a firewall in the router, so Windows Firewall doesn’t get much work) for years and never had a problem. Removed the trial version of whatever paid for rubbish came with the computer last time I got a brand new one before activating it.

Win 10 definitions last update – 1.235.3184.0 – 19/02/2017 created at 06:14.

Not listed under Windows Update history. Win 10 defender I thought updated automatically independently. In fact there’s an update button in Windows Defender to check for definition updates whenever you want.

Oh and firewall – these days most home users are behind a NAT router, which acts as a pretty effective firewall against inbound connections as you have to deliberately open inbound ports (yeah yeah, okay, UPnP… just turn that off if you’re worried). Outbound is less of a concern than security vendors make out. If you’re infected by a virus or malware then yes it can block unwanted outbound connections, but if you don’t get the stuff in the first place it’s less of an issue. Plus many ISPs build a decent enough firewall into the routers for both inbound and outbound.

Exception however is a portable device on a public network. But then you’re being very (alarmingly perhaps) trusting with an open public wifi 😉 . Besides though, Windows itself also has a decent enough built in firewall too, and doesn’t get in the way.