I currently use Avast but am told it gets into everything and slows the laptop so, as it's coming up for renewal (Avast, not the laptop) has anyone got a recommendation please? TIA
Simple: if you have a Wndows laptop use the built-in Windows protection (Defender).
I have two windows machines and use the Windows protection for years now.
Never had a problem with it.
Jan
Quote from: JanW on October 05, 2022, 11:46:30 AM
Simple: if you have a Wndows laptop use the built-in Windows protection (Defender).
I have two windows machines and use the Windows protection for years now.
Never had a problem with it.
Jan
I second that. These days Defender will do the job as well as anything else and it is part of Windows so won't cost you anything.
However, just because your Avast subscription us coming to an end that won't stop it running on your laptop albeit without getting updates. You will need to completely uninstall it which isn't as straightforward as it sounds. You may well find that until it is uninstalled it may suppress Defender from working so as to avoid a conflict. You will need to download the Avast uninstaller utility Avast Clear. Details can be found here:
https://www.avast.com/en-gb/uninstall-utility (https://www.avast.com/en-gb/uninstall-utility)
Thirded.
Several years ago (when I was working) I used Norton but it became intolerably obtrusive.
I now find that Defender suits my needs perfectly.
Cheers
Martin
If your operating system is too old to include Defender, I can recommend Webroot SecureAnywhere, which I've been using with no problems on Windows 7 for several years.
Quote from: JanW on October 05, 2022, 11:46:30 AM
Simple: if you have a Wndows laptop use the built-in Windows protection (Defender).
I have two windows machines and use the Windows protection for years now.
Never had a problem with it.
Jan
its important to run "windows update" regularly to get defender updates.
:hellosign:
Having eventually bought what seems to be a suitable Windows laptop I wonder if anyone can advise me how to enable Windows Defender properly.
My previous Windows experience pre-dates Vista(?!), and as the PC has Win11 preinstalled, I am quite out of touch with most of the facilities offered.
The machine was supplied with a free McAfee subscription for a month, which expired 15 days ago. My problem is how to competely remove McAfee safely so that I can then fully enable Defender.
Currently, most usage is offline anyway after installing a couple of trial versions of layout planners for evaluation.
All advice welcome.
:thankyousign:
@ten0G (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=932) Are you on Windows 11, if so just type windows security in the search bar, probably works the same with w10.
Too remove McAffe go into control panel and click on Programs/uninstall a program.
Malwarebytes has a good free version and works well for me
( multiple Win10 machines)
I've used Windows Defender for ten years of more.
I use german Avira to protect my Windows machines. With good success. Free version is available.
https://www.avira.com (https://www.avira.com)
I work for a company with over 100,000 computers round the world, I have 3 in here I use , and another 20 come in attached to their test systems.. They all depend on defender..
Just another +1 for Defender; it's all we use on our work machines too (software tech company). Aftermarket antivirus software feels very 20 years ago!
I like Avast because it sends me messages on a regular basis which me reassures me that it is there and hopefully doing its job.
Quote from: joe cassidy on October 19, 2022, 08:33:47 PM
I like Avast because it sends me messages on a regular basis which me reassures me that it is there and hopefully doing its job.
I dislike Avast because it sends me messages on a regular basis nagging to upgrade to a more expensive version... ;)
Kaspersky. Got the home version on my own devices, and the business version on the work ones (200-ish computers).
Moved the work ones to it a few years back now (from McAfee, which wasn't easy to manage on a network) and had no cause to regret it.
Quote from: davidinyork on October 21, 2022, 07:07:43 PM
Kaspersky. Got the home version on my own devices, and the business version on the work ones (200-ish computers).
Moved the work ones to it a few years back now (from McAfee, which wasn't easy to manage on a network) and had no cause to regret it.
Kaspersky was / is a good antivirus.. But it is a Russian firm and if the Poo tin says to the owners you will join in the war , they will have no choice, and you could find your systems totally sabotaged..
Quote from: The Q on October 24, 2022, 09:14:27 AM
Kaspersky was / is a good antivirus.. But it is a Russian firm and if the Poo tin says to the owners you will join in the war , they will have no choice, and you could find your systems totally sabotaged..
It is highly unlikely that the Russian government would do anything to sabotage one of its most successful tech companies. Over the years there have been constant vague "concerns" expressed about Kaspersky because it happens to be Russian, but no security researchers have ever found any issue with it.
Quote from: davidinyork on October 24, 2022, 09:54:36 AM
Quote from: The Q on October 24, 2022, 09:14:27 AM
Kaspersky was / is a good antivirus.. But it is a Russian firm and if the Poo tin says to the owners you will join in the war , they will have no choice, and you could find your systems totally sabotaged..
It is highly unlikely that the Russian government would do anything to sabotage one of its most successful tech companies. Over the years there have been constant vague "concerns" expressed about Kaspersky because it happens to be Russian, but no security researchers have ever found any issue with it.
Over the years Poo tin hadn't put Russia in the situation it is, anyone who opposes him inside Russia is likely to fall out of a hospital window, he has regularly threatened to use nuclear weapons, you think he's sane enough not to try it?
Quote from: The Q on October 24, 2022, 12:16:53 PM
Quote from: davidinyork on October 24, 2022, 09:54:36 AM
Quote from: The Q on October 24, 2022, 09:14:27 AM
Kaspersky was / is a good antivirus.. But it is a Russian firm and if the Poo tin says to the owners you will join in the war , they will have no choice, and you could find your systems totally sabotaged..
It is highly unlikely that the Russian government would do anything to sabotage one of its most successful tech companies. Over the years there have been constant vague "concerns" expressed about Kaspersky because it happens to be Russian, but no security researchers have ever found any issue with it.
Over the years Poo tin hadn't put Russia in the situation it is, anyone who opposes him inside Russia is likely to fall out of a hospital window, he has regularly threatened to use nuclear weapons, you think he's sane enough not to try it?
I certainly don't think he is in any way 'insane' - he is behaving as the leaders of powerful countries are wont to do (the US in particular has been at least as bad and sometimes worse in recent years). He will do what he thinks is in his country's interests, and I cannot see how destroying a very successful Russian-owned company (which any actual compromise of the Kaspersky software would do) would in any way be in his interests, or that of Russia. As with all Russian firms, they will be under extra scrutiny these days in all western countries, so any attempts would not go unnoticed (and hence are unlikely to be attempted).