5 ms·

This is my advice to everyone I know that gets a new Windows PC. Windows 10's built-in protection is more than adequate, and catches the majority of bad softwar

by owenwil 10y ago

This is my advice to everyone I know that gets a new Windows PC. Windows 10's built-in protection is more than adequate, and catches the majority of bad software - anything more is unnecessary, and many of the AV vendors are predatory.

WhiteSource1 10y ago
Which AV vendors are predatory? (Though Kaspersky makes me nervous). What do you think about ESET?
- AntivirusExpert 10y ago
  I recommend going by test results and by the features that interest you most. Kaspersky, BTW, has the best scores (See here: https://bestantivirus.reviews/tools/test-results-calculator https://bestantivirus.reviews/tools/test-results-calculator) but Bitdefender and Avira are also great according to these tests, and Bitdefender is my choice, personally.
  - WhiteSource1 10y ago
    Kaspersky just worries me because of the Russian connections https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecurity-kaspersky-has-close-ties-to-russian-spies https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecu... It's sort of like Cloudflare protecting against DDoS attacks while also protecting booters.
- Neil44 10y ago
  I have 150 ish machines on eset across a few different clients, obviously my experience with it has been very good over the years in all aspects. Eset don't offer the biggest margins but I stick with them because it doesn't cause support issues and I can count the number of infected eset machines I've had to deal with on one hand.
- lmm 10y ago
  McAfee in particular aggressively pushes "free trials" (often getting them bundled into the installers of unrelated software) that will then show scarily-worded warnings encouraging you to buy once the trial has expired.
romanovcode 10y ago
It sucks that you cannot reset your Windows to MS-Vendor settings. For example if you get some Acer laptop and reset it using windows built-in functionality it'll still reset it with all the bloatware - including AV.
- EvilTerran 10y ago
  This should do it: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10startfresh https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10s... They've had similar tools since at least Windows 7 IIRC, if not XP - you've just always had to download them separately, and they've never been advertised with much enthusiasm. Probably trying to strike a balance between pleasing power-users and keeping the bundled-bloatware ecosystem happy, seeing as MS benefit financially from both.
  - romanovcode 10y ago
    Interesting, I will try this on my laptop this week and will report if it will work.
- Kipters 10y ago
  Microsoft released a tool[0] that does exactly that [0]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10startfresh https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10s...
- owenwil 10y ago
  Yes, that was the point of the "Signature Windows" series laptops, which looked promising but didn't seem to actually go anywhere...
- danieldk 10y ago
  Can't you just download a pristine Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft's website and install from that? I've done that on my Dell Precision and it works great.
  - 10y ago
Dolores12 10y ago
What stops majority of bad software for my family is disabling administrator account. They don't care installing patches and antivirus updates anyways.
Zardoz84 10y ago
Windows 8/10 with the MS built-in protection or Linux + clamav Sometimes I used CClenaer and/or Spybot to deal with something really nasty, but the MS stuff really does a good job (Someone checked if the hell is frozen now ?)
WorldMaker 10y ago
My advice is similar these days when someone is buying a new PC, with the additional push that everyone should buy a "Signature Edition" PC [1]. Microsoft requires "Signature Edition" machines to be sold without additional software/bloatware. Friends/relatives can most easily buy such PCs from the Microsoft Store, but also some Best Buys and office stores will sell them if you ask. [1] https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categoryID.69916600?icid=MSstore_footer_PR_Signature https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categor...

by owenwil 10y ago

WhiteSource1 10y ago

Which AV vendors are predatory? (Though Kaspersky makes me nervous). What do you think about ESET?

AntivirusExpert 10y ago
I recommend going by test results and by the features that interest you most. Kaspersky, BTW, has the best scores (See here: https://bestantivirus.reviews/tools/test-results-calculator https://bestantivirus.reviews/tools/test-results-calculator) but Bitdefender and Avira are also great according to these tests, and Bitdefender is my choice, personally.
- WhiteSource1 10y ago
  Kaspersky just worries me because of the Russian connections https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecurity-kaspersky-has-close-ties-to-russian-spies https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-19/cybersecu... It's sort of like Cloudflare protecting against DDoS attacks while also protecting booters.
Neil44 10y ago
I have 150 ish machines on eset across a few different clients, obviously my experience with it has been very good over the years in all aspects. Eset don't offer the biggest margins but I stick with them because it doesn't cause support issues and I can count the number of infected eset machines I've had to deal with on one hand.
lmm 10y ago
McAfee in particular aggressively pushes "free trials" (often getting them bundled into the installers of unrelated software) that will then show scarily-worded warnings encouraging you to buy once the trial has expired.

romanovcode 10y ago

It sucks that you cannot reset your Windows to MS-Vendor settings. For example if you get some Acer laptop and reset it using windows built-in functionality it'll still reset it with all the bloatware - including AV.

EvilTerran 10y ago
This should do it: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10startfresh https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10s... They've had similar tools since at least Windows 7 IIRC, if not XP - you've just always had to download them separately, and they've never been advertised with much enthusiasm. Probably trying to strike a balance between pleasing power-users and keeping the bundled-bloatware ecosystem happy, seeing as MS benefit financially from both.
- romanovcode 10y ago
  Interesting, I will try this on my laptop this week and will report if it will work.
Kipters 10y ago
Microsoft released a tool[0] that does exactly that [0]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10startfresh https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10s...
owenwil 10y ago
Yes, that was the point of the "Signature Windows" series laptops, which looked promising but didn't seem to actually go anywhere...
danieldk 10y ago
Can't you just download a pristine Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft's website and install from that? I've done that on my Dell Precision and it works great.
- 10y ago

Dolores12 10y ago

What stops majority of bad software for my family is disabling administrator account. They don't care installing patches and antivirus updates anyways.

Zardoz84 10y ago

Windows 8/10 with the MS built-in protection or Linux + clamav Sometimes I used CClenaer and/or Spybot to deal with something really nasty, but the MS stuff really does a good job (Someone checked if the hell is frozen now ?)

WorldMaker 10y ago

My advice is similar these days when someone is buying a new PC, with the additional push that everyone should buy a "Signature Edition" PC [1]. Microsoft requires "Signature Edition" machines to be sold without additional software/bloatware. Friends/relatives can most easily buy such PCs from the Microsoft Store, but also some Best Buys and office stores will sell them if you ask. [1] https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categoryID.69916600?icid=MSstore_footer_PR_Signature https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categor...