5 ms·

I have had the opposite experience. I've found windows defender to be basically the only AV you really need. I had a single occurrence where it flagged software

by ssully 5y ago

I have had the opposite experience. I've found windows defender to be basically the only AV you really need. I had a single occurrence where it flagged software I was writing as potentially malicious, but I was able to add an exception for my project and not think about it again. I've never noticed it clocking my CPU at any noticeable levels. For comparison, my work computer requires McAfee and at least once a day it clocks my CPU at 65% or more.

etempleton 5y ago
Windows Defender is the only antivirus I have used on my personal machines since it first launch and I have never had an issue, though I suspect most of my good fortune is good internet habits. I wonder how much modern windows really requires an anti-virus. During the Windows XP days it felt vital, but since then it has felt more like something everyone just does out of caution.
jaywalk 5y ago
I've been relying exclusively on Windows Defender since before it was called Windows Defender. I view third-party antivirus software as pointless at best, and actively harmful at worst.
phkahler 5y ago
>> I've found windows defender to be basically the only AV you really need. Microsoft has no reason to load crapware along with Defender, they just ship that stuff with Windows itself.
pyuser583 5y ago
Same here. Love the thing. By “love it” I mean I never have to think about it or acknowledge it’s existence. Which is the exact opposite of how the word “love” is generally used. But I still love it.
- Buttons840 5y ago
  > By "love it" I mean <insert highest possible praise software can receive here> Seems like a normal thing to say to me. :)
TheAdamAndChe 5y ago
A few months ago, I was playing with msfvenom and wanted to experiment with making a payload designed to bypass the antivirus of both Windows Defender and an antivirus that my work uses(with my boss's permission). I worked on it all day, but I could not get around internet-connected Windows Defender. Any time a port was bound or web connection was attempted, it shut me down. It made way more impressed with Defender. I was always told it's inferior, but its sandboxing and heuristics scanning are quite good.
timbit42 5y ago
Not infrequently I have a client bring in a system without aftermarket antivirus that got hacked. It is ten times rarer that I get a hacked system with an aftermarket antivirus. I still recommend people use an aftermarket antivirus. Regarding you being required to use McAfee, I've found it no better than Windows Defender, so I don't know why people pay for it. It doesn't even rate well in detection tests like av-test or av-comparatives.

by ssully 5y ago

etempleton 5y ago

Windows Defender is the only antivirus I have used on my personal machines since it first launch and I have never had an issue, though I suspect most of my good fortune is good internet habits. I wonder how much modern windows really requires an anti-virus. During the Windows XP days it felt vital, but since then it has felt more like something everyone just does out of caution.

jaywalk 5y ago

I've been relying exclusively on Windows Defender since before it was called Windows Defender. I view third-party antivirus software as pointless at best, and actively harmful at worst.

phkahler 5y ago

>> I've found windows defender to be basically the only AV you really need. Microsoft has no reason to load crapware along with Defender, they just ship that stuff with Windows itself.

pyuser583 5y ago

Same here. Love the thing. By “love it” I mean I never have to think about it or acknowledge it’s existence. Which is the exact opposite of how the word “love” is generally used. But I still love it.

Buttons840 5y ago
> By "love it" I mean <insert highest possible praise software can receive here> Seems like a normal thing to say to me. :)

TheAdamAndChe 5y ago

A few months ago, I was playing with msfvenom and wanted to experiment with making a payload designed to bypass the antivirus of both Windows Defender and an antivirus that my work uses(with my boss's permission). I worked on it all day, but I could not get around internet-connected Windows Defender. Any time a port was bound or web connection was attempted, it shut me down. It made way more impressed with Defender. I was always told it's inferior, but its sandboxing and heuristics scanning are quite good.

timbit42 5y ago

Not infrequently I have a client bring in a system without aftermarket antivirus that got hacked. It is ten times rarer that I get a hacked system with an aftermarket antivirus. I still recommend people use an aftermarket antivirus. Regarding you being required to use McAfee, I've found it no better than Windows Defender, so I don't know why people pay for it. It doesn't even rate well in detection tests like av-test or av-comparatives.