Needing good free Anti-Virus

[YinDragons]

Sorry if this is a repost, I searched and couldn't find anything.
I was wondering what the best free anti-virus is?
This PC only has Windows protection

Thanks in advance!
-Tom

[Jurrunio]

Windows Defender... It's the only free anti virus I'm aware of that doesnt try to install crap on your PC and clean things it shouldnt touch.

[SImoHayha]

23 minutes ago, YinDragons said:

-Tom

 

Bitdefender  + ZoneAlarm Firewall is a best combo. THough for anti-virus Bitdefender works just fine.

[SImoHayha]

3 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Windows Defender... It's the only free anti virus I'm aware of that doesnt try to install crap on your PC and clean things it shouldnt touch.

As if Windows 10 wasn't already stealing your information for the longest time. 

[Dryden]

11 hours ago, YinDragons said:

Sorry if this is a repost, I searched and couldn't find anything.
I was wondering what the best free anti-virus is?
This PC only has Windows protection

Thanks in advance!
-Tom

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/windows-defender-av-test,news-27694.html

 

 

[DimasRMDO]

I personally opt for Avast/BitDefender paired with Malwarebytes for second opinion.

BitDefender (at least the Free one) for me is like set it and forget it.

I've got Avast though.

[JoostinOnline]

Avast in my opinion, but the free version ironically comes with bloatware. Just do a custom installation and choose the Minimal option.

[frong]

I have no idea what you're doing on your PC if you need more than Windows Defender. 

[JoostinOnline]

2 minutes ago, frong said:

I have no idea what you're doing on your PC if you need more than Windows Defender. 

If Windows Defender was that good then I wouldn't have so many infected customers who use it.

[frong]

2 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

If Windows Defender was that good then I wouldn't have so many infected customers who use it.

The clearest case of "causality does not imply correlation" this month. 

 

More people use Windows Defender

More people who have no idea what they're doing uses Windows Defender

Etc

Etc

 

I've never talked with someone who works in security that has recommended anything else (the passed  1-2 years) than Windows Defender for personal use. If you got arguments against that, please tell.

[JoostinOnline]

55 minutes ago, frong said:

The clearest case of "causality does not imply correlation" this month. 

I think you have that backwards

 

I take customer privacy very seriously, so I won't give anything specific. Unless you can guarantee that the OP (who I'm pretty sure neither of us has ever met) would never do something stupid (and I don't mean that as an insult, everyone does something stupid now and then), suggesting an AV program created by the same people who made Windows and Internet Explorer as the best option isn't very smart.

[frong]

32 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

I think you have that backwards

 

I take customer privacy very seriously, so I won't give anything specific. Unless you can guarantee that the OP (who I'm pretty sure neither of us has ever met) would never do something stupid (and I don't mean that as an insult, everyone does something stupid now and then), suggesting an AV program created by the same people who made Windows and Internet Explorer as the best option isn't very smart.

Give me a factual argument to why you think that, you haven't said anything factual yet. 

[NMS]

Windows Defender.

 

If people however infect their machines running it or any other AV for that matter are just down right stupid. There's a difference between having a common sense and installing 10 different anti-viruses.

 

I've been using Windows Defender for years now, and aside anual scans with malwarebytes or whatever I wish like running for a single day, I've had ZERO problems whatsoever.

 

For all I care, I praise Windows Defender as THE BEST solution in the world because it works for me.

[JoostinOnline]

6 minutes ago, frong said:

Give me a factual argument to why you think that, you haven't said anything factual yet. 

Experience running a computer repair store. That's all I can give you though, as I respect the privacy of my customers. I understand you want more but I can't give you numbers. I do suggest that you think about the inherent risks of having an AV program developed by the same company who made the OS. One purpose of an AV program is to cover the security flaws they the OS developers haven't (and in Windows there are literally new ones every week). In other words, a second set of eyes. Windows Defender only covers things that Microsoft already noticed, which means they should be patched already if you're properly updated.

 

[frong]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

Experience running a computer repair store. That's all I can give you though, as I respect the privacy of my customers. I understand you want more but I can't give you numbers. I do suggest that you think about the inherent risks of having an AV program developed by the same company who made the OS. One purpose of an AV program is to cover the security flaws they the OS developers haven't (and in Windows there are literally new ones every week). In other words, a second set of eyes. Windows Defender only covers things that Microsoft already noticed, which means they should be patched already if you're properly updated.

 

Your customers? I don't give a f about your customers info, give me technical data.

 

Technical data. Then use that as a basis as to why you wouldn't recommend only Windows Defender to a regular PC user. I look forward to the post. 

[JoostinOnline]

Just now, frong said:

Your customers? I don't give a f about your customers info, give me technical data.

 

Technical data. Then use that as a basis as to why you wouldn't recommend only Windows Defender to a regular PC user. I look forward to the post. 

You clearly didn't read my post. I'm done.

[frong]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

You clearly didn't read my post. I'm done.

You clearly don't know enough about the topic to give recommendations since you can't mention any technical data at all to back up what you're saying.

 

Good, bye.