Windows Defender?

[mr__ed]

For quite some time I've been using Norton Security Suite on my Toshiba laptop. It was a good program and provided adequate protection. Well, the time came to renew my subscription and I decided to try the free alternative already built in to Windows 10, Windows Defender. I've been running it for a few months and so far I think it's doing a good job. Follow up scans with Malwarebytes haven't shown anything nasty that WD may have missed, except occasionally a PUP or some other non-important stuff.
So, I was wondering if other forum members who use Defender would chime in with their experiences, positive or negative?

[Tom_M1]

Rover_Bill wrote:
PC Tools was the best PC utility available in the mid 70's to find and repair them.

I think you are using the wrong term when you say PC. The first PC (meaning IBM Personal Computer) was introduced in 1981. Peter Norton introduced his "Norton Utilities" in 1982 which was a collection of DOS utilities none of which where any form of anti-virus.

[Rover_Bill]

TurnThePage wrote:
Which late 60's are we talking about here? LOL

Since you asked ... Both 60's. I started programming in 1965 in college on an IBM mainframe using FORTRAN, Pascal, and COBOL. In the early 70's I was the first U.S. Steel employee to use my own APPLE II computer (with a super fast 300 baud modem) to build mainframe databases from a remote field office and to train others in word processing (text) and spreadsheets.

The bad viruses at that time were bad spots on floppy disks and tapes and PC Tools was the best PC utility available in the mid 70's to find and repair them. Norton purchased PC Tools and used the PC Tools programs and programmers for their new antivirus base. Symantec purchased Norton but kept the Norton name because of the PC Tools loyal followers.

I'm 69 now and retired from 50 years of programming everything from PC's to mainframes and every sized computer in between. I even programmed phone systems which now run on computers.

Well you asked --- :W

[1492]

I would not have recommended MS Defender a few years ago, as it tended to rate near the bottom for protection from three of the major independent security organizations. That has apparently changed recently, and its protection capabilities are now on par with other top security apps. I would have no issue using it now in Windows 10.

Commonsense and vigilance these days can go a long way in protecting your systems. One of the most effective ways is not using a default admin user account in Windows, especially when connected to the Net?

This is why most enterprise environments do not allow staff to have admin privileges. Case in point, my IT dept just received a security vulnerability scan report of all our organizations PCs. The second worst system turned up in our unit's design department, which registered nearly 1,000 vulnerabilities. Result of non-IT staff personnel granted local admin privileges under our objections. Even-though, running a recent MAC system.

[mr__ed]

Rover_Bill wrote:
IMHO Windows Defender is a passive, back-end, halfhearted antivirus system which is only better than no antivirus protection at all (which is why Microsoft developed it). Microsoft updates their antivirus definitions very infrequently and only after a real virus has already started spreading. With version 10, they started to send out monthly search and destroy programs for new viruses that may already be on your system (see your Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool updates). That tool forces a check of all files on your system and is very SLOW (ever wonder why some Microsoft updates take forever to execute?).

Norton is an active antivirus system. The antivirus group at Symantec sends out updates almost daily for real and possible viruses as they are discovered world wide. Their programs check, in real time, each new file that is downloaded onto your PC and run periodic scans of all files while you system is idle so that the Norton programs don't interfere with your PC usage. Their programs also check all programs running on the PC for any virus activity they may develop while running.

I've been using Norton (PC Tools) since they first appeared in the late 60's and have never had a virus infection. I highly recommend Norton.

Rover_Bill, I have to disagree with one of your points. Windows Defender DOES update very frequently, at least daily, perhaps more often. Whenever I check my Defender it always shows today's date as date of update. The day Defender lets me down, I'll immediately re-install Norton which, as I stated previously, is also a good program.

[Tom_M1]

I think he meant late 80's. Norton Utilities was first released in 1982.

[TurnThePage]

Which late 60's are we talking about here? LOL

[Rover_Bill]

IMHO Windows Defender is a passive, back-end, halfhearted antivirus system which is only better than no antivirus protection at all (which is why Microsoft developed it). Microsoft updates their antivirus definitions very infrequently and only after a real virus has already started spreading. With version 10, they started to send out monthly search and destroy programs for new viruses that may already be on your system (see your Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool updates). That tool forces a check of all files on your system and is very SLOW (ever wonder why some Microsoft updates take forever to execute?).

Norton is an active antivirus system. The antivirus group at Symantec sends out updates almost daily for real and possible viruses as they are discovered world wide. Their programs check, in real time, each new file that is downloaded onto your PC and run periodic scans of all files while you system is idle so that the Norton programs don't interfere with your PC usage. Their programs also check all programs running on the PC for any virus activity they may develop while running.

I've been using Norton (PC Tools) since they first appeared in the late 60's and have never had a virus infection. I highly recommend Norton.

[Flapper]

Until retirement a couple of years ago, my work involved closely working with one of the top University IT security departments in the country. Those guys were/are very, very hardcore about security.
Since they switched the entire 55,000 person campus (at least the Windows people) to Windows Defender, that seemed like a good enough recommendation to me!

[trb46]

I’ve been using Defender on my Toshiba laptop for over a year, and it has worked fine. I also use Malwarebytes.

[theoldwizard1]

I used FREE AVG for many years. Have switched to Defender. Both work. What can I say.

Microsoft put in the capability to disable Defender completely and it is buried in the Registry. Some anti-viruses "forget" to turn Defender back ON when they are removed. Google will find the instruction.

[AsheGuy]

Here is a review of Windows Defender that is pretty thorough and comes out with basically a much improved conclusion from earlier versions.

Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center

I have been using AVG for years and have never had a virus. But its constant attempts to get the user to upgrade to a paid version wears on you.

[mr__ed]

Thanks, rrupert. I appreciated your positive reply. Doing some investigating, I found both positive and negative reviews. Reportedly, WD has undergone some improvement with recent updates.
Thank you also, Fizz and mdkmdk, for your replies.

[Fizz]

Defender is all I use now. I also heed my browser's warning when I click on questionable sites.

[MDKMDK]

Using it since I started using Windows 10.
If you change your wifi settings in W10 "Settings", to be treated as a metered connection, it won't download updates automatically, you have to do it manually, but other than that, it seems fine.
No breaches/viruses/malware have gotten past it that I know about. Malwarebytes seems to confirm no unusual malware presence.
Have used other AV and AM (free) products, but they weren't any better or worse than WD.