Win7: Windows Defender??

[JEDI]

started using Win7 since my WinXP machine got hit by a virus yesterday.

I'm using Avira antivirus.

What is Windows Defender and do i need it?

 

[gmaster456]

Keep it. It's a spyware removal tool. But it is turned off if you have another AV installed, and turns back on when you don't.

 

[tcsenter]

Replaced by Security Essentials, which should be offered as a recommended update via Windows Updates.

 

[JEDI]

Replaced by Security Essentials, which should be offered as a recommended update via Windows Updates.

And why do i need Security Essentials if i have Avira?

 

[gmaster456]

And why do i need Security Essentials if i have Avira?

Some people (like me) would say that security essentials is better. But it really comes down to what you personally like best.

 

[shadow_k]

i had MSSE and antimalwarebytes both did great to protect my computers

also download portable version of spybot and run immunize, it blocks bad website by adding them to your host files

if you ever go for paid antvirus get Eset nod 32 very light on system uses 80 RAM i have 8GB RAM

 

[Berryracer]

Windows Defender is the most useless anti-malware tool I have seen.

IT has never ever detected or removed anything

The first thing I do when I install Windows is to disable that crappy app and especially remember to disable its real time monitoring!

You dont want an anvitirus and an anti malware tool scanning the same files in real time that would cause havoc on your system

 

[gmaster456]

Windows Defender is the most useless anti-malware tool I have seen.

IT has never ever detected or removed anything

The first thing I do when I install Windows is to disable that crappy app and especially remember to disable its real time monitoring!

You dont want an anvitirus and an anti malware tool scanning the same files in real time that would cause havoc on your system

Good thing Defender is disabled when you have an AV installed then.

 

[Matt1970]

Windows Defender is the most useless anti-malware tool I have seen.

IT has never ever detected or removed anything

The first thing I do when I install Windows is to disable that crappy app and especially remember to disable its real time monitoring!

You dont want an anvitirus and an anti malware tool scanning the same files in real time that would cause havoc on your system

This. I have run it on heavily infected machines and it is rare it finds anything.

 

[shadow_k]

Windows Defender is the most useless anti-malware tool I have seen.

hold it right there

MRT.EXE is the most useless anti-malware tool

 

[gmaster456]

Windows Defender is an anti SPYWARE program. Not anti malware. There's a difference. Spyware falls into the malware category. But defender was only designed to find spyware. Not all malware/malicious software.

 

[Lemon law]

And why do i need Security Essentials if i have Avira?

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INMO Jedi, you don't because independent tests prove Avast or Avira is a better AV than MSE. But still that misses the point, because anti virus programs cover just a tiny but vital part of the vast spectrum of computer security threats.

In short and IMHO, you need far more than just one computer security program to protect your computer from malware threats. And as many have discovered, Windows Vista is more secure than XP, but its other bloatware features tend to outweigh any security advantages.
And as many have discovered, Windows 7 has the security advantages of Vista with far less of the bloat of Vista. As my experience with Window 7 has led me to conclude, Window 7 is much like XP except Windows 7 makes all of the conveniences possible in XP much harder to duplicate in Win 7.

And that is in MHO, is what MSE is designed to be, a one stop computer security for lazy dummies. After all some security is better than nothing at all. When lazy and computer security ignorant dummies describe roughly 2/3 of all computer users. When if any of us will bother to gasp work and learn how to almost bulletproof set up a security system, we can all do much better than MSE, Avast, Kaspersky, or Avast alone.

Which brings us back JEDI, to the start of this thread. You had XP and failed to set up a adequate security system, and caught a virus that Borked your computer instead. And now you seem bound and determined to take pot luck on your new Win 7 OS. Sadly, it may not be very smart, as time moves on, we may get a more secure computer OS, but the bad guys on the other side, are getting smarter and more clever every day.

As for me, I am still running XP on two of my computers, and they never got Borked because of a Virus. Because I leaned to protect XP and it really did not take much time. It has not stopped XP from becoming Borked due to motherboard or hard disk failure, but I am not inspired or required to pay Mirosoft and Billy Gates ever more money to buy a new bloatware OS every time they roll out a new brainfart OS downgrade. From all I hear, Windows 8 will be damn near unusable.

 

[sswingle]

And why do i need Security Essentials if i have Avira?

You get a virus while running Avira and have to ask that question?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

When lazy and computer security ignorant dummies describe roughly 2/3 of all computer users.

2/3? Lulz.

Try 98/100.