Security: Windows v Avast

[Grandad999]

Does Windows security offer the same level of protection as Avast Premium? Hoping I can ditch the £59 that Avast costs.

 

[Tim Locke]

I use Windows security on 4 machines and have never had a problem. I do run Malwarebytes once every week or two just in case.

 

[Grandad999]

Thanks. Which version of Malwarebytes do you use?

 

[Grizzly]

Windows Defender has protected me since Windows 10 came out and never had any issues.

 

[colinstone]

Agree. With W10, I haven't bothered with 3rd products for AV etc.
Just Ccleaner to weed out old files, installations and backups.

 

[Maggie Ratliff]

I've been using Norton, and disabled windows security, (I think) Am I wasting my money?

 

[SimonP]

I've been using Norton, and disabled windows security, (I think) Am I wasting my money?

Norton gives you some extra features but most people never use them so yes, you probably are!

 

[jeallen01]

Does Windows security offer the same level of protection as Avast Premium? Hoping I can ditch the £59 that Avast costs.

59 quid for Avast (or for any other malware package like that for that matter) ! - you are being ripped-off BIG TIME!

PS: I used the free version of Avast for a short time - but got totally fed-up with the continual "buy me" prompting .

I normally pay around £23-25/year for a 10-device licence from Kaspersky (not used now due to their possibly dubious Russian connection) or Norton 360, and bought as downloads from Amazon to cover 2 phones, 2 tablets and 4-6 PCs (depends on how many are working at the time!) - so that works out at about £2.50/year, or 5p/week, per device. Also, there's a small amount of on-line storage cloud storage and a VPN included.

As for the relative "efficacy" of those packages versus Windows Defender? Well, that's a "moot question".

Probably a "little better" overall, and almost certainly a lot more configurable in terms of how you can set them up to scan your devices, and with more in-depth analysis of dubious things like "hidden malware" (Norton has found stuff "hidden" in really old files on my NAS &/or USB drives on several occasions when doing system scans - Windows Defender never found those).

 

[LRK]

Does Windows security offer the same level of protection as Avast Premium? Hoping I can ditch the £59 that Avast costs.

I've been using only Windows Defender (on advice of IT professional) on all three of my Win 10 computers, since Win 10 first came out and have never had a problem.

 

[Tim Locke]

Thanks. Which version of Malwarebytes do you use?

4.30 is the latest and that is what I have.

 

[Bill Shannon]

Defender protects me but recently is attacking files win xp files, I have instorage on another drive. I am not very happy with defender attacking files just because they are not windows 10. I have a number of harddrives so defender shouldn't even be looking at my other drives in my opinion.

 

[Maggie Ratliff]

Norton gives you some extra features but most people never use them so yes, you probably are!

So what should I use instead?

 

[Bill Shannon]

I have always viewed Norton to be a virus in itself. haven't been near the software for 15 years now. however their partion magic was good in the old days but I did lose about 20,000 photo's while repartitioning years ago never get those back.