# Win10 antivirus



## eddie460 (Jul 11, 2011)

O.K. so here is my problem. Win 10 Home. Win Security. When I enable Win Security I receive the following, "_No active antivirus provider. Your device is vulnerable. Your virus and threat protection is managed by your organization."_ Now my question is how do I get virus and threat protection, without buying Norton or McAfee?
Thanks, ed


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## eddie460 (Jul 11, 2011)

Thank you, Guys. I will do as you recommend. 
ed


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## Deejay100six (Nov 24, 2007)

How to turn on of off Windows Defender


Windows Defender is Microsoft's built-in anti-virus protection for Windows 10 and we're pleased to say it's nice and effective. We're going to show you how to turn it on and off.




www.techadvisor.co.uk


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## eddie460 (Jul 11, 2011)

Thank you, Dave
ed


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Win Security_ is _Windows Defender.


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## HavFun (Oct 26, 2009)

If the Windows Defender/Security suite isn't working for you, the quick workaround is to install a FREE anti-virus app. AVG Anti-Virus is quite good, but tries to trick you into purchasing their full-feature software for $30 a year or so with some regularity. Just dismiss all attempts to sell you something (happens maybe 1 time every 2 months) and you're fine. Avast is another Free Anti-Virus app that works well. Once you have some protection, you can either keep using AVG or Avast or other Free anti-virus software--or you can work on trying to get Windows security working for you. There's no advantage to using Windows anti-virus AND it's not nearly as well-supported with updates as AVG or Avast or other good free anti-virus software. None of the free software I'm aware of protects you from ransom-ware so far, but that's not much of a concern for personal computer users... mostly it is businesses or government offices that have trouble with ransom-ware.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Have Fun. Everything you say was true 6 years ago. Now any 3rd party AV and or Firewall is a detriment to the latest version of Windows 10. Please research this before disputing. No, I'm not an MS Fanboy.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, yes corday is correct, all any of us in the know use is windows defender, (now know as MS defender) AVG is actually worse then the virus it purports to protect you from, now owned by that other trustworthy Eastern European mob Avast.


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## Gary R (Jul 23, 2008)

An anti-virus, by it's very nature, is much more closely integrated with your Operating System than any other type of software, and therefore is more liable to cause problems.

Later versions of AVG and Avast seem to be prone to this, or at least I've recently had to deal with quite a few cases where they have been the source of the problem.

Because of this, I would currently recommend Microsoft Defender (used to be called Windows Defender) as it was developed alongside the OS it is protecting, and is therefore less prone to creating conflicts.

Please do not confuse the latest Microsoft product with its earlier manifestations, the current one is very capable, and will provide all the protection that the average user will need.

This does not mean it will make you invulnerable to attack ... *because no AV product will do that *... and your own browsing habits will determine your risk of contracting an infection much more than what AV you use.


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## monkeyluv (Jun 1, 2016)

See if the service for it is turned on:









Windows Defender is not active and I cannot turn on the program.


It took me a long time to get my Malware program finally recognized in settings; although it was active in Windows 10? How can I activate Windows Defender? It is not letting me do this. I only have 1



answers.microsoft.com





Also, try to remember if you installed an AV. If so, you may have to uninstall it or even use any cleaner provided by the AV company.

Here's what I gathered so far:

Windows Security does well for some tests but it's still lacking when it comes to advanced security, which is needed for more advanced malware. Features are available but turning them on may cause false positives, incompatibilities, etc.

The chance of getting hit by malware, including ransomware, is around 5 percent. Common sense, behavior, etc., might not help because malware can be undetected because it's new, found in servers, installers, ads, and parts of websites of even legitimate websites. In fact, even the company or website admin might not have detected it.

System impact may vary. Free versions of benchmarking software like NovaBench can tell what impact an AV has on the drive, memory, etc. That means what's supposed to be light is actually heavy, and vice versa. Feel can't do: one only find out through benchmark programs. Also, the performance can change, such that what was light a few months ago now becomes heavy because of patches in the system, the AV, or both, or the other way round.

Some free versions of AVs may have popups ads for upgrades and other annoyances which can't be disabled. Also, AVs generally have privacy issues, including Microsoft products. And the cost of paid AVs can be high: the equivalent of one hard drive per year for several devices. But the best ones have multiple layers of protection which are needed to counter new malware.

Given that, I've decided to stick to free versions of AVs that have no annoyances, that's the lightest on my system based on benchmarks, and that does very well in terms of usability and protection. If something else comes up that's better, then I'll switch to that. And if the advanced protection in Windows Security can be enabled with no more incompatibility and similar problems, then I'll go back to that.


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## JoshWhiteman (Dec 16, 2020)

Update your device and turn on your Windows Defender


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

monkeyluv said:


> Windows Security does well for some tests but it's still lacking when it comes to advanced security, which is needed for more advanced malware. Features are available but turning them on may cause false positives, incompatibilitie


Anti-Virus software, becomes a part of the system to effectively do it's job. That's why when you install a 3rd party AV product (ie) AVG, Avast, Norton etc, it _Disables _Windows Security (Defender) . There is no one AV product that keep out and Clean Viruses, and get rid of Malware. That's why, you need to add Free Malware protection (ie) *ADWCleaner, Malwarebytes.* These programs do not conflict with an AV Product, unless you get the Paid version which acts as a AV and Malware protection, but that doesn't cover it all either. Since AV products are such an integral part of the OS. It makes more sense to enable Windows Security (Defender), because it works seamlessly with the Windows 10 OS, and is updated automatically in Windows Update. 
If you have had any other 3rd party AV software installed and didn't uninstall it properly with the software authors own Cleaner/Uninstaller, then it would keep Windows Security from Enabling. Or if you have hidden Virus/Malware it too would keep Security from Enabling. 
Most 3rd party AV products are bloated and have a much larger foot print, and Free versions keep nagging you to upgrade to the paid version.
In conclusion, just about everyone who is a tech person and has been using Windows 10 for years agrees that all you need for AV is Windows Security (Defender) in addition, to remove Malware, have *ADWCleaner, and Malwarebytes *run these manually. For serious infections, you can scan with *Hitman Pro*, just don't install it. There is no need to install any other 3rd party AV.


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## monkeyluv (Jun 1, 2016)

spunk.funk said:


> Anti-Virus software, becomes a part of the system to effectively do it's job. That's why when you install a 3rd party AV product (ie) AVG, Avast, Norton etc, it _Disables _Windows Security (Defender) . There is no one AV product that keep out and Clean Viruses, and get rid of Malware. That's why, you need to add Free Malware protection (ie) *ADWCleaner, Malwarebytes.* These programs do not conflict with an AV Product, unless you get the Paid version which acts as a AV and Malware protection, but that doesn't cover it all either. Since AV products are such an integral part of the OS. It makes more sense to enable Windows Security (Defender), because it works seamlessly with the Windows 10 OS, and is updated automatically in Windows Update.
> If you have had any other 3rd party AV software installed and didn't uninstall it properly with the software authors own Cleaner/Uninstaller, then it would keep Windows Security from Enabling. Or if you have hidden Virus/Malware it too would keep Security from Enabling.
> Most 3rd party AV products are bloated and have a much larger foot print, and Free versions keep nagging you to upgrade to the paid version.
> In conclusion, just about everyone who is a tech person and has been using Windows 10 for years agrees that all you need for AV is Windows Security (Defender) in addition, to remove Malware, have *ADWCleaner, and Malwarebytes *run these manually. For serious infections, you can scan with *Hitman Pro*, just don't install it. There is no need to install any other 3rd party AV.


Windows Security has core isolation, ransomware protection, etc., but they are disabled because they cause problems like driver incompatibilities, etc. These are part of various third-party AVs, like Kaspersky Security Cloud and Bitdefender Free and cause fewer problems.

Malwarebytes and others are usually used as secondary scanners, especially given the point that for some of them free versions don't include real-time protection.

The larger footprint is determined by benchmark software like NovaBench, and results vary across systems. In my case, Windows Security is heavier than software like Kaspersky Security Cloud.

For nagging, AVG and Avast don't do that, and the one for Bitdefender Free can be disabled. The Kaspersky, there's a popup once every few weeks even with all options disabled.

For your last point, scanning is done after infection and not to prevent it.

My conclusions:

Windows Security is good enough against known malware but does not do as well for unknown ones. To do so, one will have to turn on its advanced features, and that means making manual modifications if drivers malfunction or software can't access documents folders. Otherwise, third party AVs are better given their results in tests conducted by AV Comparatives and others.

To test for performance impact, use benchmark software. In my case, Windows Security has a higher performance impact on the CPU, RAM, and disks, but performance changes given modifications in the operating system and/or the AV. Just "feeling" that one AV is heavier isn't helpful.

AVs are expensive. Given that, the poor performance of unhardened Windows Security against new malware, and changes in performance impact, I switch to other free software if I need to while waiting for Microsoft to continue working on Windows Security. For nags, I stick to those that don't have them, where they can be disabled, or where they can be minimized.

Free secondary scanners are always added by default, but they don't prevent malware and don't reverse encryption of files by ransomware. In short, the goal is prevention and not just treatment. That means getting advanced security programs that have the ff. features like signature detection and more: core isolation, behavior blocking, ransomware protection, host intrusion prevention, sandboxing, and more. Just detection and cure is not good enough. Any tech person who has been using not just Windows 10 but any operating system knows that, especially given the presence of zero-days.

Some additional points:

"Common sense," etc., doesn't help because malware can appear in servers of legitimate sites, parts of websites, ads, etc. In addition to security programs with features given above, there are also ad blockers, privacy protection measures, etc.

Claims that "I haven't been infected" doesn't help, either, because computer use varies.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Ransomewear protection is turned off because backup is available on One Drive. Turning it on does not use a great deal of resources. TSF members are primarily private users and Windows Defender continues to be our recommendation for them. Business applications require different methods.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

I was on TSH YEASR ago with a computer virus issue, they informed me that I need the Windoes antivirus, windows defender, superantispywars, and malware buytes anti malware all the free ones, its been several years since I started useing teh thing I was advised by TSF to use and I have cleaned several tracker cookies, but no malware and no viruses, and believe me places I go my computer could get Ebola


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## sobeit (Nov 11, 2007)

If you want 100% protection, you need to pack up your computer, stick it in the closet and never use it again. The biggest security threat cannot be stopped by software or hardware, it is the user clicking the wrong link at the wrong time. Once you click that link, you are saying it is good to go bypassing security measures. Or the user did not use the proper settings in the software. 

IMO, I do not believe in the comparison tests you see on the different tech sites. They are not real world. You can go to 10 different tech sites and you will see 10 different top tens. I run linux but when I do boot to windows, it is protected by windows defender, malwarebytes and ublock orgins. That is all I need and has never failed me. Its been this way since win7.

One other thing, most articles about antiviruses are backed by one antivirus company or another. Those companies are using scare tactics in order to sell you a security package. Also, if you have an older computer, always look at what is being live protected if you do get a security package. Live protection could bog older computers down. Most users don't need all the bells and whistles of a full security package. 

I see nothing wrong with using the free antiviruses utilities. Just have to put up with possible nag screens, ads, manual updating/scanning and more depending on the utility. Over the years, I have used just about everyone of them at one time or another and never had any malware issues. 

Just want to repeat one thing, the biggest security threat is the user and absolutely nothing will protect your computer from you.


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## monkeyluv (Jun 1, 2016)

Ransomware protection in Windows 10 refers to controlled folder access. That's not the same as restoring from files in the cloud or from a backup, which refers to recovering from a ransomware attack.

The goal is not 100-percent protection but the best protection. Putting a computer in the closet and not using it is illogical advice.

The claim that an AV is fine because one has not experienced any problems using it is illogical because people have different experiences. That's why tests are needed.

The claim that scare tactics are involved is questionable because one can download malware samples and try them out in one's machine, use benchmark software to determine performance impact in the same machine, etc.

Finally, the claim that the user is the biggest threat is questionable because some malware are new and thus cannot be detected through signatures. They can also appear in legitimate websites or even other servers used by websites, if not files from the same. In short, one can follow common sense and "good behavior" and can still end up with an infected system. That's why not just the built-in Windows security system but other AVs now have additional features, including behavior blocking, core isolation, sandboxing, HIPS, etc. The catch is that machine learning, etc., are needed to minimize false positives.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

The biggest problem since the introduction of Windows 10 is updating problems which of course include new security. By and large, the biggest obstacle has been 3rd party AV suites. Many of our staff members are in the computer build/repair business. Rather than ask them to drag out this thread, take a look at Sysnative Forums and you'll see the time spent, often requiring a re-installation of Windows.

EDIT: Just saw this headline on ZD Net:
*Why ransomware is still so successful: Over a quarter of victims pay the ransom*


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## monkeyluv (Jun 1, 2016)

I closest I read about that issue was a survey from _Which _which says that the main cause of problems in Windows 10 is not third-party AVs but Windows updates:









Survey finds Windows Updates cause problems for 50% of users, some serious


For some years now many pundits have complained that Microsoft's Windows Insider program is not good enough to detect serious bugs in the twice-yearly Windows



mspoweruser.com





This is notable given the point that according to Microsoft Defender has over 50 pct market share:









Windows Defender has a market share of 50% - gHacks Tech News


Microsoft revealed in August 2019 that Windows Defender Antivirus has a market share of more than 50% on Windows and is installed on more than 500 million devices.



www.ghacks.net





and while it receives high marks for detecting known malware it still has difficulty for activating features. For example, system updates are needed (and they are still being rolled out slowly because they have been causing problems for some users) in order to just find out what's causing virtualization not to run in some systems, and given false positives they will probably have to work more on machine learning in order to have controlled folder access activated by default and minimize false positives. And then there's the firewall which lacks advanced features for preventing intrusion, not to mention file history which is being deprecated, and system backup which requires using old software from Windows 7.

But with improved internals and some free storage offered via OneDrive, they are at least proceeding to make the built-in security and recovery programs better.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Microsoft supplies their old Backup&Recovery7, but in that case recommends 3rd party software be used instead. As far as firewalls go, some are so overprotective that they hinder performance or receiving important downloads/Email attachments.
Softonic owns Ghacks. The fact that they have a download of uTorrent tells you a lot about their safety ideas. I have nothing to prove by taking a stance on Windows Defender. People can read the facts and do as they please, but it's important that they get their facts from non-prejudicial sources.


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## monkeyluv (Jun 1, 2016)

GHacks refers to a ZDNet article:









Top Windows Defender expert: These are the threats security hasn't yet solved


He also says Microsoft rules the Windows antivirus world, with Defender on over half a billion PCs.




www.zdnet.com





In short, it was Microsoft that's making such points.


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## Gary R (Jul 23, 2008)

The following post by quietman7 (a well known security expert at another forum) contains a pretty good overview of Microsoft's Defender product .... need guide for antivirus for windows 10 - Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware, and Privacy Software .... including links to supporting articles.

Make sure to follow the last link, to quietman7's article on choosing an AV in general ... Answers to common security questions - Best Practices - Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware, and Privacy Software ... which contains a whole lot more information on the subject.

OP should be able to get a good idea as to what suits his/her needs or not by reading through both articles.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

Gary's post sums up the topic. Closing thread.


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