Advice Request Why to pay for an anti-virus while you have free real-time protaction anti-virus?

[Amnesia]

I'm not saying it like- "HAHA SUCKES KEEP WASTING MONEY ON TRASH" but really asking why am I paying for TotalAV instead of downloading something like AdAware? Adaware Antivirus it says that the free version has Real-time protection...

I don't really have the knowledge in that subject so I'll just ask if there are more reliable AVs other than AdAware that provides real-time protection?
And is really using a free option like AdAware better than the billed-in Windows defender? What are the benefits of owning a payed anti-virus?

just wanna say I'm a kinda newbie to this subject and to this site... I was always just buying the cheapest AV option I have

 

[plat]

If one is not a high-risk user, the focus can be more on any performance impacts to the machine.

Defender is virtually impact-free for some, and absolutely not an option for others b/c it's slow--it depends on the task. Many say Defender can stand alone but even though I'm low-risk, I always supplement it with 1 or 2 adjunct software for scripts and zero-days.

You can supplement Defender with free tools like the wonderful Hard_Configurator. I use the Firewall Hardening module--wouldn't go without it. You can use the ConfigureDefender module--many around here seem to use this. No impacts on machine.

Hard_Configurator – GUI to manage Software Restriction Policy (SRP) and harden Windows

hard-configurator.com

Battle - Windows Defender + Hard Configurator + ???

Hello If I have windows defender with hard configurator set for max or high ,need something else like OSA? Regards

malwaretips.com

If you don't mind an occasional nag to upgrade, you can consider free version of VoodooShield, which is a great supplement to many antivirus, esp. the more bare-bones free ones.

VoodooShield v6 User Guide

Welcome to VoodooShield The Concept Although VoodooShield is extremely user-friendly, it is quite different from traditional blacklist antivirus, so it is vital that the user understands how it works in order to use it properly. Please keep in mind, VoodooShield is not intended to replace your...

malwaretips.com

CyberLock™ - The User-Friendly Toggling Computer Lock.

voodooshield.com

I also use NVT OSArmor, mainly for bad scripts and LOLBins but this is a paid software. No free version. The developer makes a lot of interesting free tools for Windows, though, including SysHardener which applies a lot of default-deny rules directly to the OS. It prob. still works but hasn't been updated since 2018 or I'd recommend it. NoVirusThanks

Would you consider Kaspersky Cloud free version over AdAware? Kaspersky has way more resources and makes a better product. You can demo that or just about any free mainstream third party antivirus to see how it runs and then supplement it with something if you're not quite confident.

Good luck to you.

 

[oldschool]

If you're not interested in learning about technical details, stick to built-in Microsoft Defender. Install ConfigureDefender and set to "High" to maximize Defender's capabilities. This is a set-and-forget solution and you can save your $$$.

Otherwise, download and install Kaspersky Free AV of AVG free and forget everything else. Welcome to MT and stay safe, not paranoid!

 

[low L!fe]

You should know that there is no full protection program The paid program is much better than the free one in terms of support, features, protection and everything Even if you use the strongest program, your use and caution in opening files and using the Internet is of great importance If you look at the price, there are paid and cheap programs like McAfee But if you are interested in protection and do not care about the price, go to ،Kaspersky or Bitdefender

 

[[correlate]]

 

[oldschool]

It often goes without saying here at MT that users' knowledge and behaviors are the #1 thing in internet security. As @stoleurdogbone & @low L!fe posed, safe browsing habits, etc. will save one before any security app. This simple FAQ sheet is very helpful, especially Tip #7. Other user safety tips are easily available with a little searching.

 

[Captain Holly]

Welcome OP Amnesia to MT...

Paid AV's usually include a lot of extras that you may not need, such as software updaters, registry scanners, update tools and such. Personally I see no need for extra components beyond the AV/Security and scanning capabilities of any AV. Free AV's often use the same core components as their paid-for counterparts and the free ones often score just as well as paid versions in the various AV tests found online. I don't put much faith in the tests myself, I go by how well the program works for me on whatever computer I use it on, and also rely on the details I find here on MT.

Windows Defender/Antivirus works well for a lot of people. It is built in to Windows and is free to use, no nags and no questions asked. WD's performance can be improved with Andy Ful's ConfigureDefender tool and there is another MT member here, @danb, he is working on a very impressive alternate GUI for Defender. Earlier this year I tried a few different AV's, but in the end I settled back with WD and ConfigureDefender set on High. On my personal computer that combo works fine. It even saved me a few days ago, when I clicked a link in a Google search when I was having trouble with Groove Music. WD alerted me and blocked a potential trojan.

My other opinion is mostly personal preference but I find WD to be kind of high maintenance. In my mind I don't think I should need extra third party tools to make the AV work better, the AV should do the entire job on its own. On the laptop I use for work, WD seems to have a problem with Windows updates. Whenever there is an update that is trying to download or run, WD loses its mind, its RAM usage goes up and it throttles my hard drive for a while and the computer slows down to a crawl. The surface of the laptop will get hot too, not too bad but definitely warmer than usual. WD will settle back down once the update is completed or paused. I had this exact problem just this morning, and it was not fun to have to sort that out on a Monday morning.

I have had more than a few compatibility problems like that with WD. As a test, I installed the free version of AVG on my work computer today. So far it is working fine, laptop is running cool and even though I know RAM usage is not a very relevant benchmark of an AV's performance, AVG Free is using about the same or a little less RAM than WD did. I added the AVG browser extension and turned off the Performance scan to help keep the upgrade offers down to a minimum but other than that have made no changes to the settings.

No matter what AV is used, no AV will catch everything and nothing can take the place of common sense and using good online hygiene, knowing what to look out for and what to avoid online. If it were not for the strange conflicts I have had between WD and the Windows updates I would still be using WD on my work laptop. As it is I can not afford to have delays in my work day because of technical problems, so I am trying AVG for now. That is my sole reason for changing AV's and I will change again if I need to. AV choice is just a matter of personal preference, you can read reviews, try a few and use the one that works best for you.

Sermon is over now.

C.H.

 

[oldschool]

Posted to wrong thread!

 

[[correlate]]

Posted to wrong thread!

I didn't notice that
I was really tired
Thanks for the alert
Mr:

oldschool​

 

[Nightwater]

If you're not interested in learning about technical details, stick to built-in Microsoft Defender. Install ConfigureDefender and set to "High" to maximize Defender's capabilities. This is a set-and-forget solution and you can save your $$$.

Otherwise, download and install Kaspersky Free AV of AVG free and forget everything else. Welcome to MT and stay safe, not paranoid!

AVG? I think you meant Norton! Avira, Avast/AVG and BullGuard no longer exist, it's Norton.

And about Windows Defender, it is not suitable for most users, only for experienced users, for those who buy on the internet and go out accessing most sites, install something robust and that is 100% focused on security: Kaspersky, G Data, F -Secure and BitDefender.

 

[show-Zi]

"Why do I need to buy expensive Photoshop to draw pictures when windows has a free program called "Paint"?"
It's not always necessary, but for some people, there is no other option but Photoshop. All software is "a tool to materialize your idea or manuscript.
You don't have to force yourself to use the most famous security software. It's not too late to think about installing software after you come across something that frustrates or interests you.
As long as you are careful not to use dubious and fake security software, your computer is yours to do with as you please.

I didn't notice that
I was really tired
Thanks for the alert
Mr:

oldschool​

More useful than useless advertising videos

 

[roger_m]

AVG? I think you meant Norton! Avira, Avast/AVG and BullGuard no longer exist, it's Norton.

For now, they do still exist.

 

[Nightwater]

For now, they do still exist.

Just the name, what I mean is Norton is in charge of all these AVs now.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

AVG? I think you meant Norton! Avira, Avast/AVG and BullGuard no longer exist, it's Norton.

And about Windows Defender, it is not suitable for most users, only for experienced users, for those who buy on the internet and go out accessing most sites, install something robust and that is 100% focused on security: Kaspersky, G Data, F -Secure and BitDefender.

Of course its suitable.

 

[Brahman]

If you choose wisely and are willing to invest some time and effort then you don't need to pay for an antivirus. Paid solutions exists because not everyone have the time and effort that is needed for setting up a free solution. Their time and effort is worth more than what they eventually pay for a paid av solution.

 

[Zorro]

I also use NVT OSArmor, mainly for bad scripts and LOLBins but this is a paid software. No free version.

The latest free version 14.3.0 is still fully functional, at least on the latest version of Windows 10.

 

[Zorro]

I don't really have the knowledge in that subject so I'll just ask if there are more reliable AVs other than AdAware that provides real-time protection?
And is really using a free option like AdAware better than the billed-in Windows defender? What are the benefits of owning a payed anti-virus?

There are a lot of free antiviruses. First of all, it is worth noting such free versions of antivirus as Bitdefender free and Kaspersky free. In addition, there is also Avast, Avira, AVG (the same Avast, but in a different interface). It is strange that you have only heard about such an unpopular antivirus like AdAware, and have not heard about the most common ones.

 

[oldschool]

It is strange that you have only heard about such an unpopular antivirus like AdAware, and have not heard about the most common ones.

Look at the username!

 

[Captain Holly]

I am glad this thread is still going and thought I might add here that I had no trouble at all with AVG Free on my work laptop this week, in fact that laptop ran a little better with AVG. I did not see any ads or nags to upgrade, the laptop ran cool and very smooth, and was a little faster than it was with WD. I liked AVG's performance so much that I also put it on my personal laptop too. I set them both up the same way without the Cleaner function and no Performance scan. I am now seeing the same good results with my personal laptop as I did with the one I use for work. For everyday use I sign on with a standard account on both laptops, they both have the AVG security extension and Ublock Origin and that is it for security/browser extras. Unless any problems develop I will keep this setup for a while, it seems to be pretty much set and forget. I just hope Norton leaves AVG alone and does not get rid of the free version.

C.H.