Windows Defender Is Becoming the Powerful Antivirus That Windows 10 Needs

If you are pleased with it than I am happy for you but that is not a term I would use to describe any product. Not this one, that one, or those other ones.

 

IMO if there was an absolute best anti-virus program in existence it would have 2 options, on and off.

 

I would agree if there were a perfect solution, but there is not. Since there are both false positives and false negatives I want more control over what is going on.

 

I run Defender and currently have no probs with it, but I totally respect the reasons many turn to third party solutions. It would be a very odd and uncomfortable place online without all the choices. I mean: shoes that fit my feet don't necessarily fit those sitting in the next chair. "Perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. I'll settle for "capable."

 

I don't see any evidence against WD, only spoiled people A good marketing sells everything

 

As to marketing, I get zero promotions from MS for WD, but dozens a week from other AV vendors and the most come from product producers from which I have a license.

 

I have to be honest, I was expecting more of a pain, switching away from a 3rd party AV and activating Defender. I'm using AndyFul's Hard_Configurator and Voodooshield (free), and I don't notice a system hit, whatsoever. Granted, I'm on a decently powerful PC, but still, even opening up folders with a ton of files, I get no slowdowns.

 

It is the fastest on four of my systems and most are top-end. I know this contradicts the AV Comparatives data, but...I think Microsoft is making this product far more effective as time goes on.

 

I think so too. I have decent hardware myself and do move bulky items now and then. Defender isn't obtrusive at all, it's very low-key. Then again, I ask very little of it. Whatever floats your boat antivirus-wise.

But you can tell Microsoft is making inroads in better compatibility with more systems and that matters.

 

While I agree that Microsoft has made improvements. I still wish they allowed users to choose what real-time scan they want (on-access, modified, execution) like other antivirus already do

 

I couldn't agree more, fast, sophisticated, free... It was a long evolution since the XP days which has culminated in having arguably the best in house protection available at the moment. I feel sorry for third party alternatives, but they've made enough money peddling FUD for lucrative purposes. Yes, ransomware is active and thriving unfortunately, but mainly for large corporations, government institutions, and the stupidity of some employees, private users by and large can enjoy a much safer internet browsing experience nowadays mainly due to the ubiquity of MD and some excellent free ad blockers.

 

I want to like WD I do. However the lack of options and the slowdowns that I see causes me to still go third party both at work and at home. To each their own however. Maybe it will improve with other Windows 10 updates etc.

 

Remember to enable Defender Sandbox: https://www.microsoft.com/security/...-defender-antivirus-can-now-run-in-a-sandbox/

 

Same here, its the slowest Antivirus I've used and I hate how the definition updates come through Windows updates rather than happening internally just like any AV. I would take Panda Free AV any day of the week over WD.

 

I agree with all of that.

 

I dont experience slowdowns, not like you propose here. And i still use HDD, no SSD. Maybe you really should review your settings.

 

I'd rather stick with third party.

 

I'm sure use case has a lot to do with it. I have a PC at work and a personal laptop I take with me. The desktop has WD and the laptop has 3rd party. The laptop is using Wi-Fi which has been tested as being noticeably slower than the wired gigabit network. Still the laptop can open a network share immediately. The desktop freezes with each new folder that is opened for 30 seconds or longer. This is repeatable every day. If you are using a personal machine with no network shares you may not have a lot of slowdown.

 

See the text I just set to bold from @xxJackxx This is the main reason for the slowdowns. It is indeed repeatable and one of a few reasons why I use third party av at my workplace.

 

100% Agreed. Some people who don't even know what their computer is capable off or how it is without Windows Defender, tell you it's light because that's how they've been used to using their computer, they think that's the norm and go on the internet saying WD is light whereas people who test AVs all the time like some us here can easily tell the difference between one AV and the other when it computers to installing apps, opening them, or even browsing folders using explorer.exe . Heck, with WD there is a lag opening folders that contains icons as WD is scanning that entire folder upon every access which doesn't happen with other AVs (Kaspersky has this same slowdown too) so no it's not me or my computer, I have a super-fast laptop with excellent specs and tweak it to the max disabling telemetry, unnecessary Windows services, background apps, all my software is licensed/genuine, all drivers are the latest official ones from the manufacturer, no hoky poky driver updater apps, just a clean system, and WD is just horrid. To each his own off course.

 

When people say MS Defender is slow on their computer, I believe them, and I think they should use something else. But when these people say that indirectly I am a liar because I haven't tested enough my computer with and without MD, it irritates me because I certainly know when my computer is slowed down by an antivirus. Once and for all, my machine is 8 years old, it had Avira Pro for years and Kaspersky for a year, I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE when changing from one AV to the other, MD used to be heavy some 4-5 years ago, it is no longer heavy ON THIS MACHINE. Yes. the same machine THEN and NOW, and if that wouldn't suffice to prove I am not a liar, I have an application 'Defender Control' which turns MD off with just one click, and NOTHING HAPPENS IN TERMS OF SPEED IN MY COMPUTER. So I suggest to use third party AVs if the performance is affected by MD, and stop trying to convince people that what is bad for one's computer must be bad for other computers...

 

That's just the bottom line (literally) and well said, Osaban.

I don't understand this ongoing bitter controversy over something so inherently not controversial. If you don't like something, cross it off your list. But then, when it comes to all things Microsoft, some people just want to twist the knife, I guess. Alrighty then.

 

Yes and it's always those people who use Windows Defender that get ******* when someone says the truth like they offended a member of their family. If you like it, good for you, use it and let others express their opinion and experiences freely.

 

I would break off from Microsoft Defender in a heartbeat, and will, if it exhibits a strain on the system which so far I haven't noticed. But you got to remember is that it's not actively been on my 8.1's whatsoever. In fact NO AV at all and not a peep of anything.

What it is doing with the Windows 10 that's running new (not even a month) is working in tandem with WiseVector with no excessive burdens. Until such time it seems it's the security AV system that's going to work. But of course there's always alternatives in the event personal preferences change.

 

I have between various machines, but WD wont scan the network, disabled or never enabled. Makes no sense here because WD is already working in the other machines, why should i scan twice? I know about slowdowns with network attached drives in special on windows startup.
I do not use a network drive which is ofc another use case.

And this lag is caused by WD and not the thumb preview? Or search catalog?