WD.... is it really that bad...?

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  1. Posts : 95
    Windows 10
       #1

    WD.... is it really that bad...?


    Magazine AV reviews always rate Windows Defender as terrible... worse than useless.... junk..... and other less than complementary comments.

    Are these justified...?

    For example, let us take the review in the August 2018 edition of Computer Shopper.... and I quote....

    ".....we simply cannot stress enough just how bad the protection you get from Windows Defender is. If you are using it switch to something else immediately...... if you are relying solely on Windows Defender, all we can say is stop now and use one of the packages that we have on test....."

    Since the release of W10 I have had all my W10 machines using Windows Defender. Once a week I run an independent Malware and Anti Virus scan. In all this time the weekly scans have NEVER detected something that WD missed. My computers are connected to the Internet 24/7 and some are used for online research by non-tech users, who have little regard for security.

    Perhaps magazine reviewers are subconsciously biased towards vendors that provide the magazine with lucrative advertising revenue...?

    T.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 30,524
    Windows 10 (Pro and Insider Pro)
       #2

    Don't know nothing about August (haven't cleaned my crystal ball yet), but in latest AV comparative real world test WD is doing very well…

    av-comparatives.org | comparisonIf you're using WD, enable protection from "Potentially unwanted programs" (or applications)

    Type next command in elevated powershell:

    Set-MpPreference -PUAProtection Enabled
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 445
    Win 10 Pro 64
       #3

    There will always be those that hate on WD......as well as any other antivirus or malware software that is out there ......

    I personally think that WD is as good as any of them and has definitely gotten better over time.....

    Best antivirus to begin with is yourself and how safely you use the net.....
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 668
    Win 10 pro
       #4

    I use WD in windows from "day one" I do not think it is "that bad"
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 856
    Windows 10 Pro 21H2 build 19045.2193 Dual Boot Linux Mint
       #5

    Perhaps magazine reviewers are subconsciously biased towards vendors that provide the magazine with lucrative advertising revenue...?
    ^^^ This.
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 7,871
    Windows 11 Pro 64 bit
       #6

    I used to use Kaspersky AV but went back to Defender since my bank no longer offers a free Kaspersky licence plus there is all the bad press surrounding Kaspersky.

    I'm quite happy with Defender and the latest Windows security features - core isolation, exploit protection etc. I also do periodic scans with AdwCleaner and Malwarebytes.

    Maybe Computer Shopper journalists receive too many free dinners from AV firms?
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #7

    When it comes to the malware detection, all major brands gives a comparable protection, so it is all about secondary features, GUI, etc. If you feel comfortable using WD, ignore reviews and just use it. As for myself, I consider WD to be that bad, because it interferes too much and unlike other AVs, it is not as easily customizable, just like any other MS half-baked software, so I always disable it.

    GitHub - AndyFul/ConfigureDefender: Utility for configuring Windows 10 built-in Defender antivirus settings.

    Steve C said:
    I used to use Kaspersky AV but went back to Defender since my bank no longer offers a free Kaspersky licence plus there is all the bad press surrounding Kaspersky.
    KAV Free 19 now includes System Watcher, so it is the same as paid KAV. I guess the bad publicity helped, since some people are not comfortable buying it, but it gets easier, when they get fully featured AV for free.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 11,247
    Windows / Linux : Arch Linux
       #8

    Hi there
    like all these things it really depends on what you do on your computer -- in any case the best A/V is actually YOU. !!!

    WD seems to be OK and it's regularly updated. Other products might have a better interface etc - these days there probably isn't much difference in the basic functionality -- so other things like the interface / reporting etc might make you decide what you want.

    In any case NEVER rely on comparative tests between A/V softwares -- especially if the tests are even a week old as these will be meaningless -- a new threat could come out at any time so last months results are about as useful as last months Horse racing results.

    Some A/V software though does slow the system down especially in the light of recent W10 updates so I'm comfortable with WD -- nothing against using 3rd party products but they have to be superior to the standard Ms offering before I will use them.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #9

    I'm working on a project for Stu Sjouwerman at KnowBe4.com right now, based on the premise that it's a better investment to spend nothing on AV/anti-malware and use WD, and invest instead in security awareness training as a way to reduce risk exposure in a business setting. The person between the screen and the keyboard remains the biggest security risk of all, so training people to compute safely and securely actually pays bigger returns than investing in heavy-duty security technology. I'm finding this confirmed from a wide variety of sources and resources. Interesting, eh?
    --Ed--
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 983
    Windows 7/64 Professional
       #10

    I personally gave up on anti virus and anti malware reviews years ago.
    I use Windows Defender and as far as I can tell it works as it should, with no problems.
    If Microsoft doesn't know how to protect their system, who does? Microsoft know their system better than anybody.
    Microsoft spends ZERO money on Defender advertisement so many testers don't like Defender.
    Noted, Defender doesn't have a the toots and whistles as some 3rd party anti virus do; but their are many, including me that don't want all those little add on goodies.

    Jack
      My Computers


 

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