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Thread ID: 87640 2008-02-28 22:51:00 Windows Defender - worth it? FoxyMX (5) Press F1
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644736 2008-02-28 22:51:00 I've got a couple of Vista Home Basic PCs here, both with just 512MB RAM which I will advise the owners to increase, that I am trying to speed up.

Is Windows Defender worth leaving on or is it a resource hog best removed and replaced with non-Microsoft alternatives?
FoxyMX (5)
644737 2008-02-28 22:59:00 In a word - NO.

It's not worth it, if your trying to speed a PC up. It is a bit of a system hog.
wratterus (105)
644738 2008-02-28 23:03:00 I'd get rid of it - I don't really know if it's a resource hog, but that's secondary to the fact that it's detection/removal rates are very average at best .

Get your self a decent 3rd Party app like Spyware Doctor, or (gasp!) Norton Internet Security 2008 .

Both are really good, and NIS isn't even that bloaty anymore . . . (there's a statement I never thought I'd make!!) :D

HTH
nofam (9009)
644739 2008-02-28 23:11:00 You've made my day. :p


Gah! Just discovered that it can't actually be removed from Vista, you can only disable it. :mad: :badpc:
FoxyMX (5)
644740 2008-02-28 23:18:00 Gah! Just discovered that it can't actually be removed from Vista, you can only disable it . :mad: :badpc:

yip . . . :yuck:

:lol:
wratterus (105)
644741 2008-02-28 23:25:00 Get your self a decent 3rd Party app like Spyware Doctor, or (gasp!) Norton Internet Security 2008.

why would any sensible person waste good money on NIS ?......
drcspy (146)
644742 2008-02-28 23:43:00 why would any sensible person waste good money on NIS ?......

Because it would seem that that Symantec have actually listened to people telling them their software was bloatware, and have done something about it.

The lastest PC World rates it ahead of Kaspersky And Bit Defender I believe - and most reviews I read are pretty positive. You also get 3 licenses when you purchase it, which makes it pretty good value IMHO

I must confess I haven't actually used it myself though! :p
nofam (9009)
644743 2008-02-28 23:47:00 Right. Use it. It's slightly better than 06 and 07, but not much. It's still dysfunctional, and bloated, and is lousy at getting rid of viruses. wratterus (105)
644744 2008-02-28 23:52:00 Because it would seem that that Symantec have actually listened to people telling them their software was bloatware, and have done something about it .


I'm not too sure about that . These two PCs are similar in specs except one is a laptop and the other a desktop . The laptop has NIS and takes forever to boot up and is slower at tasks than the currently AV-free desktop . It will no doubt slow down a tad once Avast has been put on but I'm sure it won't be as slow to boot up .

If I had my way I would ditch NIS as well but the owner still has 10 months to go on her subscription . :(
FoxyMX (5)
644745 2008-02-28 23:59:00 Right. Use it. It's slightly better than 06 and 07, but not much. It's still dysfunctional, and bloated, and is lousy at getting rid of viruses.

Fair enough - but how is it that you can get glowing reviews for apps like this one www.pcmag.com

and then guys like yourself Wratterus (who's opinion I respect a lot! :) ) say it's rubbish??

Seems to happen a lot with Anti-virus apps??? :confused:
nofam (9009)
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