Rant Has windows defender ever caught a VIRUS?

[netsol]

i just saw a thread SOMEWHERE saying you don't need real antivirus software, because,
"windows defender is just fine"

i defy someone to show me a virus this piece of GARBAGE has ever stopped.

it catches KEYGENS and anything that might allow an illegal installation, but, nothing
that doesn't cost microsoft MONEY

it is reckless to represent yourself as an antivirus program, when you are not.
kind of like that mental patient in new york city, running around in a spiderman costume,
HE WASN'T REALLY A CRIME FIGHTER (i suppose either is my friend curtis sliwa, but i am going
off topic...

SO please let me know if defender has ever stopped anything of substance.

they are no better than mcaffee who invents virii (YES IT ISN'T "VIRUSES OR CAMPUSES"!!!) so they
can prepare a list of infections that they caught before norton & trend micro

i feel better now, my blood pressure has dropped into the low 200's

 

[Stacey K]

I use Defender and MalwareBytes...I haven't used anything else for many years since I dropped Norton. Every now and then I get malware and it's a b*tch to remove it.

 

[victor bogdanov]

Last week out of nowhere windows defender would identify Onyx as a threat when I click print and would shut down Onyx. Was able to allow the "threat" and back to normal now

I have never used any anti virus and haven't had a virus in 20 years after I stopped using LimeWire as a teen

 

[weyandsign]

Windows Firewall Control is also good to have.

 

[balstestrat]

These days Defender is one of the best out there and mostly corporations would seek something else.
You are stuck in the old days if you think otherwise.

 

[gabagoo]

I Use Defender but it has never caught a virus....so I assume I have none.

I also use Super Anti spyware which I run about every 2 weeks and it always finds about the same amount of so called spyware at about a 700 count...from forums and social media I think.
The one thing I see daily on my main PC is while online browsing or on forums... a quick box opens that looks like a c prompt box and shuts real fast...sort of like a split second and you never can see what it says....

 

[gnubler]

Windows IS a virus, in my opinion.

Like Stacey, I use Defender and Malwarebytes. One or both must be working because I've never gotten a virus.

 

[White Haus]

Windows IS a virus, in my opinion.

Agreed. The worst virus of them all. What other software has the ability to hijack your workstations and force updates and restarts, then eventually force you into upgrading altogether?

If had more patience/intelligence I'd probably experiment with Linux stuffs but I ain't that smart. Nor do I gots lots of time or patients.

 

[gnubler]

Agreed. The worst virus of them all. What other software has the ability to hijack your workstations and force updates and restarts, then eventually force you into upgrading altogether?

Adobe.

 

[caribmike]

Defender is the only anti-virus software I've had for as long as I can remember and I run it on all my business and personal PC's.

I can honestly say that I have not had a virus or malware for many years.

 

[JBurton]

Gotta say, I used to be a big fan of avast, but about 10 years ago it just became bloated garbage.
Mcafee is an amazing piece of software, no matter what sh*t john pulled over the years, folks still buy into the software. Simply amazing.
Norton is evil.
Malwarebytes plus bleeping computer are the only real solutions these days. Well that and not clicking download on every random thing.
I'll also add, I think gmail and google have done a ton of virus aversion for my company over the years. I don't have any numbers, but as I think back, after we switched to gsuite for all company emails, I can't recall needing to deal with any viruses.

 

[XtremeXccessories]

Windows IS a virus, in my opinion.

Yup. With them trying to shove Copilot down everyone's throats and this new Recall BS I've been looking into Linux distros for my home PC.

I haven't used anything since Defender for several years now. It's caught a couple trojans from some old torrents that I had on an older storage drive, but I'm a lot more careful these days.

 

[netsol]

I use Defender and MalwareBytes...I haven't used anything else for many years since I dropped Norton. Every now and then I get malware and it's a b*tch to remove it.

but, the fact that you haven't had a virus is HAPPENSTANCE, the defender development team wouldn;t recognize a virus if it bit them on the ass

 

[netsol]

Windows IS a virus, in my opinion.

Like Stacey, I use Defender and Malwarebytes. One or both must be working because I've never gotten a virus.

you use defender because it is there, and you have very llittle choice (kind of like the drunk who comes around with the squeegee and cleans your storefront windows and shakes you down)

 

[Cadman]

you use defender because it is there, and you have very llittle choice (kind of like the drunk who comes around with the squeegee and cleans your storefront windows and shakes you down)

Agree and disagree. I do use it because it's there and doesn't charge me a monthly fee, but I also use it because it consistently tests out as being as effective or more so than most of the paid software. Every paid AV app I've had over the years eventually becomes bloatware, even Malwarebytes, which I bought a lifetime license to back when that was a thing, and all I need is a solid AV program which Defender adequately provides. That being said, no antivirus will protect you against yourself, and in most cases, if you got a virus you probably did something foolish.

 

[visual800]

Windows is its own worst enemy for sure! Im running windows 10 with no defender no nothing! No updates. Aint had any issues and I use glary utilities to clean off a little bit every day. Machine runs fine!

 

[netsol]

Agree and disagree. I do use it because it's there and doesn't charge me a monthly fee, but I also use it because it consistently tests out as being as effective or more so than most of the paid software. Every paid AV app I've had over the years eventually becomes bloatware, even Malwarebytes, which I bought a lifetime license to back when that was a thing, and all I need is a solid AV program which Defender adequately provides. That being said, no antivirus will protect you against yourself, and in most cases, if you got a virus you probably did something foolish.

you

Windows is its own worst enemy for sure! Im running windows 10 with no defender no nothing! No updates. Aint had any issues and I use glary utilities to clean off a little bit every day. Machine runs fine!

we can't deny the existence of virii, and ransomware.
it's just hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
it's like when the mob sells you protection, so nothing happens to that nice store window...

 

[Stacey K]

but, the fact that you haven't had a virus is HAPPENSTANCE, the defender development team wouldn;t recognize a virus if it bit them on the ass

It's been about 15 years. I've had a couple issues with malware but I use the free version of Malwarebytes and I've been able to get rid of them. One time I had to purchase the program but 15 years seems pretty good LOL My mom had a computer guy set her system up and he's the one that told her that. She hasn't had any issues either. Maybe it's just dumb luck, IDK.

 

[netsol]

i love malwarebytes.
THEIR PROBLEM is the free version works so well there is no reason to opt for the upgrade

 

[UpAndPrinting]

Once Windows started introducing telemetry back in Windows 7, that's when their OS's became trojans themselves. It started with like 20 or so beacons reporting to Microsoft. I disabled more then 250 in Windows 10. And that's leaving a chunk of the processes on for stability. Windows 10 even reports all calculations you've done in the Calculator app back to Microsoft and anywhere else it decides to give away or sell your data. Windows 11 might as well be considered Minority Report.