Good antivirus alternatives for windows 10? (not bitdefender please)

[Xillica]

So I'm in a need of good antivirus solution for windows 10. Bitdefender really fail hard in my windows 10 system, even the uninstalling tools can't uninstall it completely and the apps always fail after system restore.

What I need:
-Adequate protection when browsing (but doesn't slow down browsing speed like Bitdefender does)
-Good real-time protection when installing new programs, accessing files, etc

Please list the pro and con for each antivirus software if you can, also I don't mind if it's a paid antivirus software as long as it can satisfy my needs without huge drawbacks. Thanks beforehand.

 

[RealBeast]

Use Windows Defender. HERE is a tutorial on turning it on and off if you do not current have it on.

 

[Xillica]

Use Windows Defender. HERE is a tutorial on turning it on and off if you do not current have it on.

Currently using Windows Defender as for now until the official release of windows 10 in 29th July. But I'm still worried if Windows Defender can provide adequate protection since in the past their lab scores is significantly lower than 3rd party antivirus software. Anyway, thanks for the answer RealBeast .

 

[Skylyne]

Windows Defender/MSE is a complete joke, and such a waste of time. You're just about as bad with security if you ran no AV to begin with.

If you don't want Bitdefender (probably the absolute best free AV available that has been tested by a decent lab), then you could give Kaspersky's free virus scanner a try. There's also Panda and Avira antivirus (free versions), and Panda has an online scanner to use (similar to Bitdefender's live scanner).

Quite honestly, BD has the best free AV that has been vouched for. I really don't know what you have against it, but I'm just letting you know it has earned the reputation in a few ways. I know it's super minimalistic, and doesn't really give many options, but all the extra stuff is genuinely unnecessary. You might want to reconsider your position on it, but that's coming from the perspective of a guy who genuinely thinks about security at all times.

Any of the free AVs I've mentioned should keep you safe, however, and I'm happy to help you pick one, if desired. I'll probably be compiling some free AV installers, so I can give them out when needed. I do know a friend who could use it too.

Pai up any of these with MBAM, and toss in Driver Booster 2 if you don't already have it. That trio will keep you computer in decent shape.

 

[yeticorn]

Windows Defender/MSE is a complete joke, and such a waste of time. You're just about as bad with security if you ran no AV to begin with.

If you don't want Bitdefender (probably the absolute best free AV available that has been tested by a decent lab), then you could give Kaspersky's free virus scanner a try. There's also Panda and Avira antivirus (free versions), and Panda has an online scanner to use (similar to Bitdefender's live scanner).

Quite honestly, BD has the best free AV that has been vouched for. I really don't know what you have against it, but I'm just letting you know it has earned the reputation in a few ways. I know it's super minimalistic, and doesn't really give many options, but all the extra stuff is genuinely unnecessary. You might want to reconsider your position on it, but that's coming from the perspective of a guy who genuinely thinks about security at all times.

Any of the free AVs I've mentioned should keep you safe, however, and I'm happy to help you pick one, if desired. I'll probably be compiling some free AV installers, so I can give them out when needed. I do know a friend who could use it too.

Pai up any of these with MBAM, and toss in Driver Booster 2 if you don't already have it. That trio will keep you computer in decent shape.

I know everyone has their preferences, but if you're going to slam a certain product at least have independent whitepapers or something to back up any claims made.

OP - As stated, Windows Defender is adequate and recommended for the average user.

 

[Skylyne]

I know everyone has their preferences, but if you're going to slam a certain product at least have independent whitepapers or something to back up any claims made.

OP - As stated, Windows Defender is adequate and recommended for the average user.

Have you seriously not read any independent lab testing? It's a widely known fact that MSE has below industry standard protection. Of all things, that's the one that shouldn't require proof... but... AV Test- Windows Defender test results

Just about anyone who looks at independent lab testing would know that MSE is not up to standards. Not to mention, if you're going to request evidence, at least take five minutes to research something yourself, so you can have your own research to back up or refute a point that is made; it helps everyone out, including yourself.

Again, MSE/Defender is absolutely NOT recommended for any user. If you're a very advanced user, you could consider using MSE, but there are better tools for advanced users as it is... so MSE is a moot point at best. If anything, MSE is probably the biggest waste of software, quite honestly. The reason I say that is because Microsoft obviously doesn't invest in quality protection measures, and they constantly fall behind in lab testing. Microsoft needs to focus on their other products more, like the cellphone branch they just recently canned.

Also, a minor correction for you: the OP never stated that MSE was adequate; that was the first reply... but I just figured I'd keep giving you a hard time while I was at it. Happy?

To the actual OP- any of the free AV solutions I've offered you are going to be sufficient for a basic free AV, will out perform MSE any day (even on bad days), and they will have a lower impact on system performance than MSE. Check out AV-Comparatives if you want to see the actual lab tests. I've been doing freelance computer repairs, malware/virus removal, data recovery, and custom Windows installations for a good few years, and have always been trying to keep up with the hacker community for attack prevention... MSE is terrible, and there's plenty of publications/labs that can support that. Not to mention, you're free to run the tests yourself (though I don't recommend doing so on your main computer, or without any knowledge of how to run a test).

Check my signature for a tutorial on how to pick an AV, or look around this section of the forums... there's plenty of recent, and relevant, information that will help you pick out a decent AV. Feel free to do some research or ask for some sources for lab test information.

 

[Skylyne]

Here's some links to free AV software that will give you the best protection, without using Bitdefender. Again, they do have the best protection, but these are going to be the closest to that level of protection.

Panda Security- Free AV
Avira- Free AV

Kaspersky- Free live scanner (not an active AV)
Panda Security, Active Scan 2.0- Free live scanner (also not an AV)

Also, just an FYI- The majority of users who report BD weighing their computer down typically have one/some of these things in common... improper removal of a previous AV, a current infection that doesn't allow BD to install properly, driver issues or a BD installation issue, and/or conflicting applications running at the same time as BD. If you're running a computer with minimal performance, BD might cause a problem. BD's active processes on my computer don't even touch 20 MB of RAM usage, and practically no CPU usage, and that's with it currently dealing with 6 virus test files on my system (it's been trying to figure out what to do with them since last night). If your computer is clean, I believe it will sit around 10-12 MB with an idle computer.

Just a little info, because BD genuinely is not resource intensive on its own. But hey, I'm just giving you information. Up to you what to pick.

Another reason I bring this up is because the same thing can happen with any AV you install, and you can get the wrong impression just as easily. If you need help cleaning up your computer, or getting things installed right, I'm sure many people are willing to help. AV software is never going to be as easy as plug and play; there will always be some form of prep work, or settings changes, that needs to be done to make sure it runs smoothly, and without causing workflow problems. Just the nature of this beast.

 

[yeticorn]

I know everyone has their preferences, but if you're going to slam a certain product at least have independent whitepapers or something to back up any claims made.

OP - As stated, Windows Defender is adequate and recommended for the average user.

Have you seriously not read any independent lab testing? It's a widely known fact that MSE has below industry standard protection. Of all things, that's the one that shouldn't require proof... but... AV Test- Windows Defender test results

Just about anyone who looks at independent lab testing would know that MSE is not up to standards. Not to mention, if you're going to request evidence, at least take five minutes to research something yourself, so you can have your own research to back up or refute a point that is made; it helps everyone out, including yourself.

Again, MSE/Defender is absolutely NOT recommended for any user. If you're a very advanced user, you could consider using MSE, but there are better tools for advanced users as it is... so MSE is a moot point at best. If anything, MSE is probably the biggest waste of software, quite honestly. The reason I say that is because Microsoft obviously doesn't invest in quality protection measures, and they constantly fall behind in lab testing. Microsoft needs to focus on their other products more, like the cellphone branch they just recently canned.

Also, a minor correction for you: the OP never stated that MSE was adequate; that was the first reply... but I just figured I'd keep giving you a hard time while I was at it. Happy?

To the actual OP- any of the free AV solutions I've offered you are going to be sufficient for a basic free AV, will out perform MSE any day (even on bad days), and they will have a lower impact on system performance than MSE. Check out AV-Comparatives if you want to see the actual lab tests. I've been doing freelance computer repairs, malware/virus removal, data recovery, and custom Windows installations for a good few years, and have always been trying to keep up with the hacker community for attack prevention... MSE is terrible, and there's plenty of publications/labs that can support that. Not to mention, you're free to run the tests yourself (though I don't recommend doing so on your main computer, or without any knowledge of how to run a test).

Check my signature for a tutorial on how to pick an AV, or look around this section of the forums... there's plenty of recent, and relevant, information that will help you pick out a decent AV. Feel free to do some research or ask for some sources for lab test information.

I've never seen someone get so upset over having a pointed discussion. Calm down man, we're just here talking as engineers. We're not here fighting for third world freedom, we're talking about anti-virus software...

Anyway, I try to gather the information available and make informed decisions based on information presented. Thank you for bringing the linked results to the forfront of this discussion and I think they are useful with regard to OP choosing his/her preferred software.