Just a reminder.

 

Win10 might be forcing updates on you but only for windows. Don't forget to update Java etc.

 

I've not had any reminders recently but on checking my Java and Acrobat were both out of date.

 

 

I am getting hacked off with AVAST constantly telling me I have important program and driver updates to install, but my system is up to date and there ARE no updates to install!!

 

You may have a problem with your system though, I get automatic Java and Acrobat updates at least weekly!! Last month Adobe updated threes times in one week!

Not sure why people buy 3rd party AV these days given it is built into Windows.

 

My suggestion is bin it and use windows

AVAST used to be good, now it's a vehicle for selling more useless add ons to the unsuspecting punter.

 

If it helps anyone, the least intrusive AV I've found that's also great is from ESET, but the offering in Windows 10 is pretty good these days.

 

Malwarebytes + ESET is a good combination.

I am getting hacked off with AVAST constantly telling me I have important program and driver updates to install, but my system is up to date and there ARE no updates to install!!

 

!

i like Avast FREE, but I find the upgrades they tell me about are now to try to get me to sign up to their not so free one. Last desperate offer was when I re registered my free copy tonight. "As a loyalty BONUS,we wil give you Avast full for £9.99". Big deal - there's plenty of free stuff out there to cover what the free Avast doesn't .

I also get constant Java and Adobe updates, but what is really making me mad is the constant vigilance to stop either installing a "free " bloat Norton check ,or Chrome browser.

Ive ditched Java a long time ago, and havent missed once. Only thing i used for was to log into my bank, and as soon as they changed system it was Bye Bye Java.

Also I find the bundled anti virus and malware programs more than adequate.

MS Defender is ok but not as good as some of the offering from proper companies.

 

The free stuff does tend to have a lot of nagware.

 

If I was to pay I'd probably go with ESET or Kasperski. I get McAfee for free from my ISP.

 

I normally keep all auto updates on so I was surprised not to have had any reminders about Java or Acrobat.

As long as you dont download massive amounts of warez and otherwise visit sleazy sites, defender is good enough imo.

I am still using Microsoft Security Essentials but should I bin it and use defender instead?

I see from the tech news that M$ are now trying to add updates to slurp data from Win7 and Win8 systems; a lot of people, including sysadmins are outraged.

 

 

The updates are KB3068708 ("Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry" and mandatory) KB3075249 ("Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7") and KB3080149 (also an "Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry", both optional).

 

I suggest people check their systems and uninstall if found; blocking them is impossible as they are hardwired IPs and editing your HOST files doesnt stop them, plus trying to block the IP directly (from the router), means blocking nearly every other M$ service, including Bing.

 

M$ cannot be trusted now, and you should check feedback on EVERY M$ update from trusted tech sites before installing.

They've just joined the data mining club along with Google et al.

 

It's going to be an ongoing arms race ever more to keep things to yourself

I am still using Microsoft Security Essentials but should I bin it and use defender instead?

 

MSE is still needed for Windows 7, for later versions MSE was rebranded as Windows Defender so it is in effect the same product.

 

Windows Defender for Windows 7 is a different product.

Thanks for that Mannyo.  I have been looking up AV software reviews as I used to have paid for AVG and when I had a laptop through work I didn't need it so let it lapse.  I now do need AV so was using WSE and continued to when I upgraded to Windows 10 but it kept warning me that Defender was turned off.  I have now downloaded Avast free version and will not bother with either WSE or Defender as they seem to have poor reviews.

They have poor reviews, but in most cases it is better than the free ones. AVAST for instance, in its latest incaration uses alerts and other "end user engineering" to lure users to buy things and add-ons they don't need and continues to do so until you buy said products. AVG is not great and I've seen false positives and PC's riddled with viruses that have AVG on. MSE/Defender has its weaknesses like all the others.

Oh yes don't get me wrong I do realise that they all have their faults.  I am very careful and do not open links unless I am certain that it is Kosher.  Even on here when people just post a link in a thread and nothing else I don't bother with it as I now not where it would go and what grief it could cause.  I shall use Avast for a few days/weeks and see if it performs OK without any grief and if need be I can revert to Defender. 

Windows Defender keeps turning itself off. This happens if another AV programme is present. Do not rely on it.

If another AV program is present, that's "by design" - you don't need the built-in Windows AV client if you have a third-party AV client installed, running two AV programs is bad (they don't always coexist well and if two programs are trying to lock the same file for scanning, it's possible that eventually neither will lock it and it'll go by unscanned). Pick a single AV solution and stick with it. If it's turning off when it's the only AV program, that's an issue that would need looking into, since it's a Microsoft app it should be doing some level of logging into the Windows Event Viewer, but whether it's enough logging to be useful is anyone's guess.

 

For vendor offers and stuff, it's worth installing Unchecky. It's a subtle background process that looks for installers with known "offers" and tries its best to deselect them for you. You still need to keep an eye on what you're doing, obviously, but in a lot of the common installers like Java, Acrobat, Skype, etc it should do a decent job of managing those for you even when the partner offers aren't particularly obvious.

 

ESET NOD32 used to get great reviews and was unintrusive both in terms of system resources and alerts, so I was always happy to pay for that until Microsoft released MSE. Paid versions of freely available software like AVG and Avast, not so much, and I honestly wouldn't touch Symantec/McAfee with a bargepole after very poor experiences with their enterprise products in a previous job. I get McAfee free from my ISP, and there's a good reason it's not installed on any of my computers.

Windows 10 won't let me uninstall WSE.  So it is turned off along with defender.

WTF is AV software. I go in bare back, have done for years. Well MSE/Defender or whatever may be running on my boxes, but I don't install anything else out of choice.

 

 

It's like life, keep away from the wrong parts of town and you'll be alright. 

 

 

Edit to add. I see many PC's running forty quids worth of AV and they are hammered with crap, mostly down to user choices.

 

 

Didn't one of the big AV firms recently say their products are nigh on useless at prevention these days and it's more about cure at the moment.

I agree with the bit about keeping away from the wrong parts David but I, like many others I suspect are vulnerable to all of the scare stories that are put about.  If we weren't then all of these companies making Anti Virus would soon be out of business.  In the past I stopped using Norton as it kept telling me all sorts of rubbish and half of it is to scare you into buying more product.  It is like when a site tells you that you have crap loads of malware on your computer and we have found it all for you but if you want us to get rid of it then you will have to pay us!

 

I am careful and do not open anything that I am remotely dubious about.  I also do not use the laptop in the log on that gives me Admin rights and keep that separate for when I need to install stuff.  So even if I did click on something now for example I am not logged on as Admin so access to the main stuff is denied.

I agree with the bit about keeping away from the wrong parts David but I, like many others I suspect are vulnerable to all of the scare stories that are put about.  If we weren't then all of these companies making Anti Virus would soon be out of business.  In the past I stopped using Norton as it kept telling me all sorts of rubbish and half of it is to scare you into buying more product.  It is like when a site tells you that you have crap loads of malware on your computer and we have found it all for you but if you want us to get rid of it then you will have to pay us!

 

I am careful and do not open anything that I am remotely dubious about.  I also do not use the laptop in the log on that gives me Admin rights and keep that separate for when I need to install stuff.  So even if I did click on something now for example I am not logged on as Admin so access to the main stuff is denied.

 

 

Yeah true, I guess I could call myself and advanced user so I know what to click and what not to click.

 

I have noticed lately that virgins filters seem to work very well in keeping email crap very low, I assume most ISP's use the same filters. Which would keep a lot of people out of trouble. The AV stuff these days is lacking like I said as most problems aren't actually virus as such, ransom ware seems the norm now. Like you say, they are chocked full of system utilities which most people won't even touch. Most of which you can do yourself with a quick search online for advice.

Spam is actually on the decline now (there are still trillions of them though). The badguys make more money through trojans and ransomware.

Trojans are being made faster than the AV firm can keep up with.

 

Service and application whitelists work well but aren't very practical for most.

 

Even if you're super paranoid Trojans now can tell if they're inside a sandbox or VM and act accordingly to bide their time until they are let out.

 

It's a true arms race and it's not going to change any time soon.

[tongue in cheek] -I often wonder if it's a chicken and egg situation [/tongue in cheek] :|