WIN8 AV & Other (Surely Soon-to-Come!) Questions

I am (apparently) a brand new to Windows 8 user, so I am going to need to ask a few questions of "someone"...my friends here at MG's you are my someone...

First off, what a shock (he says, ONLY HALF-joking) this OS is compared to even WIN7, which I had grown rather accustomed to since OCT 2011.

#1. It appears that 8 does not (will not) allow me to run Microsoft Security Essentials for AV & AS protection https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...als-with/ae0187dc-ed42-4347-959a-8dec11e747dd

and it also seems my old favorite Avast Free Edition doesn't seem to be offering any help here either (or am I misreading this, please?) http://majorgeeks.com/Avast_Free_Edition_d1968.html

Thanks in advance,
g . . .
PS ~ I attempted to post a screenshot here but the forum won't allow it...?

 

Hey grc123, Windows 8 includes Windows Defender which now is combined with Microsoft Security Essentials for total protection. Also Avast Free has full support for Windows 8.

 

Hey Nick T, thanks very much (now for me to decide..which one to go with...ahh decisions decisions . . . )

Thanks again,
g.

 

Microsoft Security Essentials was renamed Windows Defender in Windows 8. If any problems happen, the Action Center will through up the flag and warn you that there is a problem.

There are a lot of personal choices, but I find that using MS security is good enough, along with also making sure that you use either Chrome or Firefox, and use the following extensions with either one (Web of Trust (WOT), AdBlock Plus, No Sript is up to you if you wish to add that in also).

 

Thanks again, and yes, I have utilized Firefox for a good number of years now on several different machines, and those 3 Add-on's that you mentioned are 3 of the 5 or 6 that I always utilize.

And yes also, I have opted (at least for now) to go with the "NEW MS-Defender", which combines the old MS Anti-Spy program name, with the functionality and appearance of the newer (and seemingly ROBUST) MSSE, all of which I think was a pretty good call by MS.

I have decided to use a 3rd-party Firewall, at least for now.

I'm know I'm going to have more questions on getting this machine set-up as I'd like it (hell I think I've got 10 or 20 questions bangin'-around my cranium at this moment), but I'm going slow with this process (for once), and I'll take things one at a time, for the most part.....

 

For added security I recommend getting a separate security package, as MSE/Security Center has been proven to use more resources and have a lower detection rate than almost any other antivirus program available.

 

The article I was referencing (which I only just found) is this guide from Tom's Hardware, which states that MSE failed the AV-Test certification:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Mi...-Malware-Certification-Bitdefender,19452.html

However, I can no longer find anything relating to MSE "bloat" so I will withdraw that remark with an an apology for my faulty memory.

 

...well..if I may be so bold as to attempt to summarize this li'l tête-è-tête, would the consensus upshot here be that MSSE (now known as Windows "Defender") is thought to be, at least, "okay"? :confused

:major

 

grc123, one of your best security defenses is your surfing habits. That is the best protection you can have. MSE will do just fine combined with common sense. Good luck buddy.

 

My thoughts (and "feelings") exactly! Thanks again!!