So, is the received wisdom that running something like McAfee is unnecessary now (on a Windows 10 box)? I’m tired of those guys soaking me on automatic renewals (it’s up to $170 now), and if I don’t need it I’ve got better things to do with that money.
Yes, Windows Defender has gotten quite good, enough that paying for an antivirus at home is no longer necessary.
Do be thinking about upgrading that Windows 10 box to Windows 11 though. Microsoft is killing support for Windows 10 in October which means an end to OS security updates and possibly Defender definitions. App developers also tend to start dropping support for EOL versions of Windows as well.
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I have been using AVG for the last decade or so, and it’s worked well. It’s time for renewal and I’m considering not doing so. As you say, Defender seems to have gotten a lot better, and I’ve read quips about AVG going downhill.
Thoughts about AVG?
Thanks. The Windows 11 upgrade was definitely part of my calculus. My current machine is 6+ years old and still works fine, but I’m generally leery of trying to shepherd old hardware through major Windows upgrades.
What in history has given you such concerns? Eh? Oh.
The short answer is that I haven’t actually thought about AVG as a product that people use in at least 15 years, if that tells you anything.
The long answer is that AVG got bought by Avast back in 2016, and Avast (both the company and its products, including AVG) have proven to be less than trustworthy in recent years. Avast also merged with Norton LifeLock in 2022 and that entire portfolio of products is gradually becoming one product with different coats of paint.
If you have a non-zero amount of internet savvy between your ears then you don’t need more than the built-in Defender. If you want a little bit of a safety net then you can keep the free version of Malwarebytes on your system in case you do come down with something.
Thanks, good stuff to know. Overall, I’ve been completely happy with AVG, but there is a cost and if it’s not worth it, or AVG has gone downhill, that obviously changes the thinking. Most transactional stuff I do from my work network which is more secure than Fort Knox, but that may be changing, so I need some piece of mind.
Unlike jumping from XP → Vista/7 or 7/8 → 10, 10 and 11 are similar enough under the hood that you’re not likely to run into any problems unless you have some weird edge-case hardware or software. The worst thing I’ve had happen on our systems at work is than an upgrade might fail and it reboots back into 10, and I simply have to try it again. Also, for better or worse, Windows 11’s more stringent hardware requirements means that they’re ensuring compatibility with a smaller set of systems than they historically have, and if you are in that set (PC Health Check app will tell you) then you’re in pretty good shape.
This is not to say that 11 itself is perfect by any means. Windows Search still sucks. Microsoft has made it difficult to not use a Microsoft (e.g. Hotmail) account to log into your own computer, it really really wants you to rely on its cloud services like OneDrive, and it hawks its own paid services (Microsoft 365, Xbox Live) more aggressively than ever before. If you’re one of those weirdos that liked their taskbar anywhere but the bottom of your screen, get ready to give that up. There are various other nits to pick but they’re all pretty minor. Once you get past and/or accept all of that, it’s… fine.
Just realized my work machine is still running Windows 10. I wonder if they’ll be updating soon.
Most will be. Or will be paying exorbitant EOL support to Microsoft.
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In the form of a pleasant surprise, I just got a note from Xfinity to say that they’ve upped my upload speed. I just checked and I’m getting 175mbs upload speed now, to go with 1gbs down. For comparison, my original subscription was for 800 down / 40 up - the latter being hobbled because cable was never intended to push anything the other way (NTTAWWT).
Maybe they’ll hit me up for it down the road but, for now, credit where credit’s due. A free speed boost is always welcome, especially as AT&T fiber isn’t an option so they know they have me by the balls.