Windows 10 and 11 include Windows Security, which provides the latest antivirus protection. Your device will be actively protected from the moment you start Windows. Windows Security continually scans for malware (malicious software), viruses, and security threats. In addition to this real-time protection, updates are downloaded automatically to help keep your device safe and protect it from threats.
@Omah you were right, it was built in to Windows 8. I found it and activated it, made sure it’s running real time scans, no problem. What I don’t understand though is ever since I activated it, about 10 days ago or so, I regularly get pops up from Windows Defender telling me my device may be at risk and I should install Norton AV. Erm…
I’ve also in the last 2 or 3 days had this pop up several times. I mean, honestly, it is bound to be a scam, but Windows Defender is sending the notification. I honestly don’t understand what’s happening here. I thought Defender would “defend” my device, not actually notify me of something that is clearly a scam
As well as a real-time scan, it will be worth running regular manual scans, as detailed in this article:
It may be that a website has detected Windows Defender running and installed adware - your next step should be to download Malwarebytes Free and run that on your PC - it’s a good piece of software to run regularly, anyway:
I think I mentioned earlier my bank gives me Malwarebytes Premium free of charge. My laptop is scanned every night and a popup message appears every morning with the result of the scan.
I was too busy to do this yesterday, but have just used this link to get the ‘free’ download, and found it takes me to the exact same page as the original link @Omah posted. It’s a 14 day free trial only, with a monthly fee thereafter.
EDIT: I’ve just dug a little more and apparently they call it a 14 day trial, because when you download the free version you get all the features of the premium version for 14 days. So I’m guessing that if you do nothing about updating, you can continue to use the free version without those extra features.
It’s all getting ridiculous. So I’ve successfully downloaded Malwarebytes and scheduled the scans. But now Windows Defender has been turned off. The message I get isn’t helpful at all - ‘Check that app’s status’? And do what? Honestly, I just feel like giving up now and going back to McAfee.
I expect its the Malwarebytes that has turned WD off and once the free trial period is over, you will be able to turn it back on again. Many AV programmes turn WD off and that’s prolly what has happened.
So as MBW will, for 14 days, be doing everything that WD was doing, then I’m pretty much covered. And when all the fancy features stop and I just have the free bits, I’ll be able to use WD again? Right, OK, thanks. I shall wait and see what happens in two weeks time!
I’m running W8 and have been using free AV software since day one and have never had a virus on my PC at home or at work although I’m online the whole day.
Far be it for me to be a pedant, WB, but nothing is ever “Free”.(Pedant Mode ON! )
When you lease a copy of Windows, by buying the lease, any other software is included in the lease price.
That’s a good thing, for us, as we are getting a high extra bit of software, at no extra cost, over the Windows package.
It’s, also, good for Microsoft as they can get all the feedback, for it (as other AV writers do) and they can appear to have a Freebie which works if you are competing .with them! They would, probably, need to get the feedback anyway, in case their Windows package might be thought responsible.
The fact that the MS package may not work well with the competition, could be look a bit dodgy, if you think about it?
Free Users are the bait, the ones who send back the earliest info on a new Virus.
