Does Windows Defender Antivirus and Windows Defender Firewall keep my laptop 100% secure?

CannonRebel · Nov 3, 2024

That's because Kaspersky can detect US government spyware, the ban stems from the NSA getting caught trying to place spyware on employee's computers.

antspants · Nov 3, 2024

CannonRebel said:
That's because Kaspersky can detect US government spyware, the ban stems from the NSA getting caught trying to place spyware on employee's computers.

Some people just believe that which is being fed to them. Not that many people can discriminate between what is true and what is agenda based. I guarantee though, you go down this rabbit hole with members, your comments will be deleted or the thread will get locked, because it’s political.

CannonRebel · Nov 3, 2024

antspants said:
Some people just believe that which is being fed to them. Not that many people can discriminate between what is true and what is agenda based. I guarantee though, you go down this rabbit hole with members, your comments will be deleted or the thread will get locked, because it’s political.

Your right

antspants · Nov 3, 2024

Microsoft defender has been endorsed in here to no end. I think for many members it’s all they really need. I posted a thread once and was convinced it’s adequate enough to stand alone, although members did mention to couple it with Malwarebytes which is a good suggestion

I personally use Kaspersky for many reasons.

I get cheap licences
It alerts me to the important things, like when something connects to my WiFi. A new device is added to my Router/Network. Basically if I want it to, it’ll alert me to anything that happens network related, no matter how insignificant it may be.
I get their impressive VPN software included in the Premium package
Their on-line support / email support / phone support is top notch and they are the most agreeable, friendly techs.
The premium package is for 5 devices
The functions are countless
The settings are simple
Extensive program/app control

That’s just the basics.
If I actually had any idea of what it is I am doing, I am sure there are many, many more benefits.

SpiritWolfe · Nov 3, 2024

bikemanI7 said:
Up til 2018 i ran personally Avast Free Antivirus, and Malwarebytes Free

Then i decided it was too much hassle keeping Avast and fixing errors with it on almost all Household Computers back then, Switched them all to Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Premium

Infections 0 since

System crashes much less...

bikemanI7 said:
*Back in 2005 i was a tester for Microsoft Windows Live Onecare and made a big boo boo and killed my AMD Athlon XP 2500+ PC badly, had trojans, worms, boot sector infection, bios infection at the time, local PC shop tried to clean it up, then i brought it back home, and it just kept crashing--mind you i didn't restore any backups back then, just was a clean fresh install, finally shop was like to fix this have to replace all the hardware...

Years ago an Aunt (by marriage) on my Mother's side of the family gave some of her free time working for McAfee reverse engineering viruses to help in the aid of making the databases that endusers used to thwart them. She never told anyone that she was that tech savvy (& I thought I was good

)! The way I found out that when she passed away the "home" computer was given to her with timed Virus Vaults that kept the computer running. I found out the hard way that the vaults needed a special update that I was not prone to & I tried to clear the viruses from that HDD & ended up & FOBARed my whole desktop right down to an embedded Monkey Virus in the BIOS...

Life keeps rollin' along...

Cheers!

SpiritWolfe · Nov 3, 2024

@antspants

What it boils down to is what works for you! (This goes for everybody else here, too.)

It is like the flavor of the month. If I like Wild Berry & you like Cherry Vanilla who am I to try to change your mind.

In the end ... the common goal is to keep those viruses & malware off your computer(s)...

Cheers!

Into_Oblivion1 · Nov 4, 2024

1.
I did the full scan after the laptop went offline, so the Full scan only used the offline scanner.
-
Would you still trust, that the laptop / system is clean?

2.
And would you also trust, that the laptop is clean from fileless malware?

Thank you

cheaterslick · Nov 4, 2024

CannonRebel said:
That's because Kaspersky can detect US government spyware, the ban stems from the NSA getting caught trying to place spyware on employee's computers.

EDIT: Time to show some some restraint on my part since others don't know how.

Into_Oblivion1 · Nov 25, 2024

Would anyone please try to answer:

1.
I did the full scan after the laptop went offline, so the Full scan only used the offline scanner.
-
Would you still trust, that the laptop / system is clean?

2.
And would you also trust, that the laptop is clean from fileless malware?

3.
What version of MS Defender Antivirus does a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 11 come with?
The newest versions?

Thank you

ProgEngi · Nov 25, 2024

The best line of defense is to create two users:

Administrator
Standard

In olden days we use to configure Software Restriction Policy for added security

oldschool · Nov 25, 2024

Dear Attention Seeker @Into_Oblivion1 your best bet is to seek professional help from a qualified therapist.

Into_Oblivion1 · Jan 17, 2025

Would anyone please try to answer my remaining questions?

So I can finish this thread.

Thank you

1.
I did the full scan after the laptop went offline, so the Full scan only used the offline scanner.
-
Would you still trust, that the laptop / system is clean?

2.
And would you also trust, that the laptop is clean from fileless malware?

3.
What version of MS Defender Antivirus does a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 11 come with?
The newest versions?

Into_Oblivion1 · Feb 7, 2025

Dear all

Would anyone please try to answer my remaining questions?

1.
I did the full scan after the laptop went offline, so the Full scan only used the offline scanner.
-
Would you still trust, that the laptop / system is clean?

2.
And would you also trust, that the laptop is clean from fileless malware?

3.
What version of MS Defender Antivirus does a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 11 come with?
The newest versions?

Thank you

csun · Feb 8, 2025

- Windows Defender is an efficient AV for most users.

- Do frequent scans to detect malware. Many users also occasionally scan with a 3rd party AV like Malwarebytes or ESET.

pseymour · Feb 8, 2025

Into_Oblivion1 said:
Would anyone please try to answer my remaining questions?

1. I did the full scan after the laptop went offline, so the Full scan only used the offline scanner. Would you still trust, that the laptop / system is clean?

I would trust that a new installation is clean unless it started acting like it wasn't, Windows or otherwise, Defender or otherwise.

Into_Oblivion1 said:
2. And would you also trust, that the laptop is clean from fileless malware?

A reboot would remove fileless malware, by definition. If it writes something to the disk so that it can resume after a reboot, it's not fileless.

Into_Oblivion1 said:
3. What version of MS Defender Antivirus does a new laptop with pre-installed Windows 11 come with?
The newest versions?

No, not the latest. Defender is updated basically every day in some way: some combination of the platform, the engine, or the the security intelligence pieces. You have to keep any anti-malware system updated, or there's little point in having it.

Into_Oblivion1 · Feb 13, 2025

pseymour said:
A reboot would remove fileless malware, by definition. If it writes something to the disk so that it can resume after a reboot, it's not fileless.

If the fileless malware writes something to the disk, would MS Defender then detect that happening, and then scan the file?
Or when would MS Defender scan it and act upon it?

pseymour said:
No, not the latest. Defender is updated basically every day in some way: some combination of the platform, the engine, or the the security intelligence pieces. You have to keep any anti-malware system updated, or there's little point in having it.

I ask this question, because I have an offline laptop, that I only use as an offline backup platform.

The offline laptop only has had internet connection for about 15 minutes in total.

It had internet connection for 5-10 minutes during the initial Windows setup (choose languge, create user etc) - but here it said it was searching for updates etc.
And then internet connection again for about 5 minutes after logged in and entered Windows for the first time.
After that, I turned of its Wifi in Windows and disabled its Networks adapters in Device Manager.

So I am not sure, that it managed to download all the latest updates for Windows and MS Defender, before I cut its internet connection.
Therefor I want to know, if it has more than just a basic version of Windows 11 MS Defender pre-installed?

Thank you

Sheikh · Feb 17, 2025

Into_Oblivion1 said:
If the fileless malware writes something to the disk, would MS Defender then detect that happening, and then scan the file?
Or when would MS Defender scan it and act upon it?

I ask this question, because I have an offline laptop, that I only use as an offline backup platform.

The offline laptop only has had internet connection for about 15 minutes in total.

It had internet connection for 5-10 minutes during the initial Windows setup (choose languge, create user etc) - but here it said it was searching for updates etc.
And then internet connection again for about 5 minutes after logged in and entered Windows for the first time.
After that, I turned of its Wifi in Windows and disabled its Networks adapters in Device Manager.

So I am not sure, that it managed to download all the latest updates for Windows and MS Defender, before I cut its internet connection.
Therefor I want to know, if it has more than just a basic version of Windows 11 MS Defender pre-installed?

Thank you

copy everything on your main system with a good AV like Kaspersky or Bit defender or ESET or Norton or ...

use parted magic bootable version (Linux) to create a bootable USB drive.
boot from it.
low level format using built-in tools like SATA Cleaner or NVME Cleaner or etc.
then use your laptop specific method to clear CMOS and BIOS (for me I have to hold my power button for 30 seconds).
now you have a really clean laptop.
create a bootable Windows installation media.
install windows + updates + drivers.
then install your AV on your laptop too.
import everything you have copied from your main system
let AV real-time protection scan files during copying.
after all, run a full scan with your AV and Defender. I also recommend an "offline scan" with defender.
Done. it's almost safe now for 99%.
Just update windows, AV & Defender every week and run a full scan every month to ensure security.
You can also use free removal tools like Eset removal tool or Kaspersky removal tool once a year and then delete it.

Good luck

Cromax · Feb 17, 2025

i literally have defender removed completely and just scan with offline scanner every now and then.. 0 av 0 issues..and defender is just fine i just dont like when he scans everything on launch.. i have used bitdefender,nod32, kaspersky, comodo, panda, total endpoint security suite, avira and etc and all of them are resource hogs

Sheikh · Feb 17, 2025

Cromax said:
i literally have defender removed completely and just scan with offline scanner every now and then.. 0 av 0 issues

it's a bit risky to turn off real-time protection.
Defender doesn't use too many resources. keep it on at least even you become fully offline ...

Cromax · Feb 17, 2025

Sheikh said:
it's a bit risky to turn off real-time protection.
Defender doesn't use too many resources. keep it on at least even you become fully offline ...

it does use 200 mb and more and i dont have nothing confidential on my pc i literally dont care, i just can nuke whole installation and restore..i have been running for an year like this 76 processes no issues

Does Windows Defender Antivirus and Windows Defender Firewall keep my laptop 100% secure?

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