Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
Question from Darryl: I have always understood Windows’ built-in “Microsoft Defender” antivirus app to be inferior to other antivirus programs.
But yesterday I heard that might no longer be the case.
What’s your opinion about Microsoft Defender?
Is it really just as good as the third-party antivirus programs that are being sold today?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Question from Ellis: My new computer came with the trial version of McAfee Antivirus preinstalled and I ended up not liking it.
I uninstalled it from my computer last night and now I can’t get Microsoft Defender to start up.
Is there something else I need to do besides just uninstalling the McAfee program? [Read more…]
As I explained in this post, both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have a built-in antivirus engine called Microsoft Defender.
And truth be told, it actually does a pretty good job at keeping your PC virus-free.
But like all other antivirus apps, Microsoft Defender isn’t perfect. It’s always possible that a digital nasty will slip through and infect your system. [Read more…]
Well, another dangerous recurring scam is making the rounds again.
It’s being spread via both email and SMS test messages, and unfortunately lots of innocent people are falling for it.
As usual, there are several variations of this scam, but luckily they’re all very easy to detect and avoid once you know what to look for.
Question from Cilla: I had a conversation with a computer salesman a couple of years ago.
He told me that if I was using Windows, there is virus protection built into the software and there is no need to purchase another antivirus program.
And as I recall, he said if you did install another one, it will turn off the Windows antivirus.
I decided to believe him and haven’t had any problems but I’ve always had a little doubt about it. Does Windows really have a built-in antivirus? [Read more…]