Which Anti-Virus do You Use?

That's an interesting point, Drew. MSE will be 'imbedded' with windows 8 as 'Defender.' Will the current incompatibility still exist between MSE and McAfee when it does?

#1, I have to admit, I know not of what conflict you refer because they would never be in the same place @ the same time. As I say elsewhere, because Defender, in Win8, is what it is AND sealed by the fact that it is ON, by default, nothing has to be (added or) installed w/ Windows8. Ergo, in 8, nothing (example, McAfee) would be in a box when Defender is, already, there & running, rendering incompatibility moot.

And technically, I shouldn't say "will be"... should be, IS imbedded & ON, by default.

Cheers,
Drew

My concern is conflicts that could arise when both MSE and McAfee are running in real-time mode simultaneously, causing issues with Windows resource management. Even if one of them is disabled for use as a stand-alone scanner, it could affect the other and cause conflicts. Anti-virus software components insert themselves into the operating systems core, using more than one could cause instability, both might try to update their definition databases at the same time, or one might interpret the activity of the other as suspicious behavior, etc. Will we still have a choice?

I've wondered about conflicts also. The long standing rule is to have only one AV progran installed.
Joe

ABSOLUTELY, Joe. Never, ever more than 1. You are 100% right on that 1.

Also, not more than 1 software firewall. Same solid rule for both.

Cheers,
Drew

By inference, defender precludes the 'need' for anything else? Sounds like we might not have a choice, people like thier payware, in many cases.

In Windows 8, yes, can be thought of that way, exactly.

Why it can be confusing is Windows Defender, outside of Win8, is only anti-malware and is shut down IF w/ MSE since, MSE does both. W/ just an A-V program, Defender would, also, have to be used.

In Win8, Windows Defender is the complete package of MSE but, under that name. Making 8 neat in that no action is required besides, powering up the OS. And, of course, its Firewall is ON, just as automatically, too.

Cheers,
Drew

I need to edit the poll as I've forgotten a few options.

was using AVG a while back, bloatware - false positives, went to mse,which is very good freeware from micosoft, recently tried McAfee security suite as i got it for free from my isp, now i'm back to Microsoft Security Essentials, doesn't get in my way, good protection, found that McAfee would decide to update when i needed the computer, crashing ie, they need to fix the code they put in ie, too. I use mse with eset online scanner, also like Malwarebyte's Antimalware, too.

Speaking of Mc...

Shaw Cable (here, anyway) switch from F-Secure to McAfee. One has no obligation in a case like that to use what 'they' are offering. When the transition was coming I switched my roommate's machine over to MSE; mine was, already, using it. I did not want him going w/ McAfee.

Cheers,
Drew