TheGreenButton - Windows Media Center Forums

I was using Avast free for anti-virus protection, but some time ago it started getting intrusive with too many messages. So I dropped back to using Windows Defender which I understand some other people also use. However with Windows 7 support ending soon, Defender won’t get updates. I realize some people don't use any protection, but sometimes I go to CBS.com or TNT.com, etc. to watch a program & therefore would like some antivirus protection.

I have Norton on my desktop PC and can put it on the HTPC. It has messages that popup every so often & it’s not a big deal on the PC. But I want to make sure nothing interferes with a recording in progress.

Is there any consensus to what people might be switching to after support stops?

Thanks

We really don't know yet if MS Defender, Security Essentials will not get updates in Win7. It is a stand alone package and can get updates independant of Windows update, or through windows update. Defender continues to be used in Win10 and is not going away. Though I doubt they will update Security Essentials base software package, I would be surprised if the definition package stops coming through. Ultimately, if you are not using the MCE PC for general browsing (CBS, TNT, etc. are relatively safe), AV is not a big issue. I would be more concerned about having a decent router the blocks malicious sites (I have an ASUS RT-AC56u that blocks this at router level). I went for years w/o any AV on my MCE PC without a problem. Them I installed MSSE.
I will wait and see what happens. If it doesn't continue to get updates, I will probably install Malwarebytes on it. Malwarebytes is less an AV and more an anti malware/spyware package which is most of the problems I ever see.

I use Norton on my HTPC with WMC and it does not interfere in any way.

unclebun wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2019 1:11 am I use Norton on my HTPC with WMC and it does not interfere in any way.

Thanks for the information.

Do you let it do automatic updates & scans, or do do those manually?

If you have Comcast Norton is free

The HTPC is used for OTA recording. The Norton I have is for 3 devices so there is no extra cost if I put it on the HTPC.

Mike88 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2019 8:47 am

unclebun wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2019 1:11 am I use Norton on my HTPC with WMC and it does not interfere in any way.

Thanks for the information.

Do you let it do automatic updates & scans, or do do those manually?

It does everything automatically.

I only stream from three sources on my HTPC: Netflix, Amazon Prime, and ESPN+. If any of those sites starts delivering viruses and/or malware then we have far greater problems with the Internet. I plan to keep my Win7 HTPC moving along and we'll see what kind of AV support MSFT offers, if any.

Some anti-virus (Norton I know for sure) will FUBAR Ceton PCIe cards...the anti-virus sees the communications between the card IP and the system as an intrusion and firewalls it off. There is a complicated way to add specific types of exclusions in Norton, but it is COMPLICATED and annoying.

Paul