Can Defender replace Norton Anti Virus?

[its_my_dime]

My NAV 2006 is about to expire. I am reluctant to replace it because what
I've read says that you get three installs with NAV and you get locked out
of reregisteration...crashed hard drive or reformating or computer
replacement not withstanding. Anyone unhappy with being locked out gets to
talk to the nice people in India who tell you to buy another copy and they
have no authority to do anything. I recently had this experience with
Norton System Works and simply decided that I no longer a customer for this
product.

So, is Windows Defender, if active and coupled with the Windows firewall,
sufficient to replace NAV or does it not yet have enough depth?

Thank you.

 

[Rock]

My NAV 2006 is about to expire. I am reluctant to replace it because what
I've read says that you get three installs with NAV and you get locked out
of reregisteration...crashed hard drive or reformating or computer
replacement not withstanding. Anyone unhappy with being locked out gets
to talk to the nice people in India who tell you to buy another copy and
they have no authority to do anything. I recently had this experience
with Norton System Works and simply decided that I no longer a customer
for this product.

So, is Windows Defender, if active and coupled with the Windows firewall,
sufficient to replace NAV or does it not yet have enough depth?

They are different programs. NAV is an anti-virus. Defender is not. An AV
program is needed. I would not go with Symantec's NAV. There are other
good alternatives available some that are free and some that require fewer
resources.

Free alternatives:
AVG
Avast

Low Cost
Computer Associates eTrust

Heavy hitters
Kaspersky
Nod32

Google for websites that do comparisons of AV products.

 

[DatabaseBen]

i have used them and others
as well. But ultimately, i have
been pleased with the spywareterminator
with clam av pluggin. Fortunately,
the entire world has been on the defensive
with virus's at the server level.

and to date, knock on plastic, virus's
have not been an issue for me for the
past couple of years, maybe longer.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My NAV 2006 is about to expire. I am reluctant to replace it because
what I've read says that you get three installs with NAV and you get
locked out of reregisteration...crashed hard drive or reformating or
computer replacement not withstanding. Anyone unhappy with being
locked out gets to talk to the nice people in India who tell you to
buy another copy and they have no authority to do anything. I
recently had this experience with Norton System Works and simply
decided that I no longer a customer for this product.

So, is Windows Defender, if active and coupled with the Windows
firewall, sufficient to replace NAV or does it not yet have enough
depth?

No, it's not a matter of having "enough depth." You're mixing up apples and
oranges here.

NAV is an antivirus program. Windows Defender is an anti-spyware program.
Neither can replace the other. You need both kinds of programs for good
protection.

Your deciding that you are "no longer a customer" for NAV is a step in the
right direction. NAV is probably the *worst* choice of antivirus programs.
There are several better choices, many of them free, such as Avast, my
personal choice.