It is on par with the better ones. There are still viruses it can't detect but it's the same for the other anti virus programs out there. They will detect some viruses Windows defender can't detect. Windows Defender will be able to detect some viruses that the other can't detect.

No Anti virus is 100% too.

Due to it being built into Windows it's light weight as well. You won't get any ads or pop ups from it asking you to upgrade or buy the special version.

Windows defender and an adblock

its fine, just disable it from scanning steam and game library folders so it will not interrupt or interfere with gaming

Yes, assuming you have a patched Windows and update it daily.

But if you mean you have data you absolutely cannot have leak out, I would not trust Windows at all, even with third party antivirus software.

Originally posted by Zefar:

It is on par with the better ones.

No it's not, while it's ok for most users it's not on the same level as a decent AV, it doesn't deal with ransomware well whatsoever, watching over the years and I say BitDefender is the best overall AV, consistently top results and a efficient package.
https://www.youtube.com/@pcsecuritychannel

Originally posted by Zefar:

Due to it being built into Windows it's light weight as well.

There are also benchmarks with different AV's installed, BD is also lighter on resources vs Defender, just because it's "built in" that doesn't make it the most efficient, everyone craps on MS and Windows but yet somehow Defender is this great AV, it's a MS product.

Originally posted by EASY PETE:

Is it true that windows defender is all you need?

Just gaming and browsing legit sites sure it's fine, common sense practices, don't click on that email link because you didn't really win a million kind of thing.

Its good never needed anything else other since windows 10 than common sense.

Originally posted by wing0zero:

Originally posted by Zefar:

It is on par with the better ones.

No it's not, while it's ok for most users it's not on the same level as a decent AV, it doesn't deal with ransomware well whatsoever, watching over the years and I say BitDefender is the best overall AV, consistently top results and a efficient package.
https://www.youtube.com/@pcsecuritychannel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQEUAa_0Ud0

Blocked 98 out of 100. Ah yes, totally ineffective against ransomware. Totally.

The best thing you can have is some basic knowledge of the threats and a bit of common sense. As in most things in life.

Windows defender as an AV is absolutely fine.

Originally posted by wing0zero:

https://www.youtube.com/@pcsecuritychannel

What a meme.

Originally posted by A&A:

Windows defender as an AV is absolutely fine.

Originally posted by wing0zero:

https://www.youtube.com/@pcsecuritychannel

What a meme.

hello
xd
funny but checked one of it video ,
Windows Spying when you game?
and sadly it's just a clickbait imo but let me tell your why first :
- because under wireshark we do not know what process initiate the network connection ..; so imo, sadly, nothing here really serious ...
yeah if i have steam running on the background it need to do it job ( update manifest and so one , etc and the same for epic launcher - sorry no clue what is the equivalent of manifest under epic, etc )
try to launch discord and run a game , same, kind of stuff ...
and that just after 20secs of his yt video .. no really clue about other yt video but if they are on the same level ....
i just hope other yt clickbait are not on the same level ...and yes some seems interresting

reference
https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/real-world-protection-test-february-may-2025/
https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-10/june-2025/

Windows Defender is doing its job: wisely protecting us from potentially dangerous mods and trainers.
It’s not paranoia — it’s common sense. If something gets blocked, there’s probably a reason.

That and virustotal

Originally posted by Zefar:

Originally posted by wing0zero:

No it's not, while it's ok for most users it's not on the same level as a decent AV, it doesn't deal with ransomware well whatsoever, watching over the years and I say BitDefender is the best overall AV, consistently top results and a efficient package.
https://www.youtube.com/@pcsecuritychannel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQEUAa_0Ud0

Blocked 98 out of 100. Ah yes, totally ineffective against ransomware. Totally.

On that one, they have got way better sure but still far from the best, I'm just saying in's not the best AV out there, i even say it's fine to use.

Originally posted by A&A:

Windows defender as an AV is absolutely fine.

Originally posted by wing0zero:

https://www.youtube.com/@pcsecuritychannel

What a meme.

How do you know really? Probably a supermarket checkout or something like that.

Again Defender is fine but not as good as some others.

Yeah, the last year that I used Windows, I only used the Defender. Any extra isn't needed anymore.

its not the best but there is no AV software anymore that isn't more trouble than its worth

avast/avg: full of pop ups
norton and mcaffee: bloatware
avira/f secure/trend mico: crap detection

kaspersky: good software but currently a pariah

Bitdefender: resource heavy and difficult to remove

webroot/eset/malwarebites: very light but mixed detection scores