Antivirus

Windows 10 problems are ruining Microsoft’s reputation – and the damage can’t be underestimated

Microsoft dreams of a future where its cloud empire dominates – in the computing and business world, as well as game-streaming – and subscription revenue pours in at such a gushing rate that the accountants can barely keep track of the ever-spiralling-upward numbers.But, the software giant’s current slumbers are more likely to be dogged by…

Published 6 years ago in
Windows 10 problems are ruining Microsoft’s reputation – and the damage can’t be underestimated


Microsoft dreams of a future where its cloud empire dominates – in the computing and business world, as well as game-streaming – and subscription revenue pours in at such a gushing rate that the accountants can barely keep track of the ever-spiralling-upward numbers.

But, the software giant’s current slumbers are more likely to be dogged by nightmares rather than any sweet dreams of a heavenly cloud-based future. Microsoft’s sleep is probably haunted by visions of poisonous little bugs skittering in the shadows, clustering around the occasional hulking queen of a showstopper that threatens to shred user files in her chitinous mandibles.

Yes, we’re talking about Windows 10, which in recent times has been plagued by an alarming amount of bugs. This started with the infamous October 2018 Update and a doozy of a file deletion faux pas along with a raft of other ‘small but serious’ gremlins that caused the upgrade to actually be put on ice for over a month (an unprecedented move with Windows 10 updates).

  • How to use Windows 10
  • We solve 100 common Windows 10 problems
  • Check out our best laptops of 2019

So Microsoft was careful to thoroughly test the following May 2019 Update, holding the upgrade in the final phases of bug squashing for a considerable time, and rolling it out very slowly and cautiously indeed. Quite rightly so, and with apparent success as users subsequently flocked to the upgrade (albeit with many being pushed by an impending support deadline, mind you).

Still, the rollout itself went well enough – certainly in comparison to the previous one – only afflicted by some minor hiccups which are always likely to be present. However, it’s in solving those little issues where Microsoft has come badly unstuck in September.

Cortana in Windows 10

A recent Microsoft fix introduced a fresh bug to Cortana – and things went downhill from there

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Fixing the fixes

At the start of September, some long-standing minor bugs (including compatibility issues with certain Intel storage drivers) were fixed by a patch Microsoft issued for Windows 10 May 2019 Update. The problem was that this cumulative update didn’t just fix bugs, but introduced a new one whereby Cortana suddenly caused high levels of CPU usage.

Then the patch to fix this Cortana bug broke something else – the Start menu and Taskbar. Oh, and it also caused audio issues in certain games, and broke internet connectivity for some folks.

If Windows 10 was a china shop, Microsoft was flailing around between the shelves, and in its efforts to fix a broken spout back onto a teapot, cracked a jug by knocking it over with a stray elbow, before managing to send a set of plates crashing to the floor below in an unholy cacophony of shattering porcelain.

In short, the whole situation felt farcical, and was hardly helped when a subsequent bug ‘fix’ for Microsoft’s built-in Windows 10 antivirus actually broke most of Windows Defender’s scanning functionality.

So, following all this,

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Antivirus

Your antivirus is probably slowing your PC more than protecting it

Antivirus is one of the first things most people install on a new PC. After all, nobody wants malware ruining their PC or, worse, stealing their data. And to be fair, most popular antivirus suites do a decent job of protecting your PC. But the problem is, they aren’t exactly optimized to be lean or

Published 1 week ago in
Your antivirus is probably slowing your PC more than protecting it

Antivirus is one of the first things most people install on a new PC. After all, nobody wants malware ruining their PC or, worse, stealing their data. And to be fair, most popular antivirus suites do a decent job of protecting your PC. But the problem is, they aren’t exactly optimized to be lean or lightweight. And things have become even worse ever since antivirus suites have started bundling extras like VPNs, parental controls, and browser add-ons.

All of this leaves the apps and games you actually use with fewer resources, which causes frequent slowdowns and even lag. So the uncomfortable irony is that the software meant to protect your PC ends up being the very thing holding it back.

How antivirus software can slow down your PC

When constant protection becomes constant pressure

TippaPatt</a>/Rawpixel</a>/Shutterstock””>

person using antivirus scanning tool-1
Miker Rivero/MakeUseOf/TippaPatt/ShutterstockRawpixel/Shutterstock
Credit: Miker Rivero/MakeUseOf/TippaPatt/Rawpixel/Shutterstock

Antivirus softwares love to present themselves as silent protectors. Always watching, always keeping you safe, and never getting in your way. Sure enough, part of this is true. They work in the background, but it’s not without any impact.

Antivirus programs work by scanning files as they are opened, downloaded, copied, or modified. That means every app you launch and every document you touch triggers a quick inspection. There are also the scheduled scans, which often run when you least expect them. So if your PC has ever felt slow, even when you’ve got nothing running, it’s probably the antivirus program combing through your files in the background.

Now, the performance hit isn’t the same every time. During light, routine scans, the impact can be minimal, anywhere from 0 to 20 percent. However, during full or partial scans, this can rise up to as high as 50 percent. The impact also varies depending on the antivirus program you’re using. Some are lightweight and efficient, while others are far more demanding.

Most of the time, you may not even notice this slowdown. But as soon as you start gaming, editing videos, or running any resource-intensive apps, the story will change. That’s when both your app or game and antivirus program start to compete for the same system resources, and the performance takes a hit.

To make matters worse, modern antivirus rarely sticks to just antivirus duties. Most of them come bundled with all sorts of extras, like VPNs, password managers, and system optimizers. All of these extras run separate processes. So yes, it’s not just one program you’re dealing with. Your PC is actually running multiple different software under a single name.

You can verify if the antivirus is the bottleneck

Be sure before you act

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Antivirus

If you’re struggling to play tactics sim Menace, it could be because your antivirus is randomly deleting files

This week saw the early access launch of turn-based tactics game Menace, created by the piss-swigging misanthropes behind Battle Brothers. Julian has been having a wonderful time playing it and learning about the importance of spare ammo and adequate reconnaissance. It could have been worse, Julian…

Published 1 week ago in
If you’re struggling to play tactics sim Menace, it could be because your antivirus is randomly deleting files

This week saw the early access launch of turn-based tactics game Menace, created by the piss-swigging misanthropes behind Battle Brothers. Julian has been having a wonderful time playing it and learning about the importance of spare ammo and adequate reconnaissance. It could have been worse, Julian…
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Antivirus

You don’t need to pay for third-party antivirus software to protect your PC anymore

Summary Most consumer devices already come with strong default security measures equivalent to or better than third-party software. Common vectors of attack for malware are already blocked by modern systems before they even reach your antivirus program. Individual consumer PCs are not a primary target for cybercriminals, and cyberattacks are often conducted by exploiting vulnerabilities

Published 2 weeks ago in
You don’t need to pay for third-party antivirus software to protect your PC anymore

Summary

  • Most consumer devices already come with strong default security measures equivalent to or better than third-party software.
  • Common vectors of attack for malware are already blocked by modern systems before they even reach your antivirus program.
  • Individual consumer PCs are not a primary target for cybercriminals, and cyberattacks are often conducted by exploiting vulnerabilities against third-party software, not the computer OS itself.

Do you still pay for third-party antivirus software like Norton or McAfee? You may be surprised to learn that there’s no real benefit to doing so. Software like this is mostly obsolete today.

Who pays for third-party antivirus software, and why?

It might sound like a bold claim, saying that you don’t need third-party antivirus software anymore. After all, recent statistics show that roughly half of American consumers use such programs. Interestingly enough, those same statistics also show that users over 65 are more than twice as likely to subscribe to paid antivirus software than those under 45.

Why is that? Well, there is certainly more than one reason, but a big one is simply misunderstanding and tradition.

In the past, having third-party antivirus software was prudent, almost mandatory to keep your computer safe. Some people who grew up in that era are comfortable with the idea of paying for these subscriptions, not realizing that things have changed: your computer protects itself just fine these days.

Not only do computers come out of the box equipped with incredibly good security these days, but most malware threats aren’t even targeting individual consumers. But you don’t have to take my word for it right away. Let’s dive into this in more detail.

Default security measures are more than enough today

All of your consumer devices come with default protection right off the shelf. With iOS and Android, their official app stores weed out malware and keep you safe. Mac has been using XProtect anti-malware for more than a decade, and it has an excellent record.

A screen showing an update for Windows Defender on Windows 11. Credit: Microsoft

Windows has Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which has consistently aced security tests run by third-party organizations. Since around seven years ago, Defender Antivirus has consistently earned perfect or near-perfect scores in protecting your PC.

Needless to say, that’s as good as it gets, and the program comes free with your Windows computer. There’s no paid antivirus software that can outperform this free, default option from Microsoft. They may offer more features, but not more practical benefits. But even beyond these built-in systems, there are other re

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Antivirus

AV vendor goes to war with security shop over update server scare

eScan lawyers up after Morphisec claimed ‘critical supply-chain compromise’ A spat has erupted between antivirus vendor eScan and threat intelligence outfit Morphisec over who spotted an update server incident that disrupted some eScan customers earlier this month.……

Published 2 weeks ago in
AV vendor goes to war with security shop over update server scare

eScan lawyers up after Morphisec claimed ‘critical supply-chain compromise’ A spat has erupted between antivirus vendor eScan and threat intelligence outfit Morphisec over who spotted an update server incident that disrupted some eScan customers earlier this month.……
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