[xdude]

I know there are 2 Windows 10 related topics already out there but  I want to keep this separate because those 2 are about technicals about the Windows 10 Operating system. This thread is to focus on everything we run on it. Since Windows 10 OS we can run apps too, so I guess it makes a difference from Windows 7 or other previous versions.  I want to talk about which apps, programs, Utility recommendations plus what's good - what's bad, etc.

Anyway, my first question is about virus guards since that's something we need to get sorted out anything else in a fresh installation. Now, has built-in real-time antivirus named Windows Defender. Is this one is good enough? or do we need another third-party virus guard? I guess this is the successor of Microsoft Security Essentials which we had in Windows 7 but I was not impressed with that one. I hope Windows Defender is better. Since this comes as a built-in thing I guess it's gonna be a bit of a pain remove it or disable. Right now I'm using Avast on my Windows 7 PC and it's pretty good since I haven't found anything bad yet. It's good at the web protection department too.

And Windows 10 firewalls seem to be good enough for an average PC.

[Mashiro]

As mentioned in another Windows 10 related topic the Windows Defender that is built into Windows 10 nowdays (actually since a few years and builds) is a multi component system in the core of Windows 10 that acts as a security and protection center for the whole OS. So the Windows Defender antivirus is one component of it and while it cannot be removed it can be disabled pretty easy.

Windows 10 Pro or higher:
Disable Windows Defender antivirus via the Group Policy editor (GPO)

Windows 10 Home or higher (might not work now or in the future):
Disable Windows Defender antivirus via registry keys (regedit)

Don't attempt to fiddle around with the Windows Defender services in services.msc applet as they cannot be disabled.

Before applying any of these solutions you need to disable the anti tamper feature of Windows Defender antivirus. If you don't disable it and apply the solution(s) they simply won't have an effect and the antivirus component will still run regardless.

Additionally you will have to disable the Windows Defender trayicon in the task manager (autostart tab) and disable the Windows notifications in the control panel (not the Settings app!).

Windows Defender Trayicon


Disable antivirus notifications:
1. On the search tab, type "Security and Maintenance".
2. Choose "Change Security and Maintenance settings".
3. Uncheck the notifications that you don't want to pop-up (Antivirus in your case).

[xdude]

Thank you @Mashiro for detailed information about the disable proess. I this is what I read too. What I really wonder is Windows Defender good enough for the job or it's better it's better go for one of those top virus guards in the market today. Right now I use Avast free version and it's pretty good. Only con is trying to sell me their system utility software. Not sure why Gigabite onboard audio drivers are 450MB!

Looks like I need to upgrade Office too. I'm using Office 2006. Microsoft site show's only Office 2013 upword, which compatible with Windows 10. I mostly use Google docs and sheets but need to have something in PC too.

[Mashiro]

If av-test.org is worth anything Windows Defender antivirus is the best free solution that is already included in Windows: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/hom...18-203118/

Infact Windows Defender has scored very good / high on antivirus test sites for a very long time now.


Office 2006? I guess 2007. If you don't want to spend money and are fine with using Google docs mostly why don't you get Libre Office or Open Office? Or the free WPS office suite by Kingsoft?

[xdude]

Wow!! Windows Defender antivirus seems to have very impressive rating there. 6-6-6 while my favorites which are Avast and Eset having 6-5.5-6. And Comodo is not even included in the list. I guess I will be fine with the Windows Defender.

Few years back I did try moving to Open Office. But here most people use MS Office. I was getting issues opening MS Office documents in Open Office, Sometimes. Graphics missing, Aligment problems, Some big files not opening etc. At end I went back to MS Office 2007. I got the copy for free anyway from a client. Then I have started doing most of the stuff in Google Docs. But still Sometimes send me doctuments in MS office formats. I should try one of those free versions. Maybe things have changed now. I really dont want to buy a new MS Office copy.

[xdude]

Does anyone know a good free alternative for Photos in Windows 10? It's the Image viewer Windows 10 has and That gives me a real hard time. It was so slow at the beginning so I did a bit of research and adjusted some settings but still, it's slow from time to time. I'm looking for something like ACDSee which I remember using with Windows 98 and XP a long time ago. I did install the free version of that but it seems not simple like it used to be. Plus I wonder if we can install the Photo Viewer of Windows 7 in Windows 10.

[tbelldesignco]

Does anyone know a good free alternative for Photos in Windows 10? It's the Image viewer Windows 10 has and That gives me a real hard time. It was so slow at the beginning so I did a bit of research and adjusted some settings but still, it's slow from time to time. I'm looking for something like ACDSee which I remember using with Windows 98 and XP a long time ago. I did install the free version of that but it seems not simple like it used to be. Plus I wonder if we can install the Photo Viewer of Windows 7 in Windows 10.

You might want to check out Adobe Bridge! I believe it is free for Windows and it provides a lot of powerful features when it comes to organization and metadata. When my work machine was a Windows 10 system, I used it every day and it was a great alternative to the stock photo viewer.

[LightDestory]

Windows Defender is a very good free antivirus, it comes built-in on Windows and it auto-updates via Windows Update. It is very integrated with the system, you can scan files very easily and it is not resource-heavy such as alternatives like Norton and Kaspesky.

I am using it since day one on my personal pc, so issue so far. BUT antivirus software aren't perfect, the user MUST use the brain when using the pc and internet!

Regarding your question about Windows Photo, I suggest you XNView, it is a very nice and free software which support a lot of formats.

[xdude]

I had to move back to VLC Player from Potplayer. After a Windows update, Potplayer went bonkers. First I thought something has gone wrong with sounds. Which I heard happens sometimes after certain Windows 10 updates. But it Sounds work all fine in Youtube so it was not that. I installed VLC again and It work fine so something's gone wrong in Potplayer. What I like about Potplayer is it can start a video from where it's stopped last time. I can't find that feature in VLC.

[Mashiro]

What I like about Potplayer is it can start a video from where it's stopped last time. I can't find that feature in VLC.

VLC supports this since very long already. You start video A and watch it to a certain point and stop there. Sometime later you start video A again and at the top of VLC under the menu you get a option to continue the video from the time you stopped it last time.

https://www.vlchelp.com/restart-continue-playback-ask/

Not a feature I really used though as I watch my stuff mostly via Plex which has this feature and nowadays I use MPV if I need to view a video directly on my PC without Plex.