I use Defender and Malware Bytes as a team. Have done so for 10 years now.  Absolutely no bloat.  Here is a summary from AI

 

How they work together (Recommended Setup):

• Run Malwarebytes Premium (paid) for real-time, multi-layered defense, including VPN and identity protection. Set it to run alongside Defender.
• Set Microsoft Defender to Passive Mode (via Windows Security settings) to prevent conflicts, allowing Malwarebytes to handle active malware blocking while Defender still offers basic system scanning.
• Use both for broad coverage, as they target different threat vectors: Defender for baseline, Malwarebytes for advanced threats/extra features.

I concur with @Reader, there is nothing better than being your own antivirus, stick with windows default and you will be alright.

I work in Cyber Security and highly recommend a third party solution Windows Defender isn't that great. ESET is my recommendation its very easy on the system and protects to a high level works well with MSFS as well it has a Game Mode.

 

Cyber Security Offering - All-in-one protection | ESET

I know a few IT technicians who also tell me that Windows 11s built in antivirus does the job as well as or even better than anything else.  I've used a few different ones over the years but have stuck with windows through W10 and W11.  I do exclude my E drive (which contains nothing else other than MSFS2024 and a whole load of addons) from all checking though to help avoid any stutters.

I also check any new addons I download before I install them to be on the safe side.

If you do want to install another one, I would suggest avoiding anything owned by a Chinese or Russian company due to the risk of state interference - Just my opinion.

I agree with no extra AV programs. Windows defender seems to be fine on its own. 

And, is there any reason to use software that scans the registry for errors, and offers to fix them? In the past, that used to cause serious issues, too!!

Thanks,

Mike 

We do NOT recommend Defender-only for any of our clients. 

Not saying it’s bad, but there are threats it doesn’t cover. And yeah, we regularly have intercepts that aren’t caught by Defender, even tho it’s active by default on every windows machine  

I don’t use consumer a/v, so I can’t recommend a specific choice. 

and while “I’m the best firewall “ is the appropriate perspective, there are also zero-day, drive-by, and clickless exploits. E.g., the few times I’ve become infected were from advertising embedded in certain blogs.

a multi-layer defense is the only way to be relatively safe these days. 

and for Gods sake, don’t use your gaming PC for anything involving money or identity!

Edited December 10, 2025Dec 10 by UrgentSiesta

16 hours ago, UrgentSiesta said:

We do NOT recommend Defender-only for any of our clients. 

Not saying it’s bad, but there are threats it doesn’t cover. And yeah, we regularly have intercepts that aren’t caught by Defender, even tho it’s active by default on every windows machine  

I don’t use consumer a/v, so I can’t recommend a specific choice. 

and while “I’m the best firewall “ is the appropriate perspective, there are also zero-day, drive-by, and clickless exploits. E.g., the few times I’ve become infected were from advertising embedded in certain blogs.

a multi-layer defense is the only way to be relatively safe these days. 

and for Gods sake, don’t use your gaming PC for anything involving money or identity!

Right, you are!! So many hidden threats out there! I'm guessing that you are with a company that uses it's own built in firewall, like the last company I worked for. I'm retired now, so I'm on my own PC. Windows 11 home. Any advice for us home users?

Also, would you use any software that scans your registry for errors, or should I just not be concerned?

Thank You for your time!

Take care, Mike    

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Guide for WIndows Securing DNS Traffic on Windows 11 with Cloudflare for Families

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What are people doing with their computers to get infected from just day-to-day activities (ie not on the dark web etc)?

I just have standard Windows Defender on my PC and I can honestly say I don't think I've got infected with anything since the Limewire days..

Windows 11 Defender here, and a lifetime license for Malwarebytes ( I bought it before it became annual subscription-based ). Never had a problem. 

22 hours ago, bhx22 said:

I work in Cyber Security and highly recommend a third party solution Windows Defender isn't that great. ESET is my recommendation its very easy on the system and protects to a high level works well with MSFS as well it has a Game Mode.

 

Cyber Security Offering - All-in-one protection | ESET

No issues with ESET, works great with MSFS and its lighter than windows defender + more advanced 

 

1 hour ago, Tom Wright said:

What are people doing with their computers to get infected from just day-to-day activities (ie not on the dark web etc)?

You know what they're doing...hint:  it comprises half the internet.

5 hours ago, Tom Wright said:

What are people doing with their computers to get infected from just day-to-day activities (ie not on the dark web etc)?

I just have standard Windows Defender on my PC and I can honestly say I don't think I've got infected with anything since the Limewire days..

Most of our clients get infected by social engineering attacks via email (and we’re seeing a drastic rise in same for smart phones). And no, it’s not always the ones who are gullible enough to enter their usernames and passwords to a clever repro of their bank login page

many times, clicking anything in the email is enough to let the bad guys copy your auth token  of your machine and use it to get into your email and other accounts  

then it’s game over…

they’re also getting cracked by letting software maintenance agreements lapse, where the bad guys exploit known unpatched vulnerabilities. Or, as previously shared, even actively hunting Zero Day exploits where no patch is even available!

6 hours ago, simaddict said:

Right, you are!! So many hidden threats out there! I'm guessing that you are with a company that uses it's own built in firewall, like the last company I worked for. I'm retired now, so I'm on my own PC. Windows 11 home. Any advice for us home users?

Also, would you use any software that scans your registry for errors, or should I just not be concerned?

Thank You for your time!

Take care, Mike    

The post immediately after yours is a good start. 

Look up Patch Tuesday and ensure you promptly take advantage of it every month. 

Ensure that you’re running at least MS Defender, and do some reading to ensure it’s actually running and you’re taking full advantage. 

there’s a LOT of other things you can do, if you’re willing to study cybersecurity topics and such. 

and as also shared, ensure you stay up to date  on scams and attacks so you recognize and avoid anything fishy.

P.s., the registry cleaners aren’t really necessary these days unless you’re running really sketchy apps. And some are rumored to be spyware themselves, etc. 

id generally advise to avoid them (and crappy software!). 

Edited December 11, 2025Dec 11 by UrgentSiesta

Windows Defender updates daily because I always run updates before MSFS.

dd