Do you use AVG? They used to be awesome! I used their free version for many years,

[underahedgerow]

you couldn't pay me to use the paid ones like norton, too messy.

Well AVG finally let me down. It took over my new PC and locked me out with this whole watchdog thing, locked the beast up solid.

Used my laptop, did a quick search and AVG is blaming Windows 10, windows 10 is blaming AVG. All the boards I checked said get rid of it.... So I've taken it off my laptop as a preventive measure, and I'm now using workarounds to try to get it off the infected PC. The reboot still appears to be stuck, so I still have more work to do it seems, but I'm getting there.

All I can say is take it off your system before you get the black screen of death.

The most important thing is to use the AVG Removal tool! Download it and use it, do NOT try to just uninstall the AVG files... That will send you into a whole 'nuther universe of internet fixit hell.

Yeah, I know it was free, but it was great while it lasted.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

1. I started off, way back with Windows 98 with on dial up

With the free Zone Alarm. With my next new PC, Windows ME, I tried AVG. It was OK and I kept it for a few years. When I got another new PC, Windows XP,( which I really, really miss), I went to Zone Alarm Pro, for awhile. Now days I'm back to the basic free Zone Alarm. It's been good so far.

I'll file away your nugget of info on AVG for future reference.

Thanks!

[CurtEastPoint]

2. Plus they NAG you to death with browser tabs trying to sell stuff and popups in tray.

I use them and hate them. They claim you can turn these off and I have tried but the steps do not work.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Win10 doesn't really need much more than its own protection. I use...

Malwarebytes for browsing, but that's about it. AVG was one of the best and I used to use it, but one version started clogging up an old XP machine and I had to get rid of it.

Bummer that it screwed up your new machine. Worst case might be a full restore.

[underahedgerow]

4. I agree 100%. I think that Windows 10 is very good. I don't care for the Cortana thing,

but other than that, I find it highly intuitive and functional. And it looks pretty! I'll let the windows defender do its job.

I'll check into malware bytes, thanks.

I keep most everything of importance backed up pretty fiercely on Gdrive and on an external hard drive, with lots of redundancy, we have to be diligent about that.

I think the machine will be fine, I mashed on keys long enough to get it into safe mode and installed the avg removal tool, and it went through its thing, then I ran crap cleaner, which I love.

We'll see how she goes, seems to be running fine for now, X fingers! (ptoo ptoo ptoo)

[Massacure]

5. Windows Defender is definitely a lot less bad than it used to be.

From what I've read, Windows Defender does a very respectable job against known threats, but struggles against new and emerging ones. One thing it has going for it though is that it has an very small footprint and uses fewer system resources (memory, CPU cycles, etc) than other anti virus programs.