Cnet windows defender download windows 10

Here's an article about an experience with download.com (CNET) you may find interesting:

Bundled Software and Attack Surface-Will Dormann
http://www.cert.org/blogs/certcc/post.cfm?EntryID=199

Out of curiousity, which free webcam software did you acquire? There are some rather dubious webcam apps floating around that in some cases will backup recordngs to a folder other than one you have chosen taking up disc extra disc space. There are some that like to "phone home" as well when you activate your camera.

In a related topic, I wish to share my personal experience and resulting opinion as to an Antivirus Solution to avoid.

In 2014-Aug, spanning several weeks, two separate Windows 7 systems started freezing / hanging, after 30 seconds to 1 minute after rebooting. If I hesitated after rebooting, I would not be able to log in -- in fact, the user accounts icons would all disappear from the screen. If I didn't hesitate and logged in immediately after rebooting, after 30 seconds to 1 minute, the system would freeze / hang. To clarify "freeze / hang", the mouse was still responding to movement but I was unable to click the Start Orb or any other item on the desktop. If I previously had a window open, I could move it but not close or interact with it in any other way.

One particular system, which was upgraded to Kaspersky 2015 (as a possible resolution to the issues detailed below) was later found to have KIS 2015 completely missing from the system. No related Windows Services, nor Event Logs capturing the uninstall action, nor a Kaspersky log detailing the removal evidence. Nada. Only the KIS 2015 application install folder remained at c:\program files\Kaspersky Lab\Kaspersky Internet Security 15.0.0\

Since these systems were previously working without issue for many consecutive months, I presume it to be due to a recent Windows Update and/or Kaspersky Antivirus issue.

Problem Uncovered:
By following Microsoft's recommended approach to Run Selective Startup and, through a process of elimination, discovered the ROOT CAUSE to be Kaspersky (KIS) 2014. Once I removed it from my computers, the issues went away and the system resumed working 100% to expectations.

In regard to Kaspersky's support team, English is not their primary language (based in Russia) and, as a result, the majority of technical questions result in either (1) a bland, generic "cookie cutter" response, (2) a complete misunderstanding of the issue being reported, (3) run-around proposed resolutions which avoid addressing the core issue being reported. Worse yet, their support team will CLOSE support cases, even though the user has provided irrefutable proof (screenshots, etc) of the issue occurring.

Kaspersky offers an incomplete list of "known issues" with their 2014 release of Kaspersky Internet Security solution. [ see http://support.kaspersky.com/10233 ]

Aside from the aforementioned disaster which I discovered today, here's what they missed ... and all of which I have previously reported to their support team:

• The product hangs / shows a grey icon in taskbar, when coming out of Hibernation on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems.
• While Full Scan was running, I paused KIS2014 Protection and could NOT enable it until I first manually stopped the Full Scan.
• When the aforementioned occurs, right-clicking the taskbar icon often results in the app immediately terminating thereby leaving the computer complete unprotected.
• The product offers NO technical logging. Moreover, what little logs are shown are presented in a GUI format intended for novice users.
• The Parental Controls feature is extremely limited, in that it fails to offer exceptions. Either downloads are allowed or they are not - no specific exceptions, for example.
• The app includes a "Root Kit" scan with several issues: (1) it cannot be scheduled; it either runs at logon or it never runs, (2) a true root kit scan would not take place on an active system; hence, the true definition of a root kit is one that alters (at a low-level) what is being hidden and/or reported to the OS.

In summary, I do not recommend Kaspersky as a reliable antivirus solution, if you are truly looking for a confidence level of protection vs. an unreliable and lackluster product.