Ok, there’s a loaded question 
however I just purchase Avast Home Edition license pak and am wondering if Windows Defender is redundant with Avast running.
TIA.
I decided it was 
(redundant) and deactivated it permanently. The thing is I rely on Avast anti-spyware potential and some might disagree with that. Wait for more opinions and then make you decision 
Windows Defender has a poor history of malware prevention or removal.
Considering how it was first intended as the anti-malware module of the ill-brought-and-built Windows Vista Operating System, 'tis of little wonder why 'tis so flawed (that and that its engine hasn’t been properly updated for YEARS).
Case proofs? It couldn’t properly remove: Win Anti-virus Pro 2009 fraud, AMVO, Bait, etc…
If you want a RELIABLE anti-malware “shield”, use Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware in conjunction with Trojan Remover + Avast!
I have found this trio of protection software quite resilient to malware infections ('tis not in any way PERFECT, but has a very high protection rate).
www.lavasoft.com for Ad-Aware.
www.simplysup.com for Trojan Remover.
Sorry but adaware has also had it day and MBAM and SAS are better at both detection and removal than adaware IMHO. I haven’t ever tried Trojan Remover or heard much about its effectiveness.
Welcome fellow Canadian
Ad-Aware has not kept up with the times and is of little use and not worth the hard disk space it consumes.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware (MBAM) and SUPERAntiSpyware are good but do not have both resident protections active as they will interfere with each other.
There are equal or better malware removers for free than Trojan Remover’s cost of US$24.00 per year.
For example MBAM with resident protection is the same price for life.
Windows Defender is part of my Layered Protection along with avast!, MBAM and WinPatrol.
When I got my new PC back in April it had Defender on it and I’ve been using it ever since. From what I’ve heard it’s not that strong but it doesn’t consume a huge amount of resources and hasn’t caused any problems so I leave it running. It updates a couple of times a week and other than that I never know it’s there. It did come in handy one time when I changed some registry values I shouldn’t have and didn’t know how to change them back. Defender won’t let you do it without manually allowing it first, so I just clicked deny and I was back in business. ;D
I have disabled resident shield protection of Windows Defender.
I use Windows defender just to see the Start Ups and processes.
use MSconfig instead … that’s where Defender has the info from.
Apart from the detection, the major problem with windows defender is that it doesn’t update automatically or on schedule. It can be scheduled to update only before a scheduled scan. Moreover if you update manually it will have a definition version lagging behind the one at http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Definitions/ADL.aspx .
considering it will only update once or twice a week, automatically, through Windows Update, that’s not a problem. And you can always do a manual check once in a while, before a manual scan for instance. It doesn’t update automatically before a scheduled scan that’s true, but MSE does.
Another bit of your bogus advice:
Why can’t I use msconfig to change my services?
http://www.blackviper.com/AskBV/XP25.htm
mixed coffee with the booze again this morning Kenny Yo ? … not mentioning the poster mentioned startup processes and not services, which is exactly what MS config is mainly about… among other things ;D
But if you follow http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Definitions/ADL.aspx you will see that windows defender often updates more than once a day. Also like MSE it updates before scheduled scan.
…thought it didn’t, OK it does may be ;)…I always dismissed scheduled scans with Defender so… as to more available updates for Win Def, I knew it, but never bothered to check for it (this has to be dowloaded from MS web site, more manual checks from Defender interface itself brings nothing), as I never considered Defender a major security layer on my system.
;D
I disable it almost a year.
I think Windows Defender is useful, and I use it as part of My layered protection. Its very light on recsources, I never really know that its even on.
Its updates are fine with Me, as it is part of a layered defense, along with on demand scans with Malwarebytes and Superantispyware.
Maybe Im biased though, it did save Me from a nasty that crashed My other laptop hard, when debugging it and getting things back up and running and putting avast on it, windows defender found antivirus pro I believe and took care of it.
So, I let windows defender run and do its business, its not hurting anything.
Saty
Since ditching Iobit 360 I use windows defender.It runs alongside Avast with no problem so why not.
Iobit360, i thought that malwarebytes was taking them to court over pirating technology if so may be end for them. as for defender, its lite on resources cannot hurt as a layer of security.
While Windows Defender may not have the best reputation/effectiveness against malware, keep in mind that there are particular areas it monitors — such as one’s HOSTS file — that avast and most other security programs do not. (WinPatrol also monitors one’s HOSTS file for changes)
I too use it as part of a layered approach. I take the perspective that as long as it DOES offer SOME degree of protection — without any noticeable slowdown to my system — I might as well keep it around. [I would draw the line to any program which results in a noticeable slowdown]
Granted, some of Defender’s notices can be redundant alongside WinPatrol and TeaTimer… but I’d rather see two or three duplicate notices about a system change than to risk something slipping-by undetected.