what anti virus programs still work with windows 7?

I have a feeling a few stopped supporting 7.

You can still upgrade to 10 for free. I advise you do it. Windows 7 has been out of support for over 2 years, and you're leaving yourself wide open for a lot of security holes that are increasing in number daily.

And regardless, Norton is terrible. I just use Windows Defender which is built into Windows 10. AVG and Avira were reasonable last time I looked into free antivirus software.

Personally, I prefer to stick with 7 on my Windows drive as I don't have to put up with forced updates breaking everything on it, so it's being unsupported is only a plus in my book. And Microsoft's idea of "security updates" is a joke, they've still got gaping security holes from the XP days ago they still haven't bothered to patch.

7 also has Defender built in, you can try turning it on if you want (though I'm not sure if they still support it on 7). I believe most the other big names like Avast/AVG/Avira/Malwarebytes all still support 7, though frankly I don't recommend any anti-virus program on any version of Windows as they're all worse than useless. Most of them can easily be taken over themselves by malware, and have high level of system permissions, so you're just wasting money on huge resource hogs that actually make your PC less secure.

You're much better off installing a script blocker like umatrix or noscript on your browser. Or better yet, install Linux for most your web browsing, and just keep the Windows partition around for whatever programs you may need it to run on.

Pop D. said:

Personally, I prefer to stick with 7 on my Windows drive as I don't have to put up with forced updates breaking everything on it, so it's being unsupported is only a plus in my book. And Microsoft's idea of "security updates" is a joke, they've still got gaping security holes from the XP days ago they still haven't bothered to patch.

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They've corrected a lot of the worse ones, and deprecated features that were primarily the problem (ie SMBv1). Deferring updates is fine, but using Windows 7 as a driver that gets on the Internet is a bad idea.

7 also has Defender built in, you can try turning it on if you want (though I'm not sure if they still support it on 7).

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It isn't the same thing - their Defender was simple anti-spyware. It was replaced by Security Essentials which is still releasing updates until 2023 when it too will stop.

I believe most the other big names like Avast/AVG/Avira/Malwarebytes all still support 7, though frankly I don't recommend any anti-virus program on any version of Windows as they're all worse than useless. Most of them can easily be taken over themselves by malware, and have high level of system permissions, so you're just wasting money on huge resource hogs that actually make your PC less secure.

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This is awful advice. As long as you're using some form of antivirus that is regularly updated, you're better off than using nothing even if there is a performance hit. It's like saying paying into insurance is bad because they just take your money and you get nothing out of it... until you need it.

And then also leaving your house unlocked for good measure.

Or better yet, install Linux for most your web browsing, and just keep the Windows partition around for whatever programs you may need it to run on.

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Or alternatively this, but don't access the internet with the Windows 7 install.

Wookiee said:

It isn't the same thing - their Defender was simple anti-spyware. It was replaced by Security Essentials which is still releasing updates until 2023 when it too will stop.

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Oh right, totally forgot about that rebranding. Good to hear it'll still be kicking for awhile.

Wookiee said:

This is awful advice. As long as you're using some form of antivirus that is regularly updated, you're better off than using nothing even if there is a performance hit. It's like saying paying into insurance is bad because they just take your money and you get nothing out of it... until you need it.

And then also leaving your house unlocked for good measure.

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Must respectfully disagree. The money and the system resources aren't even the real issue, it's security. Using one of these programs seems like giving your keys to a horrible excuse for a guard who will just let in anyone who asks. They increase the surface area an attacker can exploit, so there's a very strong case for them actually making your system less secure, as has come up many times. For a few examples:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/antivirus-software-1.3668746
https://www.itpro.com/security/29665/does-antivirus-software-do-more-harm-than-good
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/best-antivirus/

Between that and just how bad they are at catching modern threats, it quite debatable whether you should install one:

https://slate.com/technology/2017/02/why-you-cant-depend-on-antivirus-software-anymore.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/securi...tware-experts-say-probably-dont-need-rcna6335

It's always your call, of course, though speaking from personal experience I find these programs to be digital snake oil at best. Tried most of them, and had to reinstall Windows on three different occasions due to malicious code breezing right past some of the biggest names in the business (yes, they were updated just before opening my browser, and I kept Windows up to date as well). Number of times any of them actually stopped malware? Zero.

Learned the hard way that hardening your browser with a script blocker and an ad blocker is THE best layer of security, hands down. Never had any problems after doing that for the final 5-6 years Windows was my daily driver.

Wookiee said:

Or alternatively this, but don't access the internet with the Windows 7 install.

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Yeah, that's basically what I do now. Only plug Windows into the net on the (increasingly rare) occasion I need to download a Steam game on it.

Pop D. said:

Must respectfully disagree. The money and the system resources aren't even the real issue, it's security. Using one of these programs seems like giving your keys to a horrible excuse for a guard who will just let in anyone who asks. They increase the surface area an attacker can exploit, so there's a very strong case for them actually making your system less secure, as has come up many times. For a few examples:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/antivirus-software-1.3668746
https://www.itpro.com/security/29665/does-antivirus-software-do-more-harm-than-good
You Don’t Need to Buy Antivirus Software

Between that and just how bad they are at catching modern threats, it quite debatable whether you should install one:

You Can’t Depend on Antivirus Software Anymore
Still paying for antivirus software? Experts say you probably don't need it

It's always your call, of course, though speaking from personal experience I find these programs to be digital snake oil at best. Tried most of them, and had to reinstall Windows on three different occasions due to malicious code breezing right past some of the biggest names in the business (yes, they were updated just before opening my browser, and I kept Windows up to date as well). Number of times any of them actually stopped malware? Zero.

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Most of those articles still boil down to "you still should have some sort of antivirus even if it doesn't stop everything", which is generally what most experts will agree on. And the ones that say "don't buy one" (agreed) or "don't use third party" say to use Windows Defender which - as I mentioned earlier - isn't available in the same form on Windows 7. Upgrading to Windows 10 and using Defender is still the advised thing, coupled with sensible browsing habits (and yes, ad/script blockers will also help to some degree). But no expert will recommend not using an antivirus (including (non-Windows7) Defender). That's silly.

I'm also a sysadmin for a large company, so I deal with this sort of crap a lot. Our local endpoint solutions have caught a lot of stuff before they have a chance to do anything.

Don't buy antivirus for home use, but definitely have something. If it's Windows 8+ use Defender. Windows 7 - Find something that will still work, but definitely upgrade that to 10 sooner than later.

Yeah, the more I look into it, the more it sounds like Defender is...actually a pretty good choice now. Huh. Never thought I'd see the day. Okay, yeah, go with that if sticking with Windows for a daily driver.

I used Windows 98 se as an os for a long, long time. The problem with using old operating systems though is for security reasons. I personally would recommend getting a copy of windows 10 or 11. You can get fully legal OEM keys of w10/11 for under $20. In fact I bought a OEM copy for my wife and they sent us a fully retail key by mistake. Also if you buy a w10 key and decide you don't like w10 you can upgrade to 11 for free. That's what I did when w11 first came out.

Neostarwcc said:

You can get fully legal OEM keys of w10/11 for under $20.

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These generally aren't legal (they're usually fished off disposed computers) and you're only meant to use OEM if you built it yourself. Official OEM keys are much more expensive.

Windows 10 will still accept W7 keys for upgrade, so since OP has W7 this is the best route.

Pop D. said:

Must respectfully disagree. The money and the system resources aren't even the real issue, it's security. Using one of these programs seems like giving your keys to a horrible excuse for a guard who will just let in anyone who asks. They increase the surface area an attacker can exploit, so there's a very strong case for them actually making your system less secure, as has come up many times. For a few examples:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/antivirus-software-1.3668746
https://www.itpro.com/security/29665/does-antivirus-software-do-more-harm-than-good
You Don’t Need to Buy Antivirus Software

Between that and just how bad they are at catching modern threats, it quite debatable whether you should install one:

You Can’t Depend on Antivirus Software Anymore
Still paying for antivirus software? Experts say you probably don't need it

It's always your call, of course, though speaking from personal experience I find these programs to be digital snake oil at best. Tried most of them, and had to reinstall Windows on three different occasions due to malicious code breezing right past some of the biggest names in the business (yes, they were updated just before opening my browser, and I kept Windows up to date as well). Number of times any of them actually stopped malware? Zero.

Click to expand...

Malwarebytes recently added a feature that allows password locking for it, so you can't change a setting until you enter that password. Another layer of protection against malware that would try to disable or exploit it.

Also, depending on Defender back in the day allowed a lot of unnecessary infections. I'm not putting all of my eggs in that basket again.

Here is a list of antivirus software that works for Windows 7:

+ Webroot
+ Comodo Internet Security
+ Malwarebytes

For any of the above you need to google search the program and make sure you add the term "For Windows 7". Example-Webroot has a file different than their normal download for Windows XP & Win 7. Good luck!