Need new PC advice

[squibber]

My son bought me a new HP all in one computer. My old PC is 13 years old. It still works but it's slow. On the old PC I have Bitdefender and free Super Anti Spyware.

My son transferred Bitdefender to my new PC although it came with free McAffee for 30 days.

What do you recommend for best protection? Bitdefender or something else? Super Anti Spyware Free or something else?

[Jolly Blue Giant]

If your PC came with Windows 11, it should be pretty set. If you insist on adding your own secondary antivirus program, I'd consider AVG (the free version) https://allaboutcookies.org/avg-antivirus-review

[Bob In PA]

Malwarebytes has never failed me. 

If you go for it, get the lifetime subscription.

That doesn't always make sense, but pairing it with a new computer does.

Bob

[Sem]

No need to run any antivirus utility if you install Linux.   And before you say you can't, if my wife can use Linux anyone can use it, seriously. Reinstall your old PC with, say Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment and try it. It's very Windows-like and very intuitive. Pretty sure you'd never go back to Windows. I bought my laptop with Windows 10 in it. First thing I did was to partition the hard drive and install Linux as a second operating system. I can boot to either Windows or Linux, but I never even boot to the Windows side. And now that my warranty is over I'll eventually just wipe Windows and go 100% Linux.

[Bob In PA]

No need to run any antivirus utility if you install Linux.   And before you say you can't, if my wife can use Linux anyone can use it, seriously. Reinstall your old PC with, say Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment and try it. It's very Windows-like and very intuitive. Pretty sure you'd never go back to Windows. I bought my laptop with Windows 10 in it. First thing I did was to partition the hard drive and install Linux as a second operating system. I can boot to either Windows or Linux, but I never even boot to the Windows side. And now that my warranty is over I'll eventually just wipe Windows and go 100% Linux.

Steve: Two thoughts/questions... first, ave you come across programs (or categories of programs) that won't run on Linux? I don't know, but suspect, that programs requiring what I call "copy protection" may not run.

For example, one of my computers is used as a recording studio for producing music. I have software from various companies that either requires a "dongle" (special USB key) to run, or the "copy protection" is in a cloud which you need to access every time you boot the program. 

Second (again I don't know the answer, but wonder) since the question asked concerns security, it would appear that keeping a Windows partition on the same drive might expose the drive (including, perhaps, the Linux partition?) to invasion by the bad guys.

Bob

[Sem]

Steve: Two thoughts/questions... first, ave you come across programs (or categories of programs) that won't run on Linux? I don't know, but suspect, that programs requiring what I call "copy protection" may not run.

For example, one of my computers is used as a recording studio for producing music. I have software from various companies that either requires a "dongle" (special USB key) to run, or the "copy protection" is in a cloud which you need to access every time you boot the program.

Second (again I don't know the answer, but wonder) since the question asked concerns security, it would appear that keeping a Windows partition on the same drive might expose the drive (including, perhaps, the Linux partition?) to invasion by the bad guys.

Bob

Bob,

The few applications that I currently use are also written to run on Linux, but for certain there are some apps out there that are Windows-exclusive. But some of the Linux (and there are many), distributions also include something called WINE, which is a Windows compatibility layer. This allows Windows applications and games to run on Linux systems. Wine can also be manually installed for free if it's not included on a particular distribution. Additionally there are tons of open source (free) applications written for Linux that will do the same thing that the Windows applications will do.

For your second question, yes, it would be less likely, but still technically possible for a certain type(s) of virus to infect your PC while in Windows, to bugger up your PC, generally at a machine level, thus ultimately affecting Linux.

Linux isn't for everyone I get that, I'm just speaking from my own experience. If you use a PC to do more than internet and email there is a learning curve to using Linux, though mine was a bit less since I had experience working as a UNIX System Administrator for a time several years ago. But for the "internet and email" folks a few days with Linux Mint and Cinnamon and you'd have to be dragged back to Windows kicking and screaming. 

[Bob In PA]

for the "internet and email" folks a few days with Linux Mint and Cinnamon and you'd have to be dragged back to Windows kicking and screaming. 

Steve: There is no doubt about that. Couldn't agree more. Bob

[MightyGiants]

My son bought me a new HP all in one computer. My old PC is 13 years old. It still works but it's slow. On the old PC I have Bitdefender and free Super Anti Spyware.

My son transferred Bitdefender to my new PC although it came with free McAffee for 30 days.

What do you recommend for best protection? Bitdefender or something else? Super Anti Spyware Free or something else?

I still trust PC Magazine (I used to subscribe back in the day)

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-antivirus-protection

[Painter]

To answer the question, I have TotalAV installed on a DELL Series 7 running WIN10 Pro, 64 bit as it can't do 11. If and when I need to change I might look into Linux. But for now, it's not an issue.

Cheers!