Antivirus Conflicts

Computer running slower than usual? One common culprit is having multiple antivirus programs installed and running at the same time.

Using two antivirus programs at once might sound like a good idea, to give your computer twice the protection. But this isn’t the case; you’re better off with just one antivirus program.

Virus detection and elimination requires accessing the computer in an unusual way, looking deeper into the computer than most programs need to. This works best if you don’t have multiple separate programs trying to do this.

If two antivirus programs are trying to scan the same computer at the same time, they can get in the way of each other and use far more resources than necessary, which slows the computer down. Even worse, since looking for suspicious activity is itself something that can look like suspicious activity, a given antivirus program can mistake the other(s) for viruses and actively try to interfere with their functioning.

This is why Windows Defender is automatically disabled if Windows detects another antivirus program installed, so that you always have antivirus software available on Windows, but it won’t conflict with any other antivirus software you decide to use instead.

If you’re worried about your computer slowing down or need help figuring out which antivirus option is the best for you, just get in touch. We’ll discuss your specific needs with you and find the solution that works for you.