How to block malware with Windows’ built-in security

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SECURITY By Lance Whitney For years, it seems as though Microsoft gave little thought to malware protection. But the latest tools in Win10 are robust
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The article doesn’t describe how the settings work if a third-party antivirus program is running. I have Avira Antivirus (free version) running, which I assume explains why I am not able to turn on Real-time protection on the Virus & threat protection settings page. If I disable or uninstall Avira, will these Defender settings be reactivated automatically? Can Defender be set to run at the same time?

Also, the Cloud-delivered protection and Automatic sample submission are unavailable with the note “This setting is managed by your administrator.” Assuming I am the administrator since this is an individual home pc, how have I managed to do this? Have I set some third-party protection program to block these options or is there a conflicting setting in Win 10’s array of settings that shut these options down as an intended or unintended consequence? For example, I’ve blocked any Location functions in various places to avoid getting personalized location-based advertisements, and I may have followed now-unremembered advice about securing my computer via various other setting combinations.

I’ve trusted and run Avira for more than a decade with various computers and versions of Windows without getting an infection, so the thought of giving it up and using Defender is a bit daunting regardless of the current positive reviews Defender is getting. Is there any major advantage to having a “pure” or “more streamlined” MS Windows system without a third-party antivirus program?

I’m not bothered by the occasional Avira notification-ads; in fact, they could be considered a friendly reminder that Avira is watching over me rather than an annoyance . . .

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