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Security & privacy

Reader question – Can I use two antivirus programs?

When it comes to cybersecurity, you might think more is better. After all, there are countless threats on the internet, from spyware to random Trojans. It’s easy to see why some people think two programs are better than one.

However, we have to burst your bubble. You should only use one antivirus program. That’s because they conflict with one another and can give you an inaccurate overview of your computer’s threat levels.

Here’s how: Say two antiviruses are installed on your computer. One starts isolating viruses, as it’s designed to do. Then, when you run the other antivirus program, it will suggest you have more viruses than you do because it recognizes viruses the other program quarantined.

Bottom line: It’s a mess

Having two antivirus programs is like hiring two armies to take the same fortress. They have completely different fighting styles. While fighting viruses, they may clash with one another, which does more harm than good.

Here’s a specific example. When you run antivirus software, it scans for suspicious programs. It might detect the other AV program on your computer, not recognize it as a fellow cybersecurity app, and then try to shut it down.

Not only that, but these programs tend to take up a ton of power. Having two at the same time can hurt your battery life. You might even deal with issues like keystrokes not showing, your mouse lagging or your PC suddenly shutting down.

Instead of trying to stack your antivirus programs, pick one powerhouse for all your needs. For that, we recommend our sponsor, TotalAV.

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