Buying Advice · 5 min read
Choosing Antivirus for a Windows Laptop
Laptops have three risks desktops do not: untrusted networks, physical theft, and a battery that background scanning drains.
Published 2026-08-09 · Last updated 2026-08-09
Battery-aware behaviour
Good products defer full scans while on battery and resume when plugged in. Check for that setting explicitly — a suite that runs a scheduled full scan on battery power will cost you an hour of runtime.
Public networks
This is the strongest practical argument for a suite that bundles an uncapped VPN, such as Norton 360 or F-Secure Total. Modern HTTPS already protects most traffic, but a VPN removes network-level observation of which sites you visit.
Theft is a data problem, not a malware problem
Turn on BitLocker or Device Encryption so a stolen laptop yields a brick rather than your documents, and enable Find My Device in Windows settings. No antivirus feature substitutes for full-disk encryption here.
Frequently asked questions
- Does antivirus drain laptop battery?
- Real-time protection has a small constant cost; scheduled full scans have a large temporary one. Schedule scans for when the laptop is plugged in.
- Do I need a VPN on my laptop?
- It is genuinely useful on public Wi-Fi. On your home network it adds little for most people.