1. Windows Defender
      1. Notes from Clif
    2. Windows Defender - no longer good for Win2k
    3. MS Mole Report - Windows Defender only works good in Vista
    4. MS Mole Report - Defender leaves the gates open

Windows Defender

formerly known as Microsoft Anti-Spyware, Beta 2
review by Terry at TerrysComputerTips.com, Mar 2006

Still in "beta" after over a year of public release by Microsoft, and very wide-spread use, the program formerly known as Microsoft Anti-Spyware now has a brand new name — and it is still called a "beta" version. Of course, this was a commercial program before Microsoft bought it.

Microsoft has released the beta 2 of the renamed Microsoft Anti-Spyware program. Consistent with previous announcements, the program is now called Windows Defender.

... There was another setting about which I want to warn you ...

find out why Terry recommends caution using Windows Defender

Notes from Clif

I recently tried Windows Defender and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. The problem I have testing programs like this is that I keep my system pretty clean. I don't have any way to tell if it's actually doing anything.

I ended up keeping Windows Defender installed, but I killed the autorun entry for it and I set the Windows Defender service on "manual" so that I can use it when I want to, but it isn't running all the time.

Try Windows Defender, for Windows XP with Service Pack 2 only


Windows Defender - no longer good for Win2k

advice from BillAllin, Oct 2006, permalink

Bill writes in with this good advice ...

Hi Clif,

As you have many readers around the world (as opposed to just in North America) who use Windows 2000, some of them will have been using Windows Defender for their anti-spyware protection. Though Windows Defender has been available free to parts of the world outside of the US, US users have had to buy it to use it recently. As of the release date of Windows Defender (final, on October 23, 2006), this product (beta version, which Windows 2000 users have been using) will no longer work properly on Win2K boxes. In some cases it won't run at the automatic scan time and it will not update with new protection. Windows Defender was made to operate with Windows XP, server 2003 and Vista.

This from the Microsoft web site's FAQs:
Q. Why doesn't Windows Defender support Windows 2000 anymore?
A. Windows Defender is primarily a consumer antispyware solution.
Windows 2000 was not a popular consumer operating system and mainstream support ended on June 30, 2005. Due to these reasons, we decided to focus more on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Both of these operating systems with the latest service packs have significantly better security protection overall, which will also help to prevent spyware on those computers that run those operating systems.

Windows Defender should no longer be counted on to provide any protection to Windows 2000 computers or any Windows product that preceded Win2K. Some 2000 users are already finding malware accumulating in their machines and Defender simply ignores it.

I recommend that your readers with Win2K boxes immediately remove Defender, install one or more of the other freeware anti-spyware programs, update the definition files and scan ASAP.

Quote from Microsoft
Windows Defender is a new security technology that helps protect you from spyware and other unwanted software. You can manually scan your computer for spyware or schedule the program to perform a scan automatically on a regular basis. After you install Windows Defender, you'll benefit from Real-Time Protection that can help block spyware or other unwanted software ...

Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later, or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or later.

See the Windows Defender website for more information.

From Clif:
Thank you Bill. For those out there who aren't familiar with Bill's work in Education, see his article Your Most Unrecognized Need: Touch .

Bill's advice here leaves me with a question for all of you out there. What anti-spyware software would you recommend for a person using Windows 2000, Windows ME, or other older versions of Windows?


MS Mole Report - Windows Defender only works good in Vista

tip from BillAllin, Nov 2006, permalink _ Adware & Spyware Removal

It looks like MS Mole is talking again. Bill listens and tells all.

Quote from Bill Allin
Hi Clif,

MS Mole reports from an insiders meeting at Microsoft that the company has finally admitted to its own people that Windows Defender will only work properly with Vista.

Though Defender is being sold as compatible with XP and 2003 server, it's compatibility with these platforms is around 30 percent. That is, Windows Defender will do on Windows XP about 30 percent of what it will do on Windows Vista.

Mole's advice is to stay away from Defender unless you run Vista. Defender simply won't do the protection job needed for any other system.

Cheers
Bill

From Clif:
Thank you Bill. For those out there who aren't familiar with Bill's work in Education, see his article Your Most Unrecognized Need: Touch .


MS Mole Report - Defender leaves the gates open

from BillAllin, Dec 2006, permalink _ Windows Tips

From Clif:
Once again, Bill Allin listens as MS Mole unloads the dark secrets that the Microsoft Developers Network is sworn to never tell.

Quote from Bill Allin
Hi Clif,

Following a meeting with Microsoft this past week, MS Mole had a few tidbits
to report.

MS developers and resellers are quietly finding ways to disable Windows Defender in Vista. They believe it is not effective enough at catching malware. In almost every case where they disabled Defender and installed a different anti-malware program, the new program (often Spybot Search & Destroy) caught stuff that Defender had not recognized.

(Spybot issued an add-on this past week that fixes the button interface problem that was so annoying to many users. It's not the complete program, so users can install it right over top of the main program.)

MS staff confirmed that Defender is no more effective than 30 percent at catching malware in XP.

Internet Explorer 7 continues to cause concern for those responsible for fixing problems it has created in computers where it was installed. Most have told customers that they should wait at least a few months before getting a fresh version of IE7 for installation.

Developers have a new version of IE7 in hand, but confidentiality agreements prevent them from discussing anything about it, including its very existence. (The Mole is fearless in this regard.)

Resellers have found that IE7 has become a platform for Microsoft income streams. MS has many plugins for IE7 which it will happily sell to consumers who don't have the time to look for the same features that are free in other browsers.

Finally, Mole tells me that Microsoft offers a freeware program called Oasis Columbus that will open programs with a huge variety of formats that Windows would not normally recognize. It will only allow reading a program, not operating it, but this would be handy for those who want to see what is available in a program without going through the whole process of installation and test driving. He says Oasis Columbus is available from the MS web site, but it rather bulky so those with slower connection speeds should be aware of this.

I cannot say anything about Oasis Columbus because I have not used it.

Cheers Bill Allin

'Turning It Around: Causes and Cures for Today's Epidemic Social Problems,' a book about real and inexpensive solutions to community problems most people think are inevitable evils of modern society. They aren't. We just have to look in the right place.

Learn more at http://billallin.com
Contact author Bill Allin at turningitaround@sympatico.ca


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