Hows Windows Defender these days?

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by Yanick, Jun 20, 2011.

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  1. Yanick

    Yanick Registered Member

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    Enyone knows?
    Run eny tests?
    Folks still use it?

    Thanks in advance :)
     
  2. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    There's a song that goes something like I'm too sexy for my shoes. :D
     
  3. Frank the Perv

    Frank the Perv Banned

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    Good Question.

    I run it.

    It never catches anything.

    It never finds anything.

    Both my AV and MBAM 'do things..' (stop things, catch things..)

    I'd like to see it tested against other products to see if it is worth running anymore.

    It may be sorta like Ad-Aware...... sorta useless at this point.

    And that is sorta sad... as I've been around long enough to know the product that WD evolved from -- which was a very good product.



    -FTP


    .
     
  4. moontan

    moontan Registered Member

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    i've disabled it a long time ago.

    if i'm gonna be wasting system resources to run a real-time security app Windows Defender certainly won't be the one. ;)
     
  5. Yanick

    Yanick Registered Member

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    I guess that explains it all :D


    Yea some tests would be nice, it does function kind of like limited HIPS?
    MSE has same spyware engine as WD has?

    Uses lots of rescourses too? :doubt:

    Sure seems like flames without fine :p
     
  6. m00nbl00d

    m00nbl00d Registered Member

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    Don't take me wrong, Windows Defender did have some interesting features, and that I wouldn't mind MSE having.

    MSE is light on resources. I can't complain. Maybe others have different experiences.
     
  7. Yanick

    Yanick Registered Member

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    I agree there mate.
    Only problem i was having with MSE was the auto updating (signatures) was too lazy so i dumped it :p
    WD and MSE are like day and night. Eny experience about WD's ''HIPS''?
     
  8. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    There is no HIPS on the Windows 7 version.
     
  9. Noob

    Noob Registered Member

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    Windows Defender doesn't has any kind of HIPS ;)
     
  10. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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  11. fax

    fax Registered Member

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    It always catches eicar nasty before my AV :eek: :D
     
  12. PJC

    PJC Very Frequent Poster

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    How is Windows Defender these days?

    :D :D :D
     
  13. BoerenkoolMetWorst

    BoerenkoolMetWorst Registered Member

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    I saw it block an Alureon rootkit on a relative's PC once, other than that, haven't seen it come in action ever, only a FP once, have it disabled on all computers.
     
  14. gery

    gery Registered Member

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    and it found a trojan downloader that avast IS did not think it was there on my desktop. ZA av is also finding it as a possible threat. so no worry about WD effectiveness
     
  15. ratchet

    ratchet Registered Member

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    Just yesterday I was thinking I should start a thread entitled, "Has anyone ever really proved that WD isn't very good?" Then this morning I see this thread thinking it is the one from a few months ago. Anyway, I'm with those that thought WD was decent. I loved it's startup program management, although CCleaner's is enough, and back when I used NOD 32 I can still remember it flagging a few things before NOD did. So I agree with those that thought it had some kind of HIPS thing going on, in fact, I had to turn some of it's alerts off. I'm not saying I'd go back since I have Zemana now.
     
  16. Frank the Perv

    Frank the Perv Banned

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    In WD, it says that my spyware definitions are from June 7. That's 14 days ago.

    I tried to update the definitions, but it tells me I have the most current.

    Is this the same for others?
     
  17. ratchet

    ratchet Registered Member

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    A couple of times a day I'd go to the MS security site (can't even find the bookmark now) and update it.
     
  18. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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  19. xxJackxx

    xxJackxx Registered Member

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    Windows Defender used to seem worthwhile back when I used 32 bit Vista as it would alert me if something tried to change the hosts file or the startup entries in the registry. I have never seen it do anything on a 64 bit OS except nag you to do a scan once a week.
     
  20. qwerty12345

    qwerty12345 Registered Member

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    I still have it running, but it's scans have never detected anything.

    If I check the history, however, there are entries with "Unknown" name and "Unknown" alert level saying that a program has potentially unwanted behaviour and that I should only permit it if I trust the program or software publisher. What program? What publisher? Apart from anything else, it's already permitted.

    I have no idea what to do with that information.
     
  21. Yanick

    Yanick Registered Member

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    Thanks a lot about your input :)
    Was testing it on Vista 32 bit home premium, it does ''seem'' like to act as some sort of HIPS, with x64 not a peep.. odd. So i guess it is decent product for free, ive heard it uses more resources sometimes than 3rd party security products, dunno if it's true? Think il play around with it :p
     
  22. Jose_Lisbon

    Jose_Lisbon Registered Member

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    I really don't understand this HIPS chat, or is it chitchat?
    Windows Defender is an anti spyware (along the lines of MBAM and SAS).
    It uses MSE's core engine; part of its modules.
    It's not the most effective of products, it doesn't intend to be.
    It doesn't catch everything; it will catch something.
    It's there, it works with no glitches, no false positives, it's compatible with anything under the Sun.
    Don't want it? Disable it.

    uff...
     
  23. JohnBurns

    JohnBurns Registered Member

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    I have it turned off - however, when I turn off MSE, it kicks in and updates. I've looked around and there seems to be no way to remove it, so I guess it's merely a stop-gap when you don't have an anti-virus running. Probably not real effective, but at least some protection for those who are otherwise unprotected.
     
  24. Cloud

    Cloud Registered Member

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    In WD's settings, there is an option to disable the program.
     
  25. Noob

    Noob Registered Member

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    I have never seen MSE catch anything.
     
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