Windows Defender - How to remove - Vista

Discussion in 'other anti-malware software' started by minoka, Feb 9, 2008.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. minoka

    minoka Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2005
    Posts:
    50
    Good morning,

    My 87 years old father has asked me to help him remove Windows Defender from his Vista machine. There is no entry for this prog in Programs and Features, no uninstall in its folder.
    To make matters worse, I do not have any machine running Vista and am having a real hard time helping with this and many other things and...all of this is taking place over the phone!

    I asked him to install autoruns. Winzip said access to program files was denied, so we installed it in a folder under c:\users\my dad's name\MyPrograms. We created a shortcut on the desktop, but could not do anything with autoruns. So we ran autoruns directly as admin and were able to uncheck Windows Defender from the list of progs running at logon.

    Question 1. My dad is the admin, why was it not possible to install autoruns -and process explorer- in program files when Thunderbird installed itself in that folder with no problem?

    Question 2. How do we manually remove Windows Defender? I suspect it came pre-installed. Also Windows Install Clean Up utility (we also installed) did not show any entry for windows defender.

    Thanks in advance for any hints.
     
  2. Diver

    Diver Registered Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2005
    Posts:
    1,444
    Location:
    Deep Underwater
    I don't think it can be removed, but it can be turned off on the defender settings page.
     
  3. minoka

    minoka Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2005
    Posts:
    50
    Am disappointed, but thanks anyway :)
     
  4. siliconman01

    siliconman01 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2003
    Posts:
    786
    Location:
    West Virginia (USA)
    Also disable the "Windows Defender" service in the system services. START>RUN> and type in services>msc
     
  5. AKAJohnDoe

    AKAJohnDoe Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2007
    Posts:
    989
    Location:
    127.0.0.1
    Start/Run is not usually automatically enabled in the menus on Vista. I added it myself. However, you can do anything that you could do under run in the Start Search box of Vista as well. Simply type in msconfig.exe and press enter.
     
  6. minoka

    minoka Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2005
    Posts:
    50
    Thanks everyone.

    Last night, I did find out how to enable the command prompt (via taskbar properties etc...), but I was not sure the modifications via msconfig stuck after a reboot! Hence, autoruns (run as administrator) which did disable windows defender. I am planning to re-enable WD, check what it does, disable it within itself, then completely desactivate it either via autoruns again or services (which ever is easier for my dad). My dad has a suite which takes care of malware anyway.
    Unless there is some advantage to keeping WD running?

    Program files looks like it is a folder mostly for system files (unlike XP) and I guess it is also for progs such as thunderbird.

    We had to install autoruns and process explorer in a folder under users\my dad's name\. I assumed this would be the way to go.

    Doing things over the phone is not easy and having XP makes it even more difficult :)
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.