Windows Defender: are you guys using it?

I posted about what to run on this new build of Windows XP. I got some responses about SAS for on-demand and Spyware Terminator for real-time. A lot has changed in a year. A year ago I was using Spybot, Adaware and had not even heard of these two apps. I was also using The Windowas Antimalware that they bought from GIANT. They have updated it, as you all know, to Windows Defender. Oddly, no one recommended that Install it. Is it lame at detection and cleaning ? Heavy on resources? buggy ? Or is it that they are going to cut us off and charge for it when Vista comes out? A year ago you guys said to run it. Now, not...?

I can't find much information or any real reviews about Spyware Terminator, but you guys still like it as a real-time, should one choose to use a real-time scanner?

Thanks,
b.

 

Windows Defender does kinda blow... doesn't find much for me... and you have to update using www.windowsupdate.com .... which does get annoying... i use it as a RARE on-demand scanner. But otherwise i don't think too highly of it as i did of beta 1.

 

Depends on a few things that may possibly include:

1.Surfing habits – what kind of sites do you visit? For anyone who is involved with Online-banking,e-shops, p2p networks, massive downloading, online-gaming, massive on-line searching/research IMO will need a more sophisticated REAL-TIME security 'software pack' and hardware.
2.Danger Zone – I have nothing to say to porn/warez/crackz/illegal download addicts, they do not deserve help.
3.System performance – if you have a very fast(whatever that means) system you may get away with real-time scanners/guards/monitoring. Slower or low spec systems will suffer and this may affect software choice.

Windows Defender can be useful if part of a good security layer and there is plenty of choice, so look around for recommendations from other forum users.

 

It's pretty light and in the Options it seems to have a lot of IE protection. If you use IE Windows Defender can't hurt.

 

got rid of it for spyware terminator

 

Nope.
I did use Giant before M$ bought the program.
There are better choices than Window's Defender IMO.
Spyware Terminator is one of them.

 

Well, I plan to install and use it once the final builds are out. I haven't seen much reviews on Spyware Terminator ... ? Is it free, and does it work in a GREAT kinda sense ? (Meaning works well, minor conflicts, etc. etc.)

-EDIT-
Kinda off topic, but what about SUPERAntispyware ? Seems that they have a lot of users here ... ? Is it also good ?

 

Spyware Terminator has ran well for me.No conflicts with other programs.
It is free.

SAS?
There are a lot of users of SAS and the developer is active in a lot of forums.
I have the free scanner and it scans and updates without any trouble.
I haven't tried the Professional(paid)version though.

 

Thats a new one. I never had to go to WindowsUpdate in order to update it.
It's a standalone app and dowsn't require WindowsUpdate at all.

 

If you set windows to check for and install updates automatically via the security centre, it updates defender aswell, silently in the background without even notifying you

suggers

 

Maybe but Win Defender will update regardless. It has it's own upate engine.

 

@rejzor - yes but you can't set it to update automatically unless you use the 'automatic updates' feature of windows. It only allows a manual update by clicking- Windows Defender Help ---> About Windows Defender ---> check for updates.

Suggers

 

No M$ messed it up.

 

doesnt do anything..... sits there catches nothing Id rather use something that works like spyware terminator with hips,..

 

I found the original, when they bought up Giant, to be useful, decent in scans/detection, but what I really liked was the ability to "roll up your sleeves" and get into cleaning out an infected system, as far as BHOs and winsock entries and what not...in the advanced tools. When they changed it to Defender..those useful features went away. And from everything I've seen..detection rates plummeted.

So to answer the question..no, not anymore.

 

Yeah, I used to use Giant, but now that M$ has it I won't touch it. I tried it but it sat there in the tray doing nothing.

Is Spyware Terminator really that good? I didn't see it on the rogue anti spyware list but I never heard of it.

 

its great it stopped CWS from getting on my bro's account

 

Spyware Terminator is from Crawler.That put the program under some degree of scrutiny being that Crawler was known to be an adware/spyware company.

ST is clean and resource friendly.It's also relatively new.

 

No way ! Windows defender sux

 

I already stopped using Windows defender when it was in the first beta. Strangely enough it just didnt detect so good anymore if you compared it to the old program (Giant antispyware)

 

I've just uninstalled it.
It never detected anything, and missed objects that were found by ewido, and missed registry entries found by SAS.

Suggers

 

I have atleast seen it catching Browzella missed by SuperAnispyware( during testing) and i suspect its reg scaner more comprehensive than Ewido.