Windows Defender Beta Two is Out... 1

[erikhertzel]

All,

Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.

Download it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

 

[Sympology]

Won't be free forever, although you get a discount if you are a beta tester.

Stu..

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[erikhertzel]

How do you know it won't be free forever?

Also, has anyone experienced any problems using this program? I have had some machines that said it required GDI on it and it will not install. I have not had time to look into that issue.

Erik

 

[rlshoe]

running just fine here

Russ Shoemaker

 

[pechenegs]

I thiunk it's garbage, took it straight back off!

Member of ASAP Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals

under the name khazars

 

[erikhertzel]

pechenegs...

I tend to agree with you. It seems to have gotten worse ever since MS bought out Giant Antispyware. I am really getting to the point of thinking the MS product isn't worth using anymore. It's getting way behind.

I appreciate your thoughts and help on this forum. It's nice to continually learn...

Erik

 

[pechenegs]

Yea , they have changed the engine I read this at the wilders security forum where it was reported.

It's just that you can't do anything, where are all the security check points that you could configure yourself? It's lost all its flexibility and became a rigid piece of software which Microsoft have butchered and bastardized!

Member of ASAP Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals

under the name khazars

 

[pechenegs]

Info here from Wilders boards!

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

Member of ASAP Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals

under the name khazars

 

[Sympology]

Sorry my mistake, it's One Care Live that is going to cost once out of Beta test.

Stu..

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004

 

[oldtimerbob]

I put Defender on but after a couple of days took it off.
Hopefully the real version will be better.
Reasons for taking off.
1. No way to have it come on at start up and to monitor,tho the instructions said there was, the links it said to follow in the 'tools' menu were NOT there ( under General)
2. Does not seem to mesh well with IE 7 installed.

Good Luck

 

[erikhertzel]

Well, the IE 7 is still very Beta, and Defender is as well. So, no surprise that they don't play well together.

 

[ADB100]

I recently installed Windows Defender on a PC that had MS AntiSpyWare installed. The installation went fine but now I have noted the PC slowing down and IE windows locking up. Task Manager shows the MsMpEng.exe taking a chunk of CPU time.
Has anyone else had this behaviour? The PC is a Dell 3GHz P4 with 512MB RAM so I don't think the PC's at fault.

Andy

 

[tazuk]

No way to have it come on at start up and to monitor

I'm running Windows Defender on several machines (home laptop and desktop, work desktop) and as far as I can tell it runs on startup - certainly the MSASCui.exe used by the Start Menu icon is currently running on my work machine as is MsMpEng.exe although I've not manually started it since rebooting this morning..

When I run the user interface via the Start Menu item it shows that my scheduled scan ran at 7am as ordered and that the definitions are dated 2nd March which implies that the update ran automatically as per my settings.

Granted that this behaviour is considerably different to the Microsoft AntiSpyware Beta version that it replaced (ie there is no longer an icon in the system tray when the application is running), however IMO it beats trying to use the XP Taskbar customisation options to hide the icon - something that never seemed to work for long for me.

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[BadBigBen]

I gotta agree with a few of the guys here, when they stated that it is a piece of ****... sorry for those that think it is good...

tried it on my PC, and it would not update itself when it was to do so... also I agree about the flexability gone, etc...

in other words, I am FAR from being IMPRESSED... the software that has me impressed is Ewido, as it runs fine with both my AntiVirus soft and the Tea Timer of SpyBot...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[pechenegs]

I also took MSAS off totally as it's going in June and I don't see any point in having it, so I went and bought spysweeper for my realtime protection although MSAS's real time protection was exellent and very flexible, but that was really Giant and not Microsoft!

Spysweeper has improved greatly recently and is always good for cleaning up a lot of malware. What surprsed me was it can deal with l2me a real pest of a programme! With spysweeper and Ewido for on demand scanning, plus the free spybot and adaware, I think these four programmes can clean 70-90% of most malware and spyware etc, just need the specilaised fixes for the rest!


So I really won't miss MSAS and windows defender should be sent to Siberia!




Member of ASAP Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals

under the name khazars

 

[LadySlinger]

We are running Defender here, but I honestly think its crap.
Symantec will detect the spyware, other anti-spywares detect the spyware, but Defender still hasn't seen anything.

 

[erikhertzel]

All,

Check out this article on ZDNET: It tells the story...

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Spyware/index.php?p=787&tag=nl.e539

 

[moldboy]

Task Manager shows the MsMpEng.exe taking a chunk of CPU time.

This is my problem exactly, the strange thing is the computer is starting up faster, but this process keeps running using anywhere between 9 and 99% of my resources. The best part of all that is when I don't use the computer it uses 9% and when I want to start a program it starts to run more.


I also must say I aggree with all that said above regarding MS butchering the interface and system, now it just looks like a standard MS wizard, very annoying.

One last complaint, When I click the update button there is nothing to say that it is actualy updating, or when it will be done. I have a dialup connection and count the minutes I'm online, it would be nice to know how long a program is going to be tieing up my phone line, or what it actualy is doing, if anything.

Here's to hoping MS reads this (and threads like this) and atlease takes note.