The Friendliest Computer Club in Ventura County Since 1986
WINDOWS DEFENDER
This is a reprint from the June 2006 issue of TOE (The Outer Edge)
By Jim Thornton
One of the lesser-known spyware detection and removal programs is Microsoft's Windows Defender. This freeware program was previously known as AntiSpyware and is available from the Internet by doing a Google search for Windows Defender. Don't be alarmed that this is a beta version as the program is still in its testing phase. Microsoft plans to release its finished version in the near future. Freeware is a computer program that the developer and/or company doesn't charge for, in contrast to shareware programs. There are some rumors that the finished version of Windows Defender will not remain a freeware program but will be offered commercially.
On the Windows Defender Web site before you can download the program, Microsoft will remotely verify that you are running a genuine copy of Windows and not a pirated one. Now the 5,668 KB file can be downloaded and installed with the recommended settings.
After the installation is finished, you will see two new icons on your desktop - one in the main screen area and the other down in your System Tray.
One of the user-friendly features of Windows Defender is its ease in setting up its automatic scanning schedule. All you do is select the frequency (daily or a specific day of the week), time of day, and type of scan (Quick or Full) that you want to run. Microsoft recommends that the program be run daily. Of course, be careful not to conflict your scheduling of Windows Defender with any of the programs running under the control of Windows' Scheduled Tasks or any other program schedulers like Norton AntiVirus, etc.
Hopefully, after you run a scan, you will see the results stating "No unwanted or harmful software detected - You computer is running normally." If threats were found, then the Names of the individual threats, their Threat Level (Severe, Elevated, High, Moderate, and Low), and Recommended Action (Remove, Quarantine, or Ignore) would be displayed. Remove means to permanently remove the threat from your computer, Quarantine means to isolate the threat and to prevent it from running, and Ignore comes in two versions - Always means to never identify this threat again while Ignore means to overlook the threat until next time the Windows Defender is run. My preference is to always Remove.
The minimum computer hardware requirements are an Intel Pentium computer running at a speed of 233 MHz or higher, with 64 MB of RAM or greater, 10 MB of free hard drive space, and a 28.8 Kbps or higher Internet connection. The operating system must be a Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4, or Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 and running Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher.
Some of the more interesting features of Windows Defender are that you now have Real-Time Protection in blocking spyware and other unwanted software before it's installed. It prevents unauthorized changes to your Internet Explorer settings and the collection and transmission of your personal information.
Windows Defender also maintains a record of the threats that it found as well their alert level, action taken, date, and status.
Should you discover that you removed a program and you shouldn't have, Windows Defender can restore the program. In its Tools features, Windows Defender lists your Startup, Currently Running, and Network Connected Programs, as well as your Winsock Service Providers and provides a detailed listing for each program that includes its file name, description, publisher, digitally signed by, file type, file path, and nine other items of information.
Microsoft is also offering membership in its SpyNet, an online community to assist you in how to respond to potential spyware threats. There are two levels of members - the basic member, who receives information about detected items and the actions to be taken and the advanced member receives the same information but also participates with Microsoft in assigning the alert levels and actions to be taken.
PC World, a popular monthly computer magazine, has recently rated Windows Defender as one of its top choices.
An interesting measurement of a product is in comparing the size of its Help file - the Windows Defender manual is 224 KB, which is average of all programs reviewed. Another measurement is how many users have downloaded the program from PC World's Web site - the figures for Windows Defender are 374,000, which is the lowest.
Some computer radio program hosts suggest that you should run Windows Defender followed by another similar antispyware program. My experience is when I run another spyware detection program after Window Defender, nothing is ever found.
Windows Defender is my spyware detection and removal program of choice. I like it for its speed, being user-friendly, running automatically, and it has the support of the Microsoft Corp. behind it.
Jim Thornton's reviews of other anti-spyware programs can be found at www.cipcug.org on the new Reviews page. - - Editor
