WINDOWS DEFENDER NEVER FINDS INFECTIONS

[Obtrunco]

I have been using WinDefender for at least two years in Windows XP and now
Vista, but it never finds any type of infection in my PC (not that I want
one, just want to see that it really helps). In comparison, other software
like AVG and McAffee can always find some on occassion. Has anybody had
better luck with this thing? I have already uninstalled it from XP and
thinking of doing this for Vista seems to me it only a waste of disk space
or that Microsoft uses it to monitor your PC. I see the same thing happening
with the famous "Malicious Removal Tool", it never seems to find anything
either. What Gives????
--
EAL

 

[PA Bear]

Windows Defender is not an anti-virus application. Ditto for the Malicious
Software Removal tool.

Windows Defender cannot be uninstalled in Vista.

Microsoft has established separate newsgroups for Windows Defender support
and comments. This is not one of them.

See
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/newsgroups/default.mspx
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/


Obtrunco wrote:
> I have been using WinDefender for at least two years in Windows XP and now
> Vista, but it never finds any type of infection in my PC (not that I want
> one, just want to see that it really helps). In comparison, other software
> like AVG and McAffee can always find some on occassion. Has anybody had
> better luck with this thing? I have already uninstalled it from XP and
> thinking of doing this for Vista seems to me it only a waste of disk
> space
> or that Microsoft uses it to monitor your PC. I see the same thing
> happening
> with the famous "Malicious Removal Tool", it never seems to find anything
> either. What Gives????

 

[twacapt@hotmail.com]

On Dec 26, 2:05 am, "PA Bear" <PABear...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Windows Defender is not an anti-virus application.  Ditto for the Malicious
> Software Removal tool.
>
> Windows Defender cannot be uninstalled in Vista.
>
> Microsoft has established separate newsgroups for Windows Defender support
> and comments. This is not one of them.

I think, Mr. Bear, that what Obtrunco meant was that Windows Defender
never found spyware or anything else. That has also been true in my
experience. You seem to be annoyed that someone would post a message
concerning such in this forum. Do you assert that the forum you
mention is the only place it is proper to post messages pertaining to
this program. If so, please cite your authority to so assert.

Back to Windows Defender, I tried it when it first appeared under some
other name, I forget what. I made direct comparisons with Ad-Aware and
Spybot, and ran it immediately before one or the other of those
programs on several occasions. On every occasion, the Windows program
detected 0 spyware, while the other programs, ran immediately after,
detected 15 or 20 each if memory serves. That was the reason I
concluded that this program was useless, and uninstalled it. I have
recently tried it again with the same results, this time comparing it
with Spy Sweeper. I still have it, but not for much longer. So there
you are.

 

[PA Bear]

twacapt@hotmail.com wrote:
> On Dec 26, 2:05 am, "PA Bear" <PABear...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Windows Defender is not an anti-virus application. Ditto for the
>> Malicious
>> Software Removal tool.
>>
>> Windows Defender cannot be uninstalled in Vista.
>>
>> Microsoft has established separate newsgroups for Windows Defender
>> support
>> and comments. This is not one of them.
<paste>
> See
> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/newsgroups/default.mspx
>
Obtrunco wrote:
> I have been using WinDefender for at least two years in Windows XP and now
> Vista, but it never finds any type of infection in my PC (not that I want
> one, just want to see that it really helps). In comparison, other software
> like AVG and McAffee can always find some on occassion. Has anybody had
> better luck with this thing? I have already uninstalled it from XP and
> thinking of doing this for Vista seems to me it only a waste of disk
> space
> or that Microsoft uses it to monitor your PC. I see the same thing
> happening
> with the famous "Malicious Removal Tool", it never seems to find anything
> either. What Gives????
</paste>
>
> I think, Mr. Bear, that what Obtrunco meant was that Windows Defender
> never found spyware or anything else. That has also been true in my
> experience. You seem to be annoyed that someone would post a message
> concerning such in this forum. Do you assert that the forum you
> mention is the only place it is proper to post messages pertaining to
> this program. If so, please cite your authority to so assert.
>
> Back to Windows Defender, I tried it when it first appeared under some
> other name, I forget what. I made direct comparisons with Ad-Aware and
> Spybot, and ran it immediately before one or the other of those
> programs on several occasions. On every occasion, the Windows program
> detected 0 spyware, while the other programs, ran immediately after,
> detected 15 or 20 each if memory serves. That was the reason I
> concluded that this program was useless, and uninstalled it. I have
> recently tried it again with the same results, this time comparing it
> with Spy Sweeper. I still have it, but not for much longer. So there
> you are.

If that's what OP meant, he should have said so. If you re-read OP's post
(which you neglected to quote), he was comparing Defender to AVG and McAfee
(anti-virus applications, one assumes), so my reply was pertinent: Defender
is not an anti-virus application.

If one needs assistance with or has a question about Defender, the
Defender-specific newsgroups are the best place to post.

The beta MS Anti-Spyware pales in comparison to Windows Defender final
release.

Every anti-spyware app "looks" for different things. Just as Ad-Aware will
find stuff that Spybot doesn't, both of those apps will find stuff that
Defender doesn't even "look for" (e.g., cookies)...and vice versa. For
example, Defender has had a much better track record than either Ad-Aware or
Spybot when it comes to detecting and removing Trojan/Zlob (AKA SmitFraud)
infections.

Defender includes real-time protection by default Ad-Aware (free) doesn't
Spybot does but it's not enabled by default.

Defender automatically updates itself twice a week Ad-Aware and Spybot
(free) don't.

It's best to take a multi-pronged approach to protection against
spyware/malware/adware (e.g., http://www.dslreports.com/faq/8463).

Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/computer/default.mspx

Learn how to protect your PC by taking three simple steps
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=3AD23728-4973-4DA5-9836-602954130D38
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

 

[twacapt@hotmail.com]

On Dec 31, 2:01 pm, twac...@hotmail.com wrote:
> On Dec 26, 2:05 am, "PA Bear" <PABear...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Windows Defender is not an anti-virus application.  Ditto for the Malicious
> > Software Removal tool.
>
> > Windows Defender cannot be uninstalled in Vista.
>
> > Microsoft has established separate newsgroups for Windows Defender support
> > and comments. This is not one of them.
>
> I think, Mr. Bear, that what Obtrunco meant was that Windows Defender
> never found spyware or anything else. That has also been true in my
> experience. You seem to be annoyed that someone would post a message
> concerning such in this forum. Do you assert that the forum you
> mention is the only place it is proper to post messages pertaining to
> this program. If so, please cite your authority to so assert.
>
> Back to Windows Defender, I tried it when it first appeared under some
> other name, I forget what. I made direct comparisons with Ad-Aware and
> Spybot, and ran it immediately before one or the other of those
> programs on several occasions. On every occasion, the Windows program
> detected 0 spyware, while the other programs, ran immediately after,
> detected 15 or 20 each if memory serves. That was the reason I
> concluded that this program was useless, and uninstalled it. I have
> recently tried it again with the same results, this time comparing it
> with Spy Sweeper. I still have it, but not for much longer. So there
> you are.

Ahhh.... I must have hit the "Reply to author" button instead of
"Reply," so this reply must have been sent to him. Sorry.
----------------------------
Thanks for your reply. On rereading the original post I see the poster
did refer to AVG and McAfee, which I had neglected to notice when I
first read it. On the subject of spyware, however, I reiterate that
Defender has yet to find a single instance of such on my machine,
either in its previous form or in its present incarnation. I have
currently removed both Ad-Aware and Spybot from my machine, and
decided to use Defender and Spy Sweeper for that purpose. I have
purposely set Defender to run before Spy Sweeper, and it has yet to
find any spyware at all, while Spy Sweeper always finds 15 or 20. I
note your statement that Defender doesn't look for cookies, so that
may explain it, but it would seem that it would find something at some
time or the other.
Anyway, I don't really have a question or need assistance with this
program, I was just citing my experience with it. I guess it won't
hurt to keep it for awhile, who knows, someday it may actually find
something.