Windows Defender....any good?

NorthstaNder · 30 Dec 2007 at 19:42

Hello, and a Happy New Year to you all!

I recently purchased a laptop with Vista HP 32bit installed on it. All very nice and running well etc etc.

Now on my old XP PC (now sold,

) I used Adaware and Spybot to help keep the system clear of nasties (along with NOD32 and Ashampoo firewall).

Now, I've come across Windows Defender which seems very good and all, but just how good is it?

Do you think it's still worth installing and running spybot as a backup?

Thanks!

kmufc77 · 30 Dec 2007 at 20:43

NorthstaNder said:
Hello, and a Happy New Year to you all!

I recently purchased a laptop with Vista HP 32bit installed on it. All very nice and running well etc etc.

Now on my old XP PC (now sold, ) I used Adaware and Spybot to help keep the system clear of nasties (along with NOD32 and Ashampoo firewall).

Now, I've come across Windows Defender which seems very good and all, but just how good is it?

Do you think it's still worth installing and running spybot as a backup?

Thanks!

i have defender currently running but also have spybot and ad adware, defender isnt half as good as spybot and ad adware imo

CurlyWhirly · 30 Dec 2007 at 20:59

kmufc77 said:
defender isnt half as good as spybot and ad adware imo

Agreed.

I ran it for around 6 months and it never found anything on my PC not even a spyware cookie.

Yet when I ran SpyBot, Ad-Aware or a-squared, these found some (even though they are not much to worry about)

Final8y · 30 Dec 2007 at 23:53

CurlyWhirly said:
Agreed.

I ran it for around 6 months and it never found anything on my PC not even a spyware cookie.

Yet when I ran SpyBot, Ad-Aware or a-squared, these found some (even though they are not much to worry about)

Windows Defender does not look for cookies in the first place.
And what most people call spy ware cookies are really just tracking cookies & for most part nothing to worry about & seeing how frequently we pick these up if they were a real spyware we would all be in deep**** very quickly.

You should be using at least a good ant virus program with it as does not cover that & it says so its self.

CurlyWhirly · 31 Dec 2007 at 17:46

Final8y said:
Windows Defender does not look for cookies in the first place.
And what most people call spy ware cookies are really just tracking cookies & for most part nothing to worry about & seeing how frequently we pick these up if they were a real spyware we would all be in deep**** very quickly.

Okay but this still doesn't alter the fact that nothing was found in the months I was using it.

I've ditched it now anyway.

Final8y said:
You should be using at least a good anti virus program with it as does not cover that

I do use a good anti-virus namely NOD32

huppy · 31 Dec 2007 at 17:53

doesnt vista come with windows defender?

bledd · 31 Dec 2007 at 17:53

i reckon keep it on there, but disable the real-time scanning part of it in the options, otherwise it'll scan every file as you use it (like antivirus)

i'd set it to do a weekly scan, and do manual spybot ones if you're worried

most of the prevention is down to the user though

helmutcheese · 31 Dec 2007 at 18:14

Defender hogs resources at times but not as much as full OneCare.

NorthstaNder · 31 Dec 2007 at 18:56

huppy said:
doesnt vista come with windows defender?

read the original post dude.

huppy · 31 Dec 2007 at 19:03

yeah i have.. it doesn't really say where you came across it. I was attempting to make sure you knew it did come as standard! job done i guess