Quick one... Windows Defender.

[Firegod]

Does this *need* to be running at startup? (i.e. in msconfig).

Would I be at risk if I disable it from starting when the PC does? I have spybot installed which runs like that tea timer defence in the background and also have the HOSTS files up-to-date, as well as the Windows Firewall / Nod32 and my Router.

Cheers.

 

[Snakedoctor]

I would leave it on tbh. It does a very good job of keeping spyware away. I dont use Tea timer but have spybot and it only ever find one or two things after weeks of browsing. I do tend to only visit "safe" sites.

 

[edscdk]

Defender has a entry in the run key and a service, if you only take one out you will get an anoying error on boot.. IIRC... make sure you remove both is you are getting rid of it..

 

[bledd]

that means you've got 3 programs scanning everything you do!

turn off the spybot resident scanner
turn off defender real-time scanner

when's the last time ANY of them stopped anything for you ? (ie when's the last time you opened a lame exe or dumb website... never, exactly)