Installing or accessing Defender on Windows 2008 Server

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kevin Burton
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K

Kevin Burton

I downloaded the 64bit version of Windows defender (.msi) and when I run it I
get a dialog box indicating that I do not need to install Defender because it
is already installed on 'Vista' and I can access it from the Control
Panel->Security section. The problem with this is that for Windows 2008
Server there isn't a security section on the control panel. Please advise.

Thank you.

Kevin
 
Hmm - I just finished installing SBS-2008 on my desktop in the other room,
but it is shut down. I ran the 64 bit server 2008 version on a desktop at
work for about a month, but it was needed for a user, so I blew it away.

I believe Defender is there, and built-in.

There must be a direct way to access this, but I don't know it.

On the Server 2008 install, I had installed the Server version of OneCare
(now in imminent demise!) SBS comes with that automatically installing, and
both of those disable Defender because they essentially have it built in.

If you don't spot this yourself, or find a less hare-brained responder, I
can check on this tomorrow evening when I fire up the SBS install again--but
I'm quitting for the night now.
 
I was unable to find it. I don't see it in on the control panel (unlike
Vista where it is clearly visible). Any tips?

Kevin
 
OK - I'll look for it tonight on the SBS install. I can't get into that
machine remotely. I can wake it up, but it is set to boot into Vista by
default, so I have to be at home to boot into the SBS partition.

I'd expect it to simply be in the start, all programs list, alphabetically
under Windows Defender--in the straight program name section, not in the
folders.
 
I haven't finished my reboot, but I think I have the answer.

Control panel, enable or disable windows features
add feature

"desktop experience"

Defender is part of the desktop experience feature, it looks like. The
install of 2008 I had at work was in fact, on a desktop machine--quad
processor chip, 4 gigs, but a desktop--just as my SBS install at home is.

So--check out the desktop experience and see what is in there. I haven't
looked into this too closely. I suspect that if you are building a real
server where security is paramount, you don't want to add this feature, but
I haven't looked at just what it adds--probably sound as well as Defender...
 
and, indeed, desktop experience installs media player, and about 30 seconds
later comes a critical update for a remotely exploitable vuln in it.

So--this adds to the surface exposure, but it also adds defender, and I
s'pose you can kill pieces you don't intend to use.
 
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