WinDefender:deleted old, help me understand why I should even ....

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Guest

OK, I'm new here. Have WinXP home,sp2, always automatically download updates
from MS, but opt to leave installation choices to me. Usually install
everything. Got the same problem everyone else did w/WinDefender at year's
end. So I just uninstalled old WinDefender. Frankly, even though I always
installed updates before, I never initiated specific use of the thing. It
just sat there. This computer is behind my router and I use AdaWare and
Grisoft AVG. I really don't understand WinDefender and now find myself
reluctant to, "take the chance," of downloading the new version for fear of
fouling something up. AND, do I really need, "windows installation cleanup
utility," first? Maybe I just need encouragement that all this is worth it.
Thanks for listening, Dennis
 
Hello Dennis,

Do what make you feel confortable.

If you practise safe Hex, I suppose you are OK without Windows Defender.

I suggest to add Spybot Search & Destroy, SpywareBlaster, SiteAdvisor.

I don't think you need the Windows installation clean up utility, you can
use CCleaner
better.

Here are links about "Safe Hex":

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=27971 - So How Did I Get
Infected Anyway?
http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Introduction
http://www.claymania.com/safe-hex.html
http://www.aumha.org/a/parasite.htm - The Parasite Fight
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2006/02/05/82584.aspx - MVP
Harry Waldron - The Family PC - How to stay safe on the Internet
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm - Eric Howes on
Rogue Antispyware Programs
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/default.asp - Protect Your PC
http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/ - Home Computer
Security

Spybot S&D - http://www.safer-networking.org/
SpyBot S&D has one cool tool built into it called TeaTimer'.

The TeaTimer monitors the system continuously, protecting system files and
the registry from malware.

SpyBot S&D also adds a browser helper object (BHO) to Internet Explorer.

By using this, SpyBot S&D blocks the bad downloads (like installation of
ActiveX components or other BHOs installed by spyware without the user's
knowledge) automatically.

These two programs (Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware)are a "must have" on every
computer.


SpywareBlaster - http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
JavaCool's free SpywareBlaster automatically adds a lengthy list of
dangerous addresses to IE's Restricted sites.

SpywareBlaster is compatible with AOL's browser; it also works with current
versions of the Netscape, Firefox, and Mozilla browsers.

Its most recent iteration is SpywareBlaster 3.5.1

Protect your browsers from hijacking.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/tutorial49.html

SpywareBlaster will block bad ActiveX and harmful cookies from getting on to
your PC in the first place.

Just download and install the program.

Open SpywareBlaster, check for and download updates, then 'select all' to
protect against all items checked.

That's it! Just return to check for updates every couple of weeks.

SpywareBlaster prevents the installation of malwares onto your system.

SpywareBlaster is a tool that is run once, vs continual running in the
background.

Its working principle can be described as follows: many spyware and
hijackers make certain registry entries and are identified by CLSIDs.

SpywareBlaster has a database of these bad CLSIDs.

When you run SpywareBlaster once, it sets the kill bit of the bad CLSID as
"1".

This means the specific CLSID is killed, or not allowed to register,
preventing installation of the spyware.

SpyBot S&D has a similar feature.

Spywareblaster also has a minor feature of importing a list of blacklisted
cookies into Firefox.



Siteadvisor
http://www.siteadvisor.com/preview/
Working on the principle that prevention is better than cure.

I quote Stu--a regular contributor here:

There is an excellent BHO available - `McAfee Site Advisor` which will give
you fair warning when you are about to visit a dangerous site.

When you search Google/MSN/Yahoo all links are highlighted in a colour code
according to danger levels.

If you see red for example - don`t even go there.

If, on the otherhand, you are just surfing the unobtrusive button will give
you fair warning by changing to the appropriate colour.

There is also a reporting mechanism of dubious sites which are then
investigated and added to the database. BTW its free and I have no finacial
interest ;-)


http://www.ccleaner.com/downloadbuilds.asp
Ccleaner - http://www.ccleaner.com

Note, When you install Ccleaner, uncheck the Yahoo toolbar option.

Note: uncheck Windows Defender in the applications.


CCleaner even has a built-in Registry Cleaner. It's not the best (not
CCleaner's main function), but it will find invaild registry entries that
most Registry Cleaners will not.

Unlike the Disk Cleaners with a Registry Cleaner, CCleaner does really fast
scanning for Registry Issues.

The reason is CCleaner doesn't want to effect Windows performance or effect
any applications. It's better to be safe than sorry!

and do a scan with all the check marks on.

Open Ccleaner and press "Windows" "Aplications" and Run Cleaner from the
menu choose 'Issues' and then press scan for issues, Repair any fºund.
Run twice Ccleaner, the same as above,until you get “No Issues were foundâ€.


http://safety.live.com/site/en-US/default.htm
Look for the broom Clean up, also Tune Up..


For the benefit of the community reading this post, please rate the pºst.

I hope this post is helpful.

Let us know how it works ºut.

Еиçеl
 
"
Thanks, Engel:
So It's really a matter of personal internet-safety decisions, windows
defender being only a part of the whole picture. I wonder how valuable WD
actually is? It's not that I am avoiding it specifically, but I like to have
an idea of what I'm getting into. Since I deleted the non-working version, I
can take a moment to decide now what is best for my situation.

I have marked all your suggestions and will go through them one-at-a-time.
Thank you for writing all this up.

Still uncertain of pros/cons of WD.

Dennis
 
DennisT said:
Still uncertain of pros/cons of WD.
Click to expand...

Hi Dennis. Judging from your posts, I'd say you're in a similar state as I
was just a few months ago - very uncertain about what was really necessary,
and suspicious of programs that might mess my system up and leave me
helplessly baffled. I particularly sympathise with your comment about not
understanding Windows Defender - this is a general problem of communication
that Microsoft are still a long, long way from solving, and I'm afraid my own
repeated comments about it on this newgroup have had little visible impact.

Engel's advice is simply excellent, and you could do a lot worse than to
follow it. But before you write off Defender, consider that it isn't just
another scanner. It does offer free real-time protection with a relatively
light touch. It's very comforting to know it's keeping its quiet vigil in the
background, in conjunction with the antispyware component of AVG, and they
seem to work well together. It's true that some people have encountered
problems - the evidence is all over this newsgroup - but remember, this is a
place where people will come who do have problems. The millions who aren't
having any problems, stay away.

So it is a really good idea to have either Defender or Spybot running with
real-time protection if you have nothing else doing so. But do have one of
them. For another effective free scanner (no real time protection though),
you might like to consider Superantispyware, which you can download at
http://www.superantispyware.com/. It's elegant, simple to use, and so far
I've never had a single false positive report from it. But in at least one
recent case reported here, it found genuine spyware that nothing else was
able to detect.

Good luck.
 
Engel:
Thank you again for all your info. After considering a lot of things I went
back and installed the current Windows Defender. I had un-installed the old,
so putting in the new was not a bad experience. I will now look into Spy-bot
and the other things you mentioned.

Thanks again, Dennis
 
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