Windows defender removal issue

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Guest

I have been using windows defender for ages and has given me no problems
whatsoever. It all runs smoothly.

however, a post on this newsgroup said that windows defender can delete
important documents and files without your permission and as a result these
files cannot be retrieved. Is this true and a habit of windows defender?

as a precaution, I have now uninstalled windows defender so that this shall
not occur. I have so many importent college documents stored on my laptop I
am not willing to take this risk

I will only re-install windows defender as it is good protection if I know
if this issue false and is not a habit of windows defender.
 
-Hi Jules

You can significantly reduce the risk of losing anything by unchecking the
box "apply default actions to items detected during a scan" -
Tools->Options->Automatic scanning

I am not a Microsoft person. This is a Beta. Enough said. Even under non
Beta conditions, you should consider the possibility of theft and hard drive
failure. Blank CD-R medium cost as little as 6 cents each and DVD-R around
40 cents in quantities of 100. This is a small price to pay. Consider a
backup strategy. You don't have to spend a lot of bucks on a sophisticated
backup program. There are a lot of free ones out there. I refuse to make
any specific recommendations. It's a personal issue as to what suits your
needs.
 
Thanks for that information. My work is backed up on a network however i
willl uncheck that box when I reinstall defender. However, is it true that
files can be deleted, even word documents, without your permission by
defender. i am still not sure whether to install defender if this problem
does exist.
 
I remember the post. I can not substantiate it and have not observed the
problem. If it were a common problem, I would expect to see more posts on
the issue. The reason I told you to uncheck apply default actions is that WD
will delete the appropriate files and folders for a high threat without
asking you first. There is no quarantine under these conditions. While this
may be appropriate for some, I have found that in any war against spyware
there may be friendly fire. Unchecking this option would be consistent with
your concerns indicated in your initial post. If you're looking for a 100%
guarantee, I can not give you one. Again, this is a Beta and the risks are
inherent. I personally would continue to use Windows Defender.
 
Mr Cat

I have read that no spyware program, even windows defender, catches all
spyware. Therefore recommendations are to have more then one spyware
protector. Is this a good idea?

I use firefox when I can and try not to use internet explorer
I have reinstalled windows defender
I use norton antivirus 2003
Do I need another spyware protector?

Since I can use BT yahoo's free services, should i try Bt Yahoo anti-spy.
But the btyahoo antispy seems to scan everything wihin a minute of initiating
a scan. Is it doing a thorough job? finally I notice it appears in the task
bar of internet explorer. Does that mean it monitors my system or when i am
just surfing the internet using internet explorer, does it block incoming
spyware when youre not surfing the internet?

Ad Aware seems popular. Is that any good. I do know i have to pay for
automatic updating and monitoring but windows defender monitors my system
anyway.
 
Jules, I wish I could give you a simple answer. I use several right now, but
my objective is to narrow the field down to one. Hopefully that will be
Windows Defender. Yahoo Anti-Spy on the Yahoo Toolbar is really Pest Patrol.
You must initiate the scan and it is a quick scan. When you talk about Ewido
and Lava Soft, you can opt for the free stuff or pay for the automatic
updating and their version of real-time protection. Here's where it gets
confusing. WD real time protection is not a mature product yet. I would
currently classify it as a real time alert mechanism. Remember this is still
a Beta. There may be conflicts using several products concurrently with
their forms of real time protection turned on. You've probably looked at
some posts about Norton. ISPs are providing anti-spyware packages that have
scanning and real time protection. The AOL browser has a limited spyware
check built into it. AOL also has a real time component. All the major
players have come out with security suites that contain anti-virus and some
form of spyware protection. The market place is changing and so are the
products. I still think the best strategy is to be careful about what
software you download, apply security software fixes regularly and
periodically run scans. My experience has been that the majority of people
who experience problems are " download happy". Sometimes they are aware of
the risks and sometimes they are "duped". I'm gonna get a lot of flack from
these statements. So what's the best product to use? I'm still looking. In
the meantime, I will continue to run scans with WD, a-squared, Ewido,
LavaSoft anti-spyware, and Spybot Search and Destroy. In my case, when it
comes to real time protection, the jury is still out.
 
Based upon your questions, you are on the right track. It doesn't hurt to be
cautious, but there are limits. If you are spending large amounts of time
and resources attending to malware, then something is awry. Pick a good
product and be done with it. If you catch a virus or malware and you can't
easily remove it, then rebuild your system and re-apply your personal data
(which has been backed up of course). Good luck.
 
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