Windows Defender updated 23/5/07

Windows Defender
Brief Description
Windows Defender is a free program that helps you stay productive by protecting your computer against pop-ups, slow performance and security threats caused by spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Windows Defender no longer supports Windows 2000 as mainstream support ended in June 2005.

Overview
This is the most current release of Windows Defender. If Windows Defender informed you that an update is available, you are running an older version. We encourage you to upgrade to this version. You can check your version of Windows Defender by clicking the down arrow next to the help icon and choosing ‘About Windows Defender’.

This release includes enhanced features that reflect ongoing input from customers, as well as Microsoft’s growing understanding of the malicious software landscape.

To download the x64 version of Windows Defender, click here.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...14-6FFE-4FAD-8CA5-74F236E9283B&displaylang=en

Specific features of Windows Defender include:

A redesigned and simplified user interface – Incorporating feedback from our customers, the Windows Defender UI has been redesigned to make common tasks easier to accomplish with a warning system that adapts alert levels according to the severity of a threat so that it is less intrusive overall, but still ensures the user does not miss the most urgent alerts.

Improved detection and removal – Based on a new engine, Windows Defender is able to detect and remove more threats posed by spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Real Time Protection has also been enhanced to better monitor key points in the operating system for changes.

Protection for all users – Windows Defender can be run by all users on a computer with or without administrative privileges. This ensures that all users on a computer are protected by Windows Defender.

Support for 64-bit platforms and accessibility - Windows Defender supports accessibility and 64-bit platforms. Please be sure to use WindowsDefenderX64.msi for 64-bit platforms.

Delta definition updates - Windows Defender now downloads smaller delta definition updates when possible which reduces the time required to download and install definition updates. Customers can expect shorter download times when updating their definition updates.

Free Limited Support - As a part of our commitment to the security of our customers, Microsoft is offering two free support incidents relating to Windows Defender on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Examples of valid support scenarios are installation, configuration, definition update, detection and removal errors. Please refer to the Windows Defender support policy for more information.

WGA enforcement - There are significant risks to running non-genuine Windows. Only genuine Windows customers can receive product downloads, Windows updates and special offers. Windows Defender will validate that your copy of Windows is genuine before installation. Furthermore, Windows Defender will only remove Severe threats for machines that are not genuine. Low, Medium and High threats will be detected, but not removed unless your copy of Windows is genuine. For more information, please visit The Windows Genuine Advantage.

Important Notes

Windows Defender no longer supports Windows 2000 as it went out of mainstream support in June 2005. Please refer to the support lifecycle website for more information.

Access to Newsgroups:
In addition to phone support we also have newsgroups to help get your questions answered.
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/sec...&cr=US&r=33d293cc-19b6-404b-865b-565a73822c7f

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e7-da2b-4a6a-afa4-f7f14e605a0d&DisplayLang=en

 

Cheers Nick for the update.

@Bug, while I honestly think Defender can be much much better ( it does have some nice touches in a method of controlling startups built in ), with a secure system, there should be nothing for your security apps to do apart from Update and Scan, the apps that tend to highlight things are in main only highlighting tracking cookies to scare the user into thinking this app is good and doing its job, while in reality its doing nothing more than Defender.

MS are having a major push into the malware market, with OneCare, Forefront and Antigen, back two more business orientated, however the issue with making OneCare free is that the other 3rd party AV companies as in Symantec, McAfee et al, will all cry anti-trust, so MS have no option other than to charge for this, within the yearly subscription it does allow you to add this software to Max 3 PCs which isnt bad.

OneCare has just entered a perpetual beta, in which invited testers can feedback issues to the team daily, so that rather than being a fixed term beta this software is under development all the time, with no end date stated as yet, with a fairly large team behind it, it will get better.