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Navigation Home | Windows 7 tutorials | Server 2008 tutorials | Amaya tutorials | |Maths quiz for all ages| My Downloads..
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Navigation Home | Windows 7 tutorials | Server 2008 tutorials | Amaya tutorials | |Maths quiz for all ages| My Downloads..
Windows 7
Windows Defender
Windows 7 Defender is antispyware software that comes with Windows 7 like all antispyware it will only be any good if you keep your definitions database up2date. In Windows 7 the definitions will be updated with Windows Update. You are also given the chance to update it manually before you scan which in my opinion is a good idea.
Windows Defender uses quite a lot of your system resources so it is better if you scan your PC at a time you do not want to be surfing the net.
Below you will see a screen-print of Windows Defender.
If you look at the top of Windows Defender (Screenprint) you will notice several buttons as shown below.
1, Home
2, Scan
3, History
4, Tools
The Home page which is what you can see in screenprint 1.This is where you will receive any messages you will notice mine says
"No wanted or harmful software detected your computer is running normally"
That would be the ideal message you will see all the time but as we all know that’s never the case.
Button 2, says scan if you left click on this Windows Defender will begin to scan your pc for unwanted software (Infected)
You will notice the downward pointing arrow next to the scan button if you left click on this with your mouse you will be given 3 options
1, Quick Scan (This will check specific places on your hard drive where spyware is likely to infect)
2, Full Scan (This option will scan your whole pc)
3, Custom Scan (This will give you the option to scan individual drives or folders which is quite good)
Highlight the option you want by placing a check mark in the box then left click with your mouse on the scan button
The History tab allows you to view items that Windows Defender has marked either unsafe, placed in quarantine, or items you have marked as being safe which you do not want Windows Defender to quarantine.
The Tools tab gives you several options as you will see from the screenprint below.
You will notice there are 6 links under 2 categories the first category is settings where you will see:
1, Options
2, Microsoft SpyNet
The second category has 4 links as listed below.
1, Quarantined items.
2, Windows Defender website.
3, Allowed items
4, Microsoft Malware Protection Center
Below they are explained in detail.
1, Options
If you left click with your mouse on options you will see the page below in my 3rd screenprint.
It is here you can do most of the configuration for Windows Defender:
Automatic scanning: You are given the option to set Windows Defender to scan on any particular day of the week at a certain time.
You are also given the option to choose which type of scan you would like, Full, Quick, or Custom.
Default actions: You can setup Windows Defender in such a way it knows how to handle certain risks for instance if Windows Defender considers an item to be of high risk we can set it up to remove or quarantine an item.
Real time protection: Iow alert items you can tell it to ignore, the choice is yours. There is also a setting you will see on the left of Windows Defender which will enable you to have real time protection. This will monitor your pc constantly and alert you if unwanted or risky software attempts to install itself on your pc.
Excluded files and folders: There is a good setting which allows you to tell Windows Defender not to scan a certain folder.
Excluded file types: Here you can tell Windows Defender not to scan files with a particular extension.
Advanced: Here we can tell Windows Defender to create a restore point before it makes any changes to our PC. This can be very helpful in case something is detected as being malware when in fact it is not. We then have the option to restore our pc. There is also a setting so we way have our email and any attachments scanned.
2, Microsoft SpyNet
Microsoft SpyNet basically sends Microsoft information that is on your pc regarding programs you are running. If you try to imagine how many people send their data to Microsoft it’s truly amazing. As all this data gets collected it creates a graph which people may view. This allows people to make a decision about whether or not a program is ok to run on your pc or not. For all those people that have watched "who wants to be a millionaire" it is comparable to ask the audience. It is possible Microsoft may collect unintentional private data. They will not use this information against you in any way.
The second category if you remember had 4 links:
1, Quarantined items.
2, Windows Defender website.
3, Allowed items
4, Microsoft Malware Protection Center
You will find a description of these below.
1, Quarantined items.
This is really a short term backup any items that have been refused permission to run on your pc (have been placed in quarantine) you can view them here and decide an action for them.
2, Windows Defender website.
Yes you guessed it already this is the home of Windows Defender on the net. It wonk kill you to browse this site for 5 minutes you might even learn something.
3, Allowed items
Here you will find a list of allowed items, programs you have told Windows Defender are allowed to run on your pc. It may be that you allowed a certain program to run just to see it once. BUT now you have changed your mind so by removing it from this list it will once again be monitored by Windows Defender.
4, Microsoft Malware Protection Center
This website is telling you about (MMPC) This I believe is the heart of Microsoft security. When Microsoft discover a threat this is where you will find the people to deal with it.
Well that’s it on this subject maybe you would like to go to my home page and take a look at some more topics. If there is part of my windows 7 defender tutorial you do not understand you may email me for help.
