New Version of Microsoft Spyware Remover Out

I use Microsoft AntiSpyware along with AVG and WinPatrol to secure my PC, and it works brilliantly. Although I hate having to use Windows, since I am forced to anyway, I find AntiSpyware very, very good--better than Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy andy.

I still think Webroot Spy Sweeper is the best antispyware product out there, but I just hope that Windows Defender will improve over time.

I use Spyware Doctor and it seems to be the only software that picks up more threats than any of the others. I think I will stick with it for now - after all who can trust a solution by MS who are the ones causing the problem in the first place!

Use Linux!

I currently use Defender (downloaded it last night).

It's quite Okay. I don't see any major improvements except in the Interface.

It would be swell if Defender's final version is like Spyware Docto

AntiSpyware was a good program which was improving over time. Now it's been replaced by the simplistic Windows Defender which offers minimal configuration options & surreptitious updates (sloppy uninstall too)! Microsoft has turned a useful tool turned into an intrusive toy - not impressed.

>> Use Linux!

Sure! Tell that to grandma who knows how to use a computer running with Windows... >:|

Defender does not appear to be an improvment.
The whole update thing with this program stinks.
If it's not broke don't fix it!
I wish I had never installed Defender because now I have lost MS Anti-Spyware and have had to uninstall Defender.
As a point of interest has anyone managed to update Defender yet?

All it did for me was remove file sharing sites
saying they were dangerous. But it seemed to
miss 13 spyware items that ad-aware found. I un-installed defender.

Windows Defender is surely a major improvement. Unlike Antispyware Beta, Windows Defender now can show you process hashes where you can determine whether the processes running on your computer are legitimate or not. It also boasts a less intrusive system change notifications where all of them are confined within a single window. The previous notification system pops up alerts frequently where users will get annoyed if they have a lot of spywares on their computers. However, one major disappointment is they way it updates its signatures. Now, instead of doing it automatically, it will just warn you that an update has been downloaded and you have to manually install it just like the Windows Update feature. Click on the yellow shield icon and click install. Not so much better than its predecessor. Nevertheless, Windows Defender is still a great add-on protection for your computer and the best of all its free...for the time being.

Hi,

Glad so many other users are having problems updating Windows Defender - otherwise I'd maybe think it was something that I'm doing - or not doing...

Defender tells me '...definitions haven't been updated for 34 days'. I've tried clicking on the 'Check for Updates' button on the home page and the 'Help Options ...> About Windows Defender ...>Check for Updates' but no luck.

Whenever I try to download updates Windows Defender tells me it's connecting to the Internet to aquire new definitions and engine upgrades but a couple of seconds later I get the message that Windows Defender was 'unable to complete the update:0x8007064c. The installation source for this product is not available. Verify that the source exists and that you can access it'

If the problem is my PC the only thing I can think of is a firewall issue. I have momentarily disabled my Windows Firewall and Zone Alarm but to no avail.

Incidentally I have Windows updates on automatic and I get all other updates without any problems.

I believe there ARE people out there satisfactorily downloading and installing updates - wish I knew what you're doing that I'm not !!!

Ah well, the previous versison worked so well too...

Needless to say I've still got the old favourites Adaware & Spybot, hopefully MS will eventually sort this problem out.

Hi,

Sorry but forgot to mention - I have uninstalled Defender (including clearing out references to the programme left behind in the registry by the uninstaller) and reinstalled.

Nothing changes - Defender will still not update.

I have installed Windows Defender on four computers. I too have been unable to update Windows Defender using the "Check for Updates" button on the program. The Microsoft Knowledge Base (915597) provides a clue to the problem. "Microsoft delivers these updates by using Microsoft Windows Update, Automatic Updates, and Windows Server Update Service (WSUS)." If you use any of these services the program will update. Simply go to (http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us) and do an update.

Hi Kristofer,

Thanks for the reply.

I have Automatic Updates turned ON

(the relevant MS page confirms this - 'Your computer is set to receive security & critical updates automatically')

I regularly automatically download and install updates - but none for Defender...

Defender now tells me it hasn't been updated for 37 days.

Very strange...

Thanks again for your reply,

John

I ahve the same problem defender wont update...manually updating throught windows update says its donloaded ok and installed but then I keep getting the bubble saying definitions are out of date...when updating from defender its sel i get the can't update error...

Here's how to fix the no-update problem with Windows Defender: Start>run...copy the following: (without the quotes) "Msiexec /x {A5CC2A09-E9D3-49EC-923D-03874BBD4C2C}"....then click OK. It worked for me, after spending half a day of frustration.

pjblevin

Did a cut and paste and it asked me if I wanted to uninstall the product and then told me it was on an unavailable cd. That's not exactly going to fix anything.

Hi pjblevin,

Thanks for the suggestion - I had tried that before (saw it on the web someplace...) but it does nothing for me...

Like midw37 I did a cut and paste and got the message:-

"Are you sure you want to uninstall this product?"

When I clicked on YES I got the same message:-

"The feature you are trying to use is on a CD-ROM or other removable disk that is not available. Insert the disk and click OK"

So unless I'm missing something obvious that's not the answer.

Incidentally I think the above 'fix' originally came from Microsoft so with respect it doesn't exactly fill me with confidence !!!

Meanwhile Defender tells me the definitions have not been updated for 43 days...

John

The "Msiexec /x {A5CC2A09-E9D3-49EC-923D-03874BBD4C2C}" fix worked for me. I was having the same problems as everyone else. Uninstalled/reinstalled still no updated defs. The unavailable cd thing might be related to msiexec (windows installed) not being installed properly.

The Msiexec /x {A5CC2A09-E9D3-49EC-923D-03874BBD4C2C}" fix worked for me too, now can get updates (if available). While I am no MS basher, I am really unimpressed with Defender, the product they purchased with GIANT was fine before MS started messing with it. I have a whole list of problems, way too many to post here, but worst of all it has different problems on different machines, all running basically the same software and hardware configurations. I have it on 6 machines, and each installation exhibits a different problem with Defender. I think uninstall will be best until the next version.

ok, so here is whats up with my windows defender beta. it said "defender has not been updated for 14 days" when i click on check for updates, it comes back saying "your windows defender is running the latest updated definitions and search engines", but it still would not take away the "defender has not been updated for 14 days" which pissed me off because i knew it was updated and i rly hate having shit like that in my tray.

however, i ran the /x "{A5CC2A09-E9D3-49EC-923D-03874BBD4C2C}" fix and it worked like a charm. thanks pjblevin

The only issue I have ran into with using Defender is after a scan came up with no spyware I scaned again using spybot. Spybot came up with 48 different spyware programs. Either Defender's scanning is messed up or the program just sucks.

I updated to Defender from the former better version. Now I have a computer that runs like a 486 not a P4! The program hogs all the resources up to 90%. I can't wait to find something better!

I also ran the /x {....} "fix", and got a error message about some CD disk. I clicked "OK" just for the heck of it, then another error message came up and asked for the location of the "As_Sigs.msi" file. I did a search and found the file was in the ..\program files\windows defender.. Folder. After I pointed the error to that location, I tried updating again. It actually worked!? So anyway, I hope this might help.

I updated to Windows Defender (beta 2) and had big hopes for it. I have been able to update fine but here are the two problems:
First, every time I turn on my computer, the Windows Defender (WD) shows something labeled as Possible Hosts File Hijack. It sounds bad huh? There's very little info about it on my WD so I don't know what it is. I've followed all the recommends: clean, remove, quarantine, and ignore. It's there every time. So, the next problem: I tried to contact MS on the WD website but can't find any way to contact them. That's not good when a company prevents customers from contacting them. I check MS home website and eventually find a 24 hour phone number for WD. When I call, I get someone in Inda who doesn't seem to understand me. She tells me she can't help me because I didn't say I had a virus so, I tell her I'm calling about a virus. She says she'll open a case and transfer me to tech support. Then she says they're not open. I remind her they're open 24/7 so she says just a minute and then tells me the computers are updating. I'll have to call back during operating hours. What kind of service is that?!!! I feel like they're avoiding any customer contact. So, I'm going to try to call them again and if they give me any grief, I'm disconnecting Windows Defender. It hasn't helped me anyway. I just wish there was some way to let MS know how I feel. Maybe someone from their company will read this. Probably not.

think different. buy mac ;-)