Microsoft Anti-Spyware Question

[babyoh]

 :rose: i recently got the new ms anti-spyware beta 2 app WINDOWS DEFENDER.
i notice that it's icon is at the bottom of my screen (is that the SYSTEM TRAY?)
-- i think that means it's "ACTIVE"
:firefox:
any problems having this AND SpywareGuard doing "LIVE" protection at the same time?
(i haven't noticed any, but i'd OBVIOUSLY turn off the MS app before SpywareGuard, since the MS app is beta)
-----
thanks in advance, LandZ'ers :thumbsup:

[Aaron Hulett]

The system tray icon should go away unless Windows Defender needs your attention.

As with anything, having two real-time scanners running at once for the same thing could lead to issues, but offhand I don't know of any specific reasons.  I'd be interested in what you see by running both, actually.

Thanks,

Aaron
Security Technolgy Unit | Microsoft Corporation

[babyoh]

 :rose: hi aaron.
how do i TELL if Defender needs my attention? it SEEMS happy, every time i launch it...
that icon seems to Like It down there in the icon tray: the gray Castle with the Orange Circle with Black Dots in it.
:breakkie:  i just figured it's default was to stay on all the time. -- when i Right-Click it, it gives me the option to OPEN or EXIT.
** i realized i'm actually running REAL-TIME Protection from THREE things: SPYWARE GUARD, SPYWARE BLASTER **AND** ms Defender. (Prior to this, i was running MS Anti-Spyware Beta-1 with Spyware Blaster & Spyware Guard, with no isses at all.
** ...wait a sec. i take that back. Spyware Guard won't launch any more. strange. :tease:
-- if you'd like (and it wouldn't lead to any SERIOUS computer trouble), i can run SPYWARE BLASTER and Defender at the same time. (i'm thinking my S Guard has HAD it, since it won't launch -- i'll probably uninstall it, if it's Dead.)
i could also try Defender with Spybot's Tea Timer; i'm one of these maniacs who's on the computer 18+ hours at time, so if they were troubles, i'd probably know pretty quick.
    :exorcize: i have no option for turning on or off real-time protection. i read i have to be logged on as administrator to do that... how do i TELL how i'm logged on? (i know how to logon as administrator in safe mode, if i need to).
:rose: Oh: while i have the ear of a Microsoft person --
the update part of the Defender interface is a little tricky to find: Under the Help Options DOWN ARROW in the ABOUT DEFENDER box? *SHEESH*
  :rose: anyway, i've never known a Microsoft person before, so i'll try whatever you want, as long as it won't make my computer explode.
  :lol: PS - you DO know we're just kidding when we rag on MS Products, right?  :lol:

[Aaron Hulett]

If its icon is on the taskbar, it wants your attention for something.  Trust me. ;)

For finding out if you're an admin or a limited user, go to Start | Control Panel | User Accounts.  That'll tell you what kind of accounts you have.

Updating Defender - the fact it's in Help | About relates to Windows Vista.  However, if the program hasn't been updated in a few days, it'll have a message in its main window for you, along with a "Check for updates..." button.

Computer explode?  No, but this is a beta, and if something were to happen, it would be unsupported.  I *believe* the worst case would be you'd have to turn of real-time to make things happy again, and I *believe* safe mode would be the proper route.  The Windows Defender newsgroups are the place to go for questions on that.  http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/newsgroups/default.mspx

Thanks,

Aaron

[mitch]

i'm not a expert but
if you click the "wall" in the taskbar it will bring up defender and that screen tells what it doesn't like


( i am on a dialup so i  select to do the install,and it tells me about that to as it wants to be like windows update


and i don't use XP much so i have no scan and i do it, and it reminds me that it has been 3 days when i turn on the computer ;-)

but to be honest i do like defender more than the MS anti-spyware, my system boots up faster now and i do not stair at a desktop till it is fully loaded

[babyoh]

 :rose:  -when i click the Taskbar Castle, Mitch, all that happens is Defender launches and nags me: YOU HAVEN'T SCANNED YOUR COMPUTER IN FIVE DAYS! -
* THIS is what's happening *
i never SET defender to run Real-Time, but it thinks it knows BETTER than me, and TURNS ON Real-Time protection each time i LAUNCH the APP. :hysterical:
i can disable it by right-clicking the castle icon in the taskbar, and choosing EXIT; i get an alert "YOUR COMPUTER WILL BE UNPROTECTED", etc.
  -  after the install, i launched it to check it out, which must be when it went Real-Time; it's doing it now: each time i disable Real Time, it only stays disabled UNTIL i launch the app. (which seems GOOFY; i'll launch the app to run a scan or update it, NOT cuz i want to change settings !!!)
:Win73: i had a minor glitch downloading it, Aaron; at first, it didn't wanna come, because i was using Firefox. So i switched to Internet Explorer, and the download went fine. -- ...you CAN'T BEAT those Good Ol' Microsoft Products :::GRIN:::
-- by the way, i AM logged in as administrator. what was confusing me, was that there's a 2nd lower 1/2 to the Defender HELP file on this, and for some reason Opera won't scroll it via the Page Down Button; i only just discovered it existed by clicking to get down there (i upgraded my Opera browser yesterday; perhaps this a bug in 8.5)
  **   :gwave:   **  :gwave:   **
i've been surfing ever since i got Defender, with Real Time turned on, and so far no conflicts, or any problems. (my connection seems a little slower than usual, but not dramatically so. i'm on dial-up; upgrading to DSL in afew days.)
  :exorcize:
so, is everybody sure that this SHOULDN'T be happening?
...i'll visit that board, Aaron, but it sure seems like this app just wants to keep turning its Real-Time function on
(MITCH: YOUR DEFENDER DOESN'T BEHAVE THIS WAY? maybe i got one of the "Bully" Beta apps... it sure seems to me like this is the set default for the program)
:Win73:

[babyoh]

interesting..
:rose: when i change the settings in DEFENDER - TOOLS - GENERAL SETTINGS, the REAL TIME setting stays UNCHECKED, so it APPEARS to be taking the change.
but it STILL launches the icon i the task bar every time i launch the app. -- i have to right-click, and choose EXIT to get Real Time to go away.
  :hysterical: something IS buggy, tho. i just did that about 10 times in a row, and only ONE TIME it gave me the "DO YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR SETTINGS?" alert box
:rose: QUESTION: Could this be a conflict with Spyware Guard, or Spyware Blaster, or anything else?
could my app have been corrupted in the download??
:tease: - now, my down button works again in Opera. these DANG computers!  :tease:

[babyoh]

 :sos:  this is going downhill FAST...
I need to post a hijackthis log, guys - you're more familiar with my situation, if either of you have the time to check it out..
  :rose: here's what happened -
I uninstalled SPYWARE GUARD. Then, after i restarted my computer DEFENDER wouldn't run a scan. it threw this error:
"windows defender encountered an error     0x80004003. invalid pointer"
  Because i seemed to be having a few issues with it, i uninstalled Defender. then, i Turned On SPYBOT's TEATIMER. :tease:
my system was slightly off-kilter in minor ways -- as soon as i turned TEATIMER on, it alerted me that Defender was trying to delete something in the registry. But THE LOWER HALF OF THE ALERT BOX WASN'T VISIBLE.

i clicked the Alert in the upper right hand box, to close it out -- and i got this message:
2/26/2006 1:36:43 PM Denied value "Windows Defender" (new data: "") deleted in System Startup global entry!

** SOOOOOO...
looks like i'm gonna have to figure out what that value was, and edit it out of the registry key. :Win73:
- don't know how dangerous it is to have it in there, but my computer didn't seem to get along with this app, for some reason.
i'm a little concerned that i'll have trouble now when i re-boot.
:hysterical:

[Aaron Hulett]

I wish you hadn't uninstalled Windows Defender.  The error you got is most likely related to updating definitions, a known issue with this beta.  See this KB article for instructions.  Follow the steps in the Resolution section, which *should* resolve this issue.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/915105/en-us

i had a minor glitch downloading it, Aaron; at first, it didn't wanna come, because i was using Firefox. So i switched to Internet Explorer, and the download went fine. -- ...you CAN'T BEAT those Good Ol' Microsoft Products :::GRIN:::

This is due to the check for Genuine Microsoft Windows, and is by design.

[babyoh]

 :tease: well, i'm pretty sure i found a bug - or at least an issue that Defender has with Spybot. (you  may consider this a Spybot thing... ) it happened to me TWICE, and both times i got the MICROSOFT ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM, SEND-DON'T SEND alert. (i was so frustrated i clicked Don't Send - Sor-Ry!) i'd be surprised if you can't duplicate this tho...
  i DOWNLOADED Defender AGAIN, re-installed it, then UNINSTALLED IT.
i generated a hijackthis log - NO DEFENDER!  - PROBLEM SOLVED! -- NOT!
- About 1/2 an hour later, i RE-BOOTED and turned on TEATIMER - the EXACT same thing happened, only now, instead of saying this in teatimer:
2/26/2006 1:36:43 PM Denied value "Windows Defender" (new data: "") deleted in System Startup global entry!
- it says THIS:
2/26/2006 1:36:43 PM Denied value "Windows Defender" (new data: "") deleted in System Startup global entry!
2/26/2006 5:18:25 PM Denied value "Windows Defender" (new data: "") deleted in System Startup global entry!
:beg: sorry, Aaron, this thing was starting to FREAK ME OUT.  i was getting COMPUTER PANIC

** the 2nd time, i got the SAME 1/2 of an alert from Spybot -- since i couldn't tell what it said AND I DIDN'T WANT THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN, i clicked the BACK button on the top left side of the screen
.. AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED!

:shock:

you know more about this than i do, but my problem seemed different than the one desribed on the MS page you sent me to.
- i got a "windows defender encountered an error     0x80004003. invalid pointer" error, NOT a
"Windows Defender definitions haven't been updated" one.
- and, according to that page, the problem is precipitated by uninstalling and re-installing Defender, which, at that point i HADN'T done yet...
** i HAD just uninstalled SPYWARE GUARD, which either provoked this, or was just a coincidence...
sorry, dude. i feel like i let you down. maybe i'll try D again in a week or two. you and mitch seemed sure something was up with the Real-Time turning on, and then i got that error message..... I'm BLONDE, i PANIC

[Aaron Hulett]

you know more about this than i do, but my problem seemed different than the one desribed on the MS page you sent me to.
- i got a "windows defender encountered an error     0x80004003. invalid pointer" error, NOT a
"Windows Defender definitions haven't been updated" one.

Try that anyway.  If, though, it doesn't work, then from what I understand, we know what this bug is, and I believe the next released build will take care of it, although I cannot give a timeline for when that is.

Thanks for trying this out.  I do appreciate your patience.

Aaron