I have been using MS Security Essentials for years but now I have Windows 8 Pro and it seems MS won't allow you to install Security Essentials. They consider Windows Defender as the same protection. It does sorta look the same to me now that I look at it but when trying to scan folders / files, there is no right-click "Scan with Windows Defender" option. There are many websites with registry hacks and even one that has an automatic registry tool that does it for you BUT when I activate "Scan with Windows Defender" a small DOS box open and it says Scanning..... with no GUI or user input. When it's done the DOS box closes. Hey, I want user interaction like I had before with Security Essentials.
Why not use a different free AV program? Avast! has a right-click context-menu scan option, and the option to make the scan visible. http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
blueribb
Ancient Member
posted: Feb. 1, 2013 @ 12:20p
Thanks - I may have to resort to another program but I really like MS Security Essentials and would stick with Windows Defender if it had the context menu option. I wonder why MS didn't include it.
Windows Defender is included with Windows 8 and looks / works identical to MS Security Essentials. I just miss the context menu use for folders and files.
MS blocks downloads of Security Essentials to Win 8 users. I guess I could download it on another machine but it may not even install on Win8.
marsilies
Senior Member - 2K
posted: Feb. 1, 2013 @ 1:59p
ellory said: You have it backwards I think. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Defender Defender is discontinued. This is why you see odd behavior No, from the Wikipedia link In Windows 8, however, it is upgraded to an antivirus program.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/protect_defende... As for why they removed the context menu option: There's general agreement... that the combination of real-time protection and tracking by MSE of which specific files have been scanned since the last time real-time was disabled precludes the need for individual file scans.
In other words, since every file is now always scanned upon read as well as write unless the system is certain the file hasn't changed since it was last scanned, there isn't a reason that single file scanning is required.
blueribb
Ancient Member
posted: Feb. 1, 2013 @ 2:51p
I pull infected hard drives from my customers machines and before extracting their data, I scan the folders I am backing up. Now that the "scan with" option is gone from the context menu I have to open and run a custom scan which adds additional time. Microsoft's reason for not including the "scan with" option sucks (imo)
blueribb
Ancient Member
posted: Feb. 1, 2013 @ 3:29p
I couldn't find a way to uninstall Windows Defender so I started "services" and disabled it from running. I installed the latest Avast (haven't tried it in years) and it works fine. The "Scan with" option is back in my context menu (yeah)
marsilies
Senior Member - 2K
posted: Feb. 1, 2013 @ 4:08p
blueribb said: I couldn't find a way to uninstall Windows Defender so I started "services" and disabled it from running. I installed the latest Avast (haven't tried it in years) and it works fine. The "Scan with" option is back in my context menu (yeah)
I don't think you manually had to disable Defender, Avast would likely have disabled it on install (like it does with Defender in Windows 7). Otherwise, I'm glad your problem is fixed.
minidrag
Senior Member - 4K
posted: Feb. 2, 2013 @ 6:02a
blueribb said: I pull infected hard drives from my customers machines and before extracting their data, I scan the folders I am backing upMSE is a pretty weak scanner. While it may be ok for the average person to keep on their PC I certainly wouldn't use it to scan my customer's machines with any feeling of confidence. I get infected machines in my shop all the time and many of them are running MSE. It's about as good as any other freebie out there, just not something I would trust for what you are using it for.
Or maybe I read this wrong. Is this data extraction from infected machines? Or are you just pulling data for some other reason? If I have no reason to suspect an infection I don't scan at all.
blueribb
Ancient Member
posted: Feb. 2, 2013 @ 8:19a
minidrag said: blueribb said: I pull infected hard drives from my customers machines and before extracting their data, I scan the folders I am backing upMSE is a pretty weak scanner. While it may be ok for the average person to keep on their PC I certainly wouldn't use it to scan my customer's machines with any feeling of confidence. I get infected machines in my shop all the time and many of them are running MSE. It's about as good as any other freebie out there, just not something I would trust for what you are using it for.
Or maybe I read this wrong. Is this data extraction from infected machines? Or are you just pulling data for some other reason? If I have no reason to suspect an infection I don't scan at all.
90% of my work is removing viruses. Long ago I decided a better way to deal with them. I pull their hard drive and extract (back-up) "My Documents" and any additional data they request to my shop's computer for storage (90 days). I also provide a copy of their data on a blank CD or DVD (if under 8gb). During this data extraction, I often scan all data that I back-up for them. I don't want my shop computer or the data backup disk containing a virus or malware. Then I format their hard drive and reinstall everything. Yes, it's time consuming (2-4 hrs), but the customer gets a clean machine that also runs much quicker than when they gave it to me. MS Security Essentials has been working just fine for me.
minidrag
Senior Member - 4K
posted: Feb. 2, 2013 @ 8:33a
Really? So you wipe their PC just because of an infection? What about all their installed apps, like MS Office or Print Shop, or...whatever? Printers, scanner, network settings... all that?
I prefer cleaning the infections off of the infected PC and giving it back as it was. Sure a clean install will make for a faster PC, but most of my customers don't have any interest in reinstalling all of their stuff.
Of course there is the rare case of an infection totally messing things up, requiring a clean install and then I pretty much do what you described. Except I don't keep their data - I put it back on their PC, verify it's there, then delete my copy. I've never really even thought about keeping it. What's the reasoning for your 90 day storage?
And I guess MSE might be ok for what you are doing - you're not actually using it to clean infected PCs, which is what I thought you had meant.
rockymast
Senior Member
posted: Feb. 2, 2013 @ 3:46p
Question: Why does Windows defender take ages to complete full scan? Thought I would do away with third party security utilities after Windows 8. Damn!
minidrag
Senior Member - 4K
posted: Feb. 2, 2013 @ 3:47p
Are there any options that you can change? Maybe it is scanning inside compressed (zip) files? That's very slow for any AV scanner.
Actually, if you are going to use a Kaspersky tool, I would recommend the Rescue Disk. Also free, it creates a bootable CD that can scan and clean. http://www.kaspersky.com/virus-scanner
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