Tip #4105 - Working with Windows Defender
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Working
with Windows Defender
Before we get into
the bulk of today's tip, I'd like to go over some Windows Defender
basics with you first. So, let's check it out!
Basically, Windows
Defender (found in Windows Vista) automatically blocks all startup items
that require administrator privileges to run. (That is usually considered
bad behavior for a startup item). There is no known easy way to automatically
unblock these items though. The only suggestion given is to "contact
the software vendor for an updated version," which is Vista compatible
and does not require administrator privileges to run.
So, Windows Defender
offers three ways to help keep spyware and other potentially unwanted
software from infecting your computer. Here they are:
- Real Time
Protection - Windows Defender alerts you when spyware or potentially
unwanted software attempts to install itself or run on your computer.
It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows
settings.
- SpyNet
Community - The online Microsoft SpyNet community helps you
see how other people respond to software that has not yet been classified
for risks. Seeing if other members of the community allow certain software
can help you choose whether to allow it on your computer or not. In
turn, if you participate, your choices are added to the community ratings
to help other people choose what to do as well.
- Scanning
Options -
You can use Windows Defender to scan for spyware and other potentially
unwanted software that might be installed on your computer, to schedule
scans on a regular basis and to automatically remove any malicious software
that is detected during a scan.
Okay, now we can move
on! Here's how you can stop an application from running in your Windows
Vista startup, by using Windows Defender.
There are ways to
stop an application from running during startup while loading Windows
Vista. The computer becomes a bit slow and takes a lot of time while loading
up if there are a lot of programs in the startup. To remove all these
from your startup in Windows Vista, just follow these steps:
1.) Go to Start,
Control Panel.
2.) Type "startup" in the search box.
3.) Look for the link
that says “Stop a program from running at startup."
4.) You can use the Windows Defender screen to manage the startup screen.
Just disable or remove it from the startup menu.
So, the next time you turn on your computer, the disabled program won't
load along with Windows. How cool is that? And even better, how easy was
that? Give it a try today!
~ Ramachandran Kumaraswami
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