Windows Defender

[dannyk13]

I have Windows Defender on Google Chrome, Windows 7. Just recently when trying to run a quick scan scanning stops after 3 seconds.Any advice as to how to cure this please?

[dannyk13]

Checked the disc and tried scan again.I stopped after 2mins.

[Togo]

Danny adding another security programme will not help if you have a little system error, it is liable to make things worse if anything. If your pc or laptop is running OK otherwise I would be patient and not panic. Doing a disc scan and even a defrag is something that is diligent anyway. I fortunately am using a hybrid hard drive and those days are gone for me, but I do remember it was something I did often. I feel that Defender will sort out this glitch in due course and as long as you are sure that the firewall and network protection is running, give anything to involved a swerve for now.

[bhg481]

Togo - do you think a program like ccleaner might be worth a try? It feels to me like a broken link somewhere is causing Defender to come to a halt, not knowing where to go for the next part of a file. ccleaner is supposed to sort out such problems.

[erik2]

if you have not got rid of avast totally download
https://www.avast.com/en-gb/uninstall-utility
run it restart comp try defender again

[erik2]

and yes cc cleaner is an excellent prog to use

[Togo]

Like I said BH, I would be very cautious about adding anything to a system that is potentially playing up. Danny is liable to finish up with a machine that grinds to a halt if he is persuaded to add programmes to it that are liable to slow it to a crawl. If the system is indeed running OK, albeit baulking at running a scan, I think I would be patient but wary for now. He will likely in due course get a message saying an upgrade has installed and a scan has resulted in no threats.

[Togo]

If....,and this is a big if, I were put on the spot to do "something" immediately on Danny's behalf. I would un-install defender, after closing down all tabs and other apps that may be running, and then to re-install it. I would then switch off and reboot, check that it is on and the settings are correct then open my tabs again and try a scan.

[Guilbert53]

>>>I would un-install defender,

I don't believe you can uninstall Windows Defender from Windows 7.

[Togo]

Yes you can and in 8. Not in 10 though as it is embedded.

[Guilbert53]

The question we have to ask is why dannyk13 is using Windows Defender in Windows 7.

Windows Defender is NOT an anti virus program (at least it is not in Windows 7) but was shipped as an anti SPYWARE program (in W7), it has no anti virus component in W7.

Windows Defender is normally OFF (in Windows 7) and is only turned on if you have no other anti virus software installed (as a sort of last resort).

So what you need to do (dannyk13) is to install an anti virus program. There are plenty of free ones around:

Microsoft Security Essentials
Avast
AVG and others

Note that in Windows 10 the Windows Defender (spyware) function was merged with the Microsoft Security Essentials (anti virus) function and was shipped as a combined product with Windows 10.

It is now called Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 and is pretty much "built in" to the product and I don't think it can be uninstalled.

[Togo]

Must admit though that I would not be attempting it without good back up. It could be that Danny's system will not allow a re-install. That is why my best advice is to wait and see for now. I suppose that Danny has switched off and on again.....probably the best all time fix ever. Or even a safe boot. Some of us forget that not everyone has had the opportunity to become adept (to a certain degree) with pcs and the like.

[dannyk13]

All sorted now, Avast installed,Thanks all.

[Guilbert53]

Togo, I have searched the web and cannot find one web site where it says how to uninstall Windows Defender on Windows 7.

In fact even some of the official Microsoft web sites say it cannot be uninstalled on Windows 7.

It does not appear in my list of programs in my Control Panel, and there is no uninstall option in the Windows Defender program itself.

So can you tell me how you uninstall Windows Defender in W7?

[dannyk13]

Guilbert- you cannot unistal it, but you can make it inactive,which I have done.

[Togo]

You need to install a removal tool to do it, but I would not Danny.

[Togo]

The tool was Windows Defender Uninstaller. My son used it back in the days when he was gaming on the pc. But he was pretty useful with registry and kernel settings. I possibly got mixed up with xp when I thought of an uninstall. It has been years since I used either system.

[Togo]

Here it is.

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-completely-uninstall-or-remove-windows-defender-from-windows-7/

[Hopkirk]

What a lot of fuss.

I think Danny has done the right thing.