Working with Windows Defender

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Working with Windows Defender

WorldStart

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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