ConfigureDefender utility for Windows 10/11

[Aktiffiso]

Hi @Andy Ful and tell me. I see you have another tool called hard configurator ¿Can it be used alongside configuredefender?, ¿have option who overlap?, ¿How it work whith another AV products?

 

[Andy Ful]

Hi @Andy Ful and tell me. I see you have another tool called hard configurator ¿Can it be used alongside configuredefender?, ¿have option who overlap?, ¿How it work whith another AV products?

Did you visit the @askalan website?

Hard_Configurator – GUI to manage Software Restriction Policy (SRP) and harden Windows

hard-configurator.com

 

[Aktiffiso]

Sorry and this is your tool?

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Sorry and this is your tool?

Yes, @askalan made a website just for Hard Configurator from @Andy Ful
It has a great faq, you should really visit that website for more information.

 

[Andy Ful]

Sorry and this is your tool?

Please, do not be sorry. It is not as bad.

 

[shmu26]

Hi @Andy Ful and tell me. I see you have another tool called hard configurator ¿Can it be used alongside configuredefender?, ¿have option who overlap?, ¿How it work whith another AV products?

H_C works great alongside configuredefender.
H_C works with any antivirus, and even with no antivirus.
H_C requires a certain amount of skill and expertise for the initial configuration.

 

[Tiny]

Can we assume you'll be releasing it after the May update, @Andy Ful ?

 

[Andy Ful]

Can we assume you'll be releasing it after the May update, @Andy Ful ?

For now, it is released as a part of H_C beta 4.0.1.0. If everything will work well, then in a few days I will push the standalone versions of ConfigureDefender and RunBySmartScreen.

 

[Reldel1]

Congratulations on the new releases, your dedication increases our security, thanks.

I noticed after install of 4.0.1.0 that after setting Config Defender to MAX neither standard user or administrator can access Windows Security Center. Is this by design? Only after switching Config Defender back to HIGH setting and then rebooting is Windows Security Center accessible again from both standard and administrator accounts.

All other aspects working well. Note build Windows 10 Pro 1903.

Congratulations on the new releases, your dedication increases our security, thanks.

I noticed after install of 4.0.1.0 that after setting Config Defender to MAX neither standard user or administrator can access Windows Security Center. Is this by design? Only after switching Config Defender back to HIGH setting and then rebooting is Windows Security Center accessible again from both standard and administrator accounts.

All other aspects working well. Note build Windows 10 Pro 1903.

Dug into the GUI and found MAX had setting to make Security Center visible. Problem solved, Andy thinks of everything.

 

[Andy Ful]

...
Dug into the GUI and found MAX had setting to make Security Center visible. Problem solved, Andy thinks of everything.

Correct. The MAX protection level is intended mainly to protect casual users and children, so the Security Center is hidden.

 

[Aktiffiso]

I check two tools, for me both are great, really like both, and think work well whith me, but i have a litle cuestión. How it work on gaming enviroment? i have houndred steam games naruto shippuden ninja storm, final fantasy, etc. Both tools Works very well on my work machine but i like to know how work in a game machine

 

[oldschool]

I check two tools, for me both are great, really like both, and think work well whith me, but i have a litle cuestión. How it work on gaming enviroment? i have houndred steam games naruto shippuden ninja storm, final fantasy, etc. Both tools Works very well on my work machine but i like to know how work in a game machine

You can install H_C on gaming machine and see how it works for you. I'm not a gamer but you may need to do some whitelisting. And you can always uninstall H_C and use ConfigureDefender alone if gaming is all you do on that machine. It should not conflict.

 

[shmu26]

Adding to @oldschool's wise comments: if you find that whitelisting is annoying or difficult, just click the "Allow EXE and TMP" button -- it's in the "Whitelist By Path" tab -- and then you won't have to whitelist anything. You will still benefit from many great protections, but it won't be default-deny anymore.

 

[Freki123]

@Aktiffiso I would say that Configure Defender on "High" is working great for me. Not sure if starting a game takes a second longer or not. But
who cares about the starting time when the game runs smooth?
Since i only play like 4 games at any given time and i just wanted to smash my keyboard after whitelisting the third blizzard/blizzard launcher/agent.exe (for one game) I don't know what to tell you when you say you have hundreds of games
See shmu26 above

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Whitelisting proved not to be that difficult.
You can use wildcards like *
You can whitelist a games folder.
I learned a lot from @Andy Ful when discussing the things that were blocked and I wanted to whitelist.
The Blocked Events / Security Logs feature is a great help.

 

[shmu26]

Whitelisting proved not to be that difficult.
You can use wildcards like *
You can whitelist a games folder.
I learned a lot from @Andy Ful when discussing the things that were blocked and I wanted to whitelist.
The Blocked Events / Security Logs feature is a great help.

Agreed.
* is your friend

 

[Freki123]

You can use wildcards like *
You can whitelist a games folder.
The Blocked Events / Security Logs feature is a great help.

Whitelisting my games folder seems like cheating on default deny to me
Below is what it looks like to whitelist a blizzard game for me:
Tried to start the game> blocked>looked in the blocked events log>whitelisted exe1
Tried to start the game> blocked>looked in the blocked events log>whitelisted exe2
Tried to start the game> blocked>looked in the blocked events log>whitelisted exe3
So like three different exe's for one blizzard game. Some even in a totaly different folder.
To make it clear i blame blizzard for the freaking amount of different exes spread in different folders and not H_C.

 

[Andy Ful]

I check two tools, for me both are great, really like both, and think work well whith me, but i have a litle cuestión. How it work on gaming enviroment? i have houndred steam games naruto shippuden ninja storm, final fantasy, etc. Both tools Works very well on my work machine but i like to know how work in a game machine

Steam platform installs in Program Files by default. It uses another folder for games in UserSpace, so simply whitelist this folder via <Add Folder> whitelisting option.

Whitelisting my games folder seems like cheating on default deny to me
Below is what it looks like to whitelist a blizzard game for me:
Tried to start the game> blocked>looked in the blocked events log>whitelisted exe1
Tried to start the game> blocked>looked in the blocked events log>whitelisted exe2
Tried to start the game> blocked>looked in the blocked events log>whitelisted exe3
So like three different exe's for one blizzard game. Some even in a totaly different folder.
To make it clear i blame blizzard for the freaking amount of different exes spread in different folders and not H_C.

Could you post those whitelisted paths to H_C thread?

 

[oldschool]

@Andy Ful @shmu26 or other members:

I thought there were 3 or 4 ASR rules that did not previously support exclusions and now I see only two in the new CD version. I don't remember the lsass.exe rule being one where they're allowed. Or Is my mind simply scrambled from too much time in front of a screen?

My other query: I seem to remember that the log can show a block but that it doesn't automatically = an attempted action not completed.

My two questions are in reference to the well-known, persnickety lsass.exe rule.

I'm either asleep at the wheel or my brain is scrambled!

 

[Andy Ful]

@Andy Ful @shmu26 or other members:

I thought there were 3 or 4 ASR rules that did not previously support exclusions and now I see only two in the new CD version. I don't remember the lsass.exe rule being one where they're allowed. Or Is my mind simply scrambled from too much time in front of a screen?

My other query: I seem to remember that the log can show a block but that it doesn't automatically = an attempted action not completed.

My two questions are in reference to the well-known, persnickety lsass.exe rule.

I'm either asleep at the wheel or my brain is scrambled!

Look at point f) in my post:
https://malwaretips.com/threads/hard_configurator-windows-hardening-configurator.66416/post-811782