Advice Request What is your opinion about Microsoft Windows Defender (Windows 10)?

[SeriousHoax]

WD has improved the rate at which they create offline signatures but still lags behind most of the competitors. Sometimes they create offline signatures within a day or two, sometimes takes 5-6 days and more based on the prevalence of the sample I assume. So, from my experience I would say local signatures will detect most of newer threats within 7-10. But anyway, scanning with WD is resource heavy and time consuming so it's simply better to use better second opinion scanners and use WD for at which it's good at which is Real Time Protection.

 

[plat]

The Antimalware Platform updated today via Windows Update. KB4052623

New version: 4.18.2006.9

Info

How to get your Defender system information:

Open Microsoft Defender user interface "Security at a glance"
Click three lines at top-left
Click Settings w/gear bottom left
Click "About" in middle of page

 

[CyberTech]

4.18.2006.9?? you posted a link it says New version: 4.18.2005.5

 

[plat]

OOO-OOO. You are right! If you click on the embedded link in the Update History section under Definition updates, that's what you get. Geez. Thank you for pointing this out. Have no clue why it's showing an older version. Here's the opportunity to check your version like I suggested above. Might be a mistake?

 

[SeriousHoax]

The Antimalware Platform updated today via Windows Update. KB4052623

New version: 4.18.2006.9

Info

How to get your Defender system information:

Open Microsoft Defender user interface "Security at a glance"
Click three lines at top-left
Click Settings w/gear bottom left
Click "About" in middle of page

Maybe this update includes the feature mentioned here:

Defender ATP is extending its Protection Capabilities to the Firmware level with a new UEFI scanner

Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (Microsoft Defender ATP) is extending its protection capabilities to the firmware level with a new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) scanner. Hardware and firmware-level attacks have continued to rise in recent years, as modern security...

malwaretips.com

 

[CyberTech]

OOO-OOO. You are right! If you click on the embedded link in the Update History section under Definition updates, that's what you get. Geez. Thank you for pointing this out. Have no clue why it's showing an older version. Here's the opportunity to check your version like I suggested above. Might be a mistake?

View attachment 243040

Microsoft Update Catalog

www.catalog.update.microsoft.com

I cant find the new version

Might be a mistake?

Maybe

 

[CyberTech]

Maybe this update includes the feature mentioned here:

Defender ATP is extending its Protection Capabilities to the Firmware level with a new UEFI scanner

Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (Microsoft Defender ATP) is extending its protection capabilities to the firmware level with a new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) scanner. Hardware and firmware-level attacks have continued to rise in recent years, as modern security...

malwaretips.com

Are you using WD?

 

[SeriousHoax]

Are you using WD?

No, not at the moment.

 

[Andy Ful]

If one uses Configuredefender, then simply click on <Info about Defender> :

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

WD has improved the rate at which they create offline signatures but still lags behind most of the competitors. Sometimes they create offline signatures within a day or two, sometimes takes 5-6 days and more based on the prevalence of the sample I assume. So, from my experience I would say local signatures will detect most of newer threats within 7-10. But anyway, scanning with WD is resource heavy and time consuming so it's simply better to use better second opinion scanners and use WD for at which it's good at which is Real Time Protection.

If the offline scanner was as fast as Kaspersky virus removal / hitman and faster updates
Then I might add it to my toolkit.
More automatic detection = less labor that's why I use those tools as well for minor infection.
Or if I don't have enough time .
If you have unlimited time manual is better and full restore +reinstall of Bios / OS is even better!
About real-time configere defender is impressive especially the easy to use hard configurator .
since I can't modify the application and device control on the unmanaged client.
At least without much labor to port it to an Unmanaged client. I usually use hard configurator for friends with SEP / Kaspersky (they blocked my modified version of KFA so no more Kaspersky) .
Hard configurator is So much easier to manage such a time saver !

 

[plat]

Maybe this update includes the feature mentioned here:

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment.

Spoiler

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment.

Spoiler

View attachment 243046

This is indeed helpful .
How much faster is it now on a hard drive ?

 

[South Park]

This is indeed helpful .
How much faster is it now on a hard drive ?

Even on my ancient Windows 7 with 3 GB of RAM and a 5200 HDD, Windows Defender Offline Scan (then called Microsoft Safety Scanner) was very fast, about 5-10 min. in recommended mode.

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

Even on my ancient Windows 7 with 3 GB of RAM and a 5200 HDD, Windows Defender Offline Scan (then called Microsoft Safety Scanner) was very fast, about 5-10 min. in recommended mode.

Impressive .
But how about a full scan ?

 

[South Park]

Impressive .
But how about a full scan ?

I never ran a full scan, but a friend of mine with similar hardware at the time said it took him about 45 min.

 

[Vitali Ortzi]

I never ran a full scan, but a friend of mine with similar hardware at the time said it took him about 45 min.

Too much unfortunately .
What parts of the os / storage does the recommended scan scan other then ram of course?

 

[South Park]

Too much unfortunately .
What parts of the os / storage does the recommended scan scan other then ram of course?

I think it mainly scans the Windows folders and Program Files. I usually run Hitman Pro free for a second-opinion scan, which covers the same system folders as well as executable files that have been recently introduced to the computer, wherever they are on the disk. (A full scan with HMP takes about 8 min. on my current and former laptops, both with a slow HDD. HMP's automatic quick scan takes about 4 min.)

 

[SeriousHoax]

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment.

Spoiler

View attachment 243046

It's been there before. Not via the latest platform update.

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment.

Spoiler

View attachment 243046

This didn't came with the last platform update. It's been there at least since Windows 2004 at least. Before that I didn't notice if it was there or not.

 

[ForgottenSeer 78429]

For me Windows Defender experience is not so good. After every start RAM usage keeps increasing. After 4-5 starts it was around 700 MB. After restart it was back to normal around 100-120MB. I have also seen memory use by Windows Defender as high as 1200MB and that too on a fresh install of Windows 10 2004 after 2-3 days without restarting my PC.

 

[SeriousHoax]

For me Windows Defender experience is not so good. After every start RAM usage keeps increasing. After 4-5 starts it was around 700 MB. After restart it was back to normal around 100-120MB. I have also seen memory use by Windows Defender as high as 1200MB and that too on a fresh install of Windows 10 2004 after 2-3 days without restarting my PC.

This is an abnormal behavior How much ram do you have on your PC?