While Windows Vista doesn't have an antivirus, it comes with a capable antispyware application built in. Let's find out how to use it!
Windows Vista doesn't come with a full featured antivirus program built in, but most people agree that its antispyware solution, called simply Windows Defender, does its job well. Since it is integrated in all Windows Vista versions, all that you should do is getting to know it better, so let's start today's trip!
What is spyware?
First of all, you should know that the threat that Windows Defender was built to fight is called spyware. This term has come to describe a wide range of unwanted software, including annoying (and unwanted, of course) pop-up ads, jokes that can ruin your day and, worst of all, stealthy programs that can steal private information such as bank account information or personal emails.
In most cases, programs recognized as spyware are not a direct threat to your data or security, but you shouldn't take any chances, so be sure to use Windows Defender on a regular basis and keep it updated! Now, let's see how things are done.
How to use the Windows Defender
Just like most components included in Windows Vista, using the Defender is not hard at all, but some guidance can help you get started in an instant. The things we'll learn about Windows Defender are how to run it automatically, how to monitor programs that run on your computer and how to perform manual scans.
Running Windows Defender Automatically
- Press Start, go to All Programs and choose Windows Defender.
- Inside the Windows Defender window, go to Tools, and select Options.
- From the Options dialog box select the Automatically Scan My Computer check box if it's not already selected.
- Now, set the frequency, time of day, and type of scan you want to be performed automatically from the drop down lists.
- Be sure that the Check for Updated Definitions Before Scanning check box is selected, so every automatic scan will use the latest spyware definitions available.
- Despite the fact that Windows Defender is activated by default in Vista, you should scroll down inside the Options dialog box and make sure that the Use Windows Defender check box is enabled.
- Click Save to finish and apply your changes.
Monitoring programs with Windows Defender
Windows Defender integrates with Internet Explorer and scans all downloaded files, as well as protecting you from unwanted programs that may try to run and came as email attachments or using another method. While this automatic monitoring feature is excellent, the user can also manage and monitor the new installed programs and even more.
- Press Start, go to All Programs and choose Windows Defender.
- Inside the Windows Defender window, go to Tools, and select Software Explorer.
- In the Software Explorer window, click the Category button.
- Now, choose a software category to display
- Click the program you want to monitor.
- Depending on the category selected, your options may change.
- To display the Task Manager, click Task Manager, while for Startup Programs, you can use the buttons to remove/disable/enable those items.
- Before removing programs from Startup, be sure to check the information such as publisher, version, installation date/time to verify whether a certain program is unwanted or not.
- When all your work here is done, click the Close button to exit.
Manually running Windows Defender Scans
- Press Start, go to All Programs and choose Windows Defender.
- Inside the Windows Defender window, click the down-arrow on the Scan button.
- Now, choose one of the three available options: Quick Scan, Full Scan or Custom Scan.
- While the Quick Scan scans only the places that are more likely to have "visitors", the Full Scan checks every single file on your computer, and it's going to take a longer time.
- If you choose Custom Scan, you should click the Select button in the Select Scan Options dialog box that opens and configure the Drives and Folders to scan.
- Click OK after setting the scan options.
- Now, click Scan Now and take a coffee break! ;)
These were the basics of using Windows Defender, and if you take your time to learn them, this may prove really useful in the future. As always, we advise you to stay clean and update your Windows Defender as often as possible and download files only from safe locations!
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