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Windows Defender Beta 2 Refresh

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Today, we released a refresh of Windows Defender (Beta 2) which includes updates based on the customer feedback that we have received through this blog and the newsgroups

. This update also addresses some issues that have been brought to our attention around signature updating, improves upon the usability of Windows Defender and also improves our SpyNet reporting capabilities.

First off, we have added a checkbox option to

continually display the system tray icon. We heard your feedback loud and clear on this one, so those who want to see our icon with the little green check in their system tray as a sign of system health can now do so. We have also improved Windows Defender's ability to report more accurate data about potentially unwanted software through SpyNet so that we can help create better definition updates.

Finally, we've made some minor updates to the UI and we are on track to release our Japanese and German localized versions and expect to turn on the update notification for existing Beta 1 and Beta 2 customers soon - so keep an eye out!

I would also like to urge you to opt-into the "Advanced" participation level in SpyNet. In this mode, you will not only be alerted of changes to critical system settings by recognized and potentially unwanted applications but you will also be notified of changes by applications that have not yet been classified. By choosing "Advanced" you can help combat spyware by sending back full reports and potential samples to our analysts.

To the extent any personal information is included in an "Advanced" member report, this information will not be used to identify you or contact you in accordance with our privacy policy. For example, under the "Basic" setting, the SpyNet report will strip off the path to an executable it found, in case it was in a folder that contained your user name; however, knowing where potentially unwanted applications install is useful information. Thank you for helping us fight spyware and potentially unwanted software!

With these upcoming changes to our reporting network and our core technology, we will improve our detection and removal capabilities even more in the upcoming months.

Thanks,

Adam

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    PingBack from http://www.windowsobserver.com/2006/04/13/windows-defender-beat-2-update/
  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The Anti-Malware Engineering Team is called the latest build release of Windows Defender Beta 2 a "refresh"....
  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    米Microsoftのスパイウェア対策ソフト「Windows Defender...
  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    April 13, 2006
    Hmm, on the previous refresh, I was able to update just fine. However, I installed this build and am unable to get the product to update. It reports my definitions have reverted back to January! I have uninstalled, reinstalled, and no fix. I reverted to the previous refresh, and I'm back in business.

    If there's any solutions or ideas, I'm willing to try them as I get time.

    Otherwise, I look forward to a future build.
  • Anonymous
    April 13, 2006
    The comment has been removed
  • Anonymous
    April 14, 2006
    I miss some of the features from the Beta 1 release.  The two items I miss the most are the "Track Eraser" and the "Browser Restore".  I found these two items helpful and useful.  Could these be added in future releases?
  • Anonymous
    April 14, 2006
    Thanks for shareing! I like it!
  • Anonymous
    April 14, 2006
    (The content was deleted per user request)
  • Anonymous
    April 14, 2006
    [quote]
    # re: Windows Defender Beta 2 Refresh
    I miss some of the features from the Beta 1 release.  The two items I miss the most are the "Track Eraser" and the "Browser Restore".  I found these two items helpful and useful.  Could these be added in future releases?
    Friday, April 14, 2006 8:41 AM by Greg
    [/quote]
    Ditto!
  • Anonymous
    April 16, 2006
    I don't see the promised option to turn on the system tray icon.  When I try to update, no updates are found.  Help>About shows Windows Defender Version:  1.1.1051.0.  Is this the updated version?

    Marty
  • Anonymous
    April 17, 2006
    Would be nice to see this software disable an remove malware. Using the latest version I have already had numerous issues removing the keykey keylogger. Defender crashes as it attempts to remove this software as the file is in use. Would be nice to have any file in question instantly rendered usless.
  • Anonymous
    April 18, 2006
    Tracks eraser and browser restore were great features in the Beta 1 release, but there's more than that missing in the Beta 2--like a more comprehensive set of "System Explorers," such as registry key editors without having to run the "regedit" application from the "Run" prompt.
  • Anonymous
    April 19, 2006
    I hope I can pause the process of scanning spyware at anytime so that my computer can work faster when I need to use the computer.  I can also resume Windows Defender to scan for spywares when I finished the work on the computer.
  • Anonymous
    April 21, 2006
    Hi,
    Will we be able to deploy Windows Defender Signatures over SMS in a near future?
    Or do we need to use WSUS just to be able to deploy signatures in a Enterprise environment?

    Thanks in advance to keep SMS in mind ;-)


    Berni