Windows Defender is a spyware scanning application that is designed to protect your computer from unwanted software. It looks for potential security threats, shuts them down and alerts you when applications engage in suspicious activities.

Windows Defender is included with Windows Vista. If you are running Windows XP Service Pack2, it is available as a free download. To install the program, your computer must also meet the following system requirements:

• Personal computer with an Intel Pentium 233-megahertz (MHz) or higher processor; Pentium III recommended.
• 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (minimum); 128 MB RAM (recommended).
• 20 MB of available hard disk space.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later.
• Internet access with at least a 28.8 Kbps connection.
• Windows Installer version 3.1 or higher.

To obtain the software, navigate to the Windows Defender page in the Microsoft Download Center. Since the download is only available to those running genuine copies of Windows XP, click the Continue button to validate your copy of Windows. When the download page appears, click the Download button and save the file to your computer. Finally, locate and double click the WindowsDefender.msi file to start the installation and follow the on-screen instructions.

Once the installation is complete, Windows Defender is configured to scan your computer every day at 2:00 a.m. This schedule should be changed if the scan can not be performed at this time. You should enable the Check for updated definitions before scanning option. This is your best bet for ensuring the software is up-to-date with the latest definitions. Otherwise you must be diligent enough to manually check for updates on a regular basis.

Note: Windows Defender should be used in conjunction with third party anti-virus software.

[tags]windows defender, anti-spyware, spyware, malware[/tags]