[alshep]

I use Norton 360 to protect my computer. There are annoying features of Windows Defender. Will disabling it or removing it interfere with the OS?

[techie4fun]

Hi Alshep :)
What version of Windows are you running? If you are running Windows Vista (Windows Defender is built into the OS) then it has to be manually turned off, but shouldn't interfere with the OS. If you are running a later version of Windows, you most likely downloaded the program from the Internet?

[Adama]

alshep said:

I use Norton 360 to protect my computer. There are annoying features of Windows Defender. Will disabling it or removing it interfere with the OS?

Hi alshep, and welcome to PCWorld. Are you talking about disabling Norton, or disabling Defender?

[Car54]

Hi alshep, and welcome :-) I would just disable Windows Defender, leaving it on your system. As you know to disable: Start/Control Panel/Windows Defender/Tools/Options/then scroll down to the bottom to Admin. Options, and uncheck the first box, Use Windows Defender. This way in the future you can always run an "on demand" scan to get a "second opinion" for spyware, malware etc., and re shut it down after. Depending on if Vista "recognizes" Nortons antispyware ability, you may, or may not get a notification on PC start up that your spyware needs to be turned on. In my case, when I ran BitDefender AV, with SpySweeper, it would alert me that neither Spysweeper or Windows Defender were turned on, even though SpySweeper was running. (Maybe a glitch from my installing/reinstalling S.S.) Yet while trying Kasperskys Suite, I do not recieve any notifications from the Vista Security Center, as it shows all categories are up and running, in Kasperskys engines.

[piyushsingh]

i also agree , just disable defendor and keep updating it on a weekly basis as no single anti-spyware can do the job . It is always better to have multiple antispywares, not in real time but for manual scanning.

And disabling it will not interfere with OS.

[alshep]

Thanks car 54 and all. This is what I wanted to know. I followed your instructions and I'm good to go. Thanks.