G
Guest
A few thoughts on Windows Defender. I will preface this by saying I am cranky
this morning. Take everything with a grain of salt. Maybe two.
Positive: Like the software Explorer Area. Always hated not being able to
disable startup programs not listen in the startup menu, and now I finally
can.
Negatives:
- This program's not going to work for me without a taskbar icon. I need a
quick way to check on its status, and it's not just inconvenient that I am
not given a taskbar option, it's almost offensive. I don't trust programs
that "don't need my input," especially programs that are so buggy in Beta,
and programs that are always running. Creepy. And whatEVER you do, do not
suddenly tell me it's a "feature" or "expected behavior" that the icon is
hidden. No one ever calls not being able to monitor their system a feature.
- On the topic of buggy, if Defender tells me I haven't scanned in 4 days
and gives me a "Scan Now" button, it should work when I press it. I shouldn't
get an error popup and then manually have to go start the scan.
- Anyone who accrues Spyware *every day* won't be smart enough to install
this program or keep it running. I don't have time to watch my computer scan
every day for spyware, especially since it hasn't reported any since I
started using Defender. It should learn that clean scans + real time
protection = less frequent scanning.
- I have got to be able to disable this thing when I want. For the love of
mud, I know it's in Beta, but how am I supposed to install software with this
on? I had to uninstall Windows One Care because it took me and my SysAdmin
forever to figure out that's what was blocking our Exchange server. That's
right, OneCare firewalled out a Microsoft server protocol. No icon in taskbar
= no easy way to disable. (And a special BOO to OneCare for not allowing me
to disable it via its icon, instead making me go into the program--which
takes 15-20 seconds to load even though it's running in the background--to
shut off individual pieces nonintuitively. In addition, OneCare screwed my
home network with its firewall. I couldn't share files with people
authenticated on the network, even though I had that option checked. I had to
(according to its support website) "allow access by anyone on the internet,
including those not on the network." Yep, that makes me feel good. Either
super security or none at all. A+.)
- PLEASE do NOT communicate ANYTHING important via those cutesy bubbles
that pop up over the system clock. I have disabled those in the registry
because they are useless 90% of the time. Put a dot on the system tray icon
to tell me to mouse over it to get a a message (oh wait, there is no system
tray icon). My laptop is configured to access network servers from work, and
every freakin' time I turn it on at home, I get a bubble popup about its
inability to connect to the network servers. Since I can't disable that
message (thanks for that, btw) I disabled the balloons. If you want balloon
messages to be important, stop spamming them.
this morning. Take everything with a grain of salt. Maybe two.
Positive: Like the software Explorer Area. Always hated not being able to
disable startup programs not listen in the startup menu, and now I finally
can.
Negatives:
- This program's not going to work for me without a taskbar icon. I need a
quick way to check on its status, and it's not just inconvenient that I am
not given a taskbar option, it's almost offensive. I don't trust programs
that "don't need my input," especially programs that are so buggy in Beta,
and programs that are always running. Creepy. And whatEVER you do, do not
suddenly tell me it's a "feature" or "expected behavior" that the icon is
hidden. No one ever calls not being able to monitor their system a feature.
- On the topic of buggy, if Defender tells me I haven't scanned in 4 days
and gives me a "Scan Now" button, it should work when I press it. I shouldn't
get an error popup and then manually have to go start the scan.
- Anyone who accrues Spyware *every day* won't be smart enough to install
this program or keep it running. I don't have time to watch my computer scan
every day for spyware, especially since it hasn't reported any since I
started using Defender. It should learn that clean scans + real time
protection = less frequent scanning.
- I have got to be able to disable this thing when I want. For the love of
mud, I know it's in Beta, but how am I supposed to install software with this
on? I had to uninstall Windows One Care because it took me and my SysAdmin
forever to figure out that's what was blocking our Exchange server. That's
right, OneCare firewalled out a Microsoft server protocol. No icon in taskbar
= no easy way to disable. (And a special BOO to OneCare for not allowing me
to disable it via its icon, instead making me go into the program--which
takes 15-20 seconds to load even though it's running in the background--to
shut off individual pieces nonintuitively. In addition, OneCare screwed my
home network with its firewall. I couldn't share files with people
authenticated on the network, even though I had that option checked. I had to
(according to its support website) "allow access by anyone on the internet,
including those not on the network." Yep, that makes me feel good. Either
super security or none at all. A+.)
- PLEASE do NOT communicate ANYTHING important via those cutesy bubbles
that pop up over the system clock. I have disabled those in the registry
because they are useless 90% of the time. Put a dot on the system tray icon
to tell me to mouse over it to get a a message (oh wait, there is no system
tray icon). My laptop is configured to access network servers from work, and
every freakin' time I turn it on at home, I get a bubble popup about its
inability to connect to the network servers. Since I can't disable that
message (thanks for that, btw) I disabled the balloons. If you want balloon
messages to be important, stop spamming them.