Windows Defender Updates

[Guest]

We have over 150 PC's and Laptops running windows xp, we have installed
Windows Defender to help fight against Spyware. Unfortunatly our Group policy
locks down preventing users installing applications.

Whilst in Windows Defender the Update button to update the software and
definition is greyed out.

Does anyone know how to just allow windows defender to work without allowing
users to have admin privligies.

Cheers

Alistaire

 

[Guest]

Hello Alistaire,

I wouldn't deploy a beta product on ~150 machines! Beta
products are just for testing purposes not for day to day use in a
business. There is no official support for beta products (except this
NG)


For a managed environment, you would be better off with Microsoft Forefront
Client Protection:

http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/clientsecurity/default.mspx

There's a link to sign up for a future public beta.

For the benefit of the community reading this post, please rate the pºst.

I hope this post is helpful.

Let us know how it works ºut.

Еиçеl

 

[Guest]

This is the latest Release notes (Oct 23 2006)

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/about/releasenotes.mspx

For the benefit of the community reading this post, please rate the pºst.

I hope this post is helpful.

Let us know how it works ºut.

Еиçеl

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't deploy a beta product on ~150 machines!
According to me, Windows Defender is no BETA product.

And no offense, but first you recommend to not use a beta but after that you
recommend a link where you can sign up for a beta.

I am facing the exact same problem with Windows Defender, so "> I hope this
post is helpful." Well, unfortunately it was not :-(

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

It's also recommended that you test changes in a corporate environment
before deploying them. One way to do that is to participate in a beta.

Engel's post is what I would have posted as well. Microsoft Forefront
Client Protection is the product that is needed in a managed environment.
For further proof of this, you may want to stay tuned for a bit--there
should be .ADM file issued for Windows Defender--and you can decide for
yourself whether the management capabilities are sufficient for your needs.
--

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

A correction:

The .ADM file is installed when the released Windows Defender version is
installed.

To see the settings available, under Windows XP SP2, do start, run,
gpedit.msc

right-click administrative templates, and click add

Click add

Choose Windows Defender.adm from the displayed list and click Open.

Click close on the add/remove templates windows

Open Administrative Templates
Open Windows Components
Open Windows Defender to see the policy settings available.

--

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the post on finding the ADM file. Why are there so few options?
I need to configure scan and update times and other options. Is there an MST
that can be used with an MSI install for GPO distribution?

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

I can't speak to "reason"--but this product is targeted at home and very
small business users. Anyone with a domain, for example, is apparently
going to be running Microsoft Forefront Client Protection--for which we've
seen no pricing yet.

So--I'd expect to see just what you are looking for in that product--but not
in Windows Defender.

As I recall scan times do live in the registry, and can be manipulated
there--but that's not a nice neat solution. And if you turn on update
before scan, you have control of both of those.

I'd say that the policies appear mostly related to locking Defender out, if
desired.

--