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Windows Defender Service after Install RRS feed

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    While I know that OneCare comes with its own AntiSpyware (and that Defender is turned off when OC is installed), the service itself is still started.  Is there any impact to OC if the Windows Defender service is set to disabled following OC's installation?

    Also same question regarding the Windows Firewall service?

    Just trying to keep unnecessary services from running!
    Saturday, August 9, 2008 1:25 PM

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    You do not need to, nor should you, disable any services after OneCare is installed. The Windows Firewall and Defender will be enabled in the event that you uninstall OneCare. These services are not started, since OneCare stops both from running.

    -steve

     

    Monday, August 11, 2008 2:34 PM
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    I'm not intimately familiar with the inner workings of the program, so this is speculation only. On Vista, it is possible that OneCare is using the core services of the Windows Firewall and Defender, building upon both. If you don't have OneCare, msmpeng.exe is running when Defender scans, and that's the engine used by OneCare, too.

    I imagine that you can certainly try disabling the services and seeing what happens. If OneCare begins exhibiting failures or odd behavior, you'd want to put the services back to Automatic. Note that I just looked at my Vista services, both are set to automatic and Defender is not started, however, the Windows Firewall service shows as Automatic and started.

    -steve

     

    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:37 PM
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    You do not need to, nor should you, disable any services after OneCare is installed. The Windows Firewall and Defender will be enabled in the event that you uninstall OneCare. These services are not started, since OneCare stops both from running.

    -steve

     

    Monday, August 11, 2008 2:34 PM
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    While they may not be running actively, why do they still show as "started" under Services?  As long as I remember to re-activate them following an uninstall of OneCare, should this matter?

     

    I have enough memory on the box that its not critical to remove it, but at the same time I want to understand why it would be important to not touch these under Services.

     

    Thanks for the reply and assistance as always!

    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:27 PM
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    I'm not intimately familiar with the inner workings of the program, so this is speculation only. On Vista, it is possible that OneCare is using the core services of the Windows Firewall and Defender, building upon both. If you don't have OneCare, msmpeng.exe is running when Defender scans, and that's the engine used by OneCare, too.

    I imagine that you can certainly try disabling the services and seeing what happens. If OneCare begins exhibiting failures or odd behavior, you'd want to put the services back to Automatic. Note that I just looked at my Vista services, both are set to automatic and Defender is not started, however, the Windows Firewall service shows as Automatic and started.

    -steve

     

    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:37 PM
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    Thanks Stephen, I appreciate the honest answers you give.  I guess I've had "Don't run two firewalls at once" driven into me so many times that I don't like having them up when I install a 3rd party solution!

     

    I may write support to ask if these services can be disabled, but in the interim I appreciate the advice and will keep them as OneCare leaves 'em for now!

    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 5:06 PM
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    LOL! Yes, that 2 firewall advice is indeed oft-repeated, isn't it! You're welcome and do let us know what support tells you about the services.

    -steve

     

    Tuesday, August 12, 2008 5:18 PM
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    Apparently yes, you can disable the Windows Firewall service.  Here is the response I received from Support:

    Yes, as Windows Firewall is by design turned off by OneCare, we can disable the service without any impact to OneCare. It is the same to Windows Defender.


    As mentioned previously, if anyone else plans to do this, just remember to turn it back on if you plan to take off OneCare!


    Friday, August 15, 2008 9:05 PM