Windows Defender ?

What is your experience with Windows Defender? I been using it since before they changed the name to 'Defender' and it's never found a single cookie.Or anything else.Ad-aware and Spy-bot ,now and then, still do.I have Winpatrol and Spyware Blaster as well....Is Defender just taking up space on my hard drive?

Windows Defender is one of the best anti-spyware to have. For better protection you can use it in combine with SpywareBlaster, Spybot: S&D, SUPERAnti-spyware, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware,etc.

NOTE: Only 1 real time protection should be running.

Windows Defender is good and its the best application for monitoring the HOSTS file for modifications that the latest malware is choosing to infect.

Close Windows Defender then go to its portal then select 32 bit and Run it then restart its display interface so that you see the wall with the green check mark on it in the Taskbar:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal <== current level v1.55.276.0

What is the HOSTS file:

http://accs-net.com/hosts/what_is_hosts.html

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File:

http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm

I haven't used windows with a spyware attack, but it is good for realtime protection

Windows Defender is one of the best anti-spyware to have

that unfortunately, is not true. Based on a PcWorld test it got 0% on spyware removal on active samples

From a server prospective I am running windows defender on a Windows 2008 Server. I actually called my host, Server Intellect, and spoke with the level 3 techs. From a windows perspective and theirs it runs very well, low resources and keeps the systems clean. As for firewall I use the windows firewall with IPSEC to block specific ips. I pretty much block out most of the foreign countries that have bad spam and other malicious stuff. It really stops quite a bit of stuff.