Spybot 2.8 - Why is it so hard to switch off the Windows Security Centre integration?

[Tkael]

Thanks for the info! I'm one of the odd ones that uses Spybot for the spyware protection but Windows Defender for antivirus. I found out about the new 2.8 version via KC Software's SUMo app.
When installing (upgrading from 2.7), I couldn't get the Windows Security Centre Integration service to start, no matter if I answered Yes, No or Ignore to the 'Install Live Protection' prompt during setup. How I eventually got it working on my Windows 10 machine:

Be sure to run setup with Administrator rights
After setup is complete, go in to the registry editor -> HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SDWSCService and change the LaunchProtected value to zero (0).
Reboot.
After logging back in to Windows, the installer asked me (a second time) if I wanted to install Live Protection. I answered No.

Now, the Spybot Security Centre Integration Service is running, but I am allowed to stop it from both the Services applet and within Spybot Settings.

Thank you for this! I was pretty irate to find that the free edition of Spybot S&D v2.8 had silently taken control of my Windows Security Center without providing live protection (WTF? I expected better than this) but your registry hack was exactly what I needed to fix it.

[Tkael]

Thank you for this! I was pretty irate to find that the free edition of Spybot S&D v2.8 had silently taken control of my Windows Security Center without providing live protection (WTF? I expected better than this) but your registry hack was exactly what I needed to fix it.

And after updating to a newer release, my anti-virus is disabled again. Spybot team, please fix the installer so that the free edition doesn't try to start live protection! Thanks!

[drghughes]

And after updating to a newer release, my anti-virus is disabled again. Spybot team, please fix the installer so that the free edition doesn't try to start live protection! Thanks!

Please report this as a bug - https://www.safer-networking.org/support/#contactform

I have already reported it, but Spybot didn't seem to get the message, and came back asking me if I needed help!

Maybe if some more people report it, they will get the message.

[PepiMK]

Some initial clarification: the LaunchProtected key is, as is the installation as it is, tied to a requirement from Microsoft. Plus the service is tied to the Early Launch AntiMalware (ELAM) driver, which again is a requirement.

We're not "taking control" of Security Center, we're doing what is expected from us by Microsoft, which is adding Spybot there. For Anti-Malware only in the Free Edition, for AM and AV in the paid editions.

So one very important thing to this discussion: please mention if you're referring to the Free Edition or a paid one.

[PepiMK]

As I said in my previous post, there are requirements by Microsoft (I'm not sure how the mentioned MalwareBytes handles them). Lets head back a few steps though to look at the actual problems instead of talking about one possible solution.

1. Useful functions are stopped. What can we do about this? What else can you maybe do about this (e.g. is it possible to change the primary AV to Windows Defender to get them back)?

2. What else?

[drghughes]

Sorry PepiMK, but I have little idea what you're talking about here.

I made it clear that this was the free version from the very start, so not sure what your comment about mentioning that is all about.

Here's how it looks to me: The free version doesn't replace an anti-virus since there is no real time scanning, so there is no reason for the Security Centre integration. If there is some Microsoft requirement, just don't install the Security Centre integration with the free version. In the previous version there was an option to do this in the installer (that didn't work, if I remember correctly), so let's go with that solution.

[Sven Viking]

Just replying to say this is still the case as of v2.8.68.0. Whatever the intention, the result is that installing the free version of Spybot provides no virus protection but disables Windows Defender's real-time "Virus and threat protection" and prevents it from being re-enabled without uninstalling Spybot or using the registry editor to change an obscure value. All this happens without the user being informed, so most people would be unaware. prequelmeme.jpg

Whatever Microsoft's intention is, I doubt this is it. Something like the free version of Malwarebytes (which does provides manual virus scanning but not real-time virus protection) does not integrate with Windows Security Center to disable real-time virus protection, so it does not seem to be entirely unavoidable.

[krashd]

I'm linking my thread to this thread as it looks to me that my problem is related to this SDSpybotLab.exe file too...

https://forums.spybot.info/showthrea...437#post485437

Although I'm not getting any popup it appears that this file is still running at boot times and creating a log in my root directory. I would like this stopped!