View Full Version : Spybot Search and Destroy with Windows 10 Defender
bsfinkel
2020-08-28, 20:51
I am running Windows 10 Professional 2004 64-bit. I have the free Spybot Search and Destroy installed. Is Spybot interfering with Windows Defender? Can both co-exist? The reason I ask is this: Defender is not updating its patterns; the last update was 10 days ago. On Windows 7, MSE (as Defender was called) updated once or twice a day. Also, I have a Defender full scan scheduled to run at 7 PM each Friday, but it does not run. I can run a full Defender scan manually. When I open the "Windows Security" window, it shows Spybot (and my WebRoot Secure Anywhere), but it does not show Defender. Can both co-exist in Windows 10? They both co-existed in Windows 7. Thanks.
In Windows Security- Security at a glance, could you click Virus and threat Protection, then Manage Settings under Virus and threat Protection settings. Is real-time protection set to On there?
bsfinkel
2020-08-30, 05:58
Under "Security Providers" I see that Microsoft Antivirus Defender is turned off. I did NOT turn it off. From my manual update log:
07/11/2020 22:38 Turn On Defender Periodic Scanning.
07/18/2020 23:51 Settings - turn on Defender scanning.
I have no idea why MS turned off Defender scanning. I re-enabled Defender scanning. Maybe MS disabled Defender because I have Spybot and WRSA running? I will make a note to check the Defender status daily.
Yes, it's possible that could be due to Windows Defender detecting some antivirus components in Spybot, even though you are running the free version of Spybot, or Windows Defender may have disabled some parts of itself since you have webroot secure anywhere running, if that is an antivirus. Though I'm uncertain how much of itself Windows Defender shuts off outside of real-time protection. Please see these instructions from the Spybot FAQ page:
https://www.safer-networking.org/support/spybot-2-faq/
Is it possible to run Spybot and Windows Defender?
User of Windows 10 may have noticed that Windows Defender will stop running in Windows 10 when Spybot is installed. Windows will disable this program if it detects another antivirus program on your PC in order to prevent conflict between the multiple antivirus programs installed. The Free Edition of Spybot also falls into this category, because it contains antivirus components from the paid editions. To fix this issue, please disable Spybot's Security Center Service using the instructions below, as this will prevent Windows from detecting Spybot as an antivirus program.
Open Spybot by right clicking on the Spybot icon and click Run as Administrator.
Click on Show details in the bottom right corner of the Start Center.
Open Settings (Tick the checkbox next to Advanced User Mode if you do not see Settings)
In Settings, go to the System Services tab.
Here, click Stop beside the Security Center Service.
After disabling the service and rebooting your PC, Windows Defender should function correctly again when it is run.
However, the antivirus programs could now conflict and cause issues.
To avoid this with Spybot, please also disable Live Protection/Real-Time Protection in either Spybot or Windows Defender.
You can find instructions for disabling Spybot's Live Protection here. (https://www.safer-networking.org/?p=24115)
A good rule of thumb is to have only one real-time protection running in the background on a computer to save on resources. Spybot Free edition doesn't have real-time protection, but if Webroot Secure Anywhere is an antivirus, that might have real-time protection.
Reference the thread titled "Windows Defender w/ RTP inside WSSC & Spybot S&D w/ LP outside WSSC" in this forum for some helpful information.