Windows defender official site

Overview

• A redesigned and simplified user interface
  – Incorporating feedback from our customers, the Windows Defender UI has been redesigned to make common tasks easier to accomplish with a warning system that adapts alert levels according to the severity of a threat so that it is less intrusive overall, but still ensures the user does not miss the most urgent alerts.
• Improved detection and removal
  – Based on a new engine, Windows Defender is able to detect and remove more threats posed by spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Real Time Protection has also been enhanced to better monitor key points in the operating system for changes.
• Protection for all users
  – Windows Defender can be run by all users on a computer with or without administrative privileges. This ensures that all users on a computer are protected by Windows Defender.
• Support for 64-bit platforms and accessibility
  — Windows Defender supports accessibility and 64-bit platforms. Please be sure to use WindowsDefenderX64.msi for 64-bit platforms.
• Delta definition updates
  — Windows Defender now downloads smaller delta definition updates when possible which reduces the time required to download and install definition updates. Customers can expect shorter download times when updating their definition updates.
• Free Limited Support
  — As a part of our commitment to the security of our customers, Microsoft is offering two free support incidents relating to Windows Defender on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Examples of valid support scenarios are installation, configuration, definition update, detection and removal errors. Please refer to the Windows Defender support policy for more information.
• WGA enforcement
  — There are significant risks to running non-genuine Windows. Only genuine Windows customers can receive product downloads, Windows updates and special offers. Windows Defender will validate that your copy of Windows is genuine before installation. Furthermore, Windows Defender will only remove Severe threats for machines that are not genuine. Low, Medium and High threats will be detected, but not removed unless your copy of Windows is genuine. For more information, please visit The Windows Genuine Advantage.

Important Notes

• Windows Defender no longer supports Windows 2000 as it went out of mainstream support in June 2005. Please refer to the support lifecycle website for more information.
• Access to Newsgroups:
  In addition to phone support we also have newsgroups to help get your questions answered.

For Additional Information:
Please see the Release Notes to learn more about known issues with Windows Defender.

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System requirements

Supported operating systems: Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 2

• For more details, see the System Requirements page.

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Instructions

This download is only available to computers that are running genuine Microsoft Windows. Click the Continue button in the Validation Recommended section above to begin the short validation process. Once validated, you will be returned to this page with specific instructions for obtaining the download.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Microsoft Defender Antivirus (formerly Windows Defender) is an antivirus software component of Microsoft Windows. It was first released as a downloadable free anti-spyware program for Windows XP and was shipped with Windows Vista and Windows 7. It has evolved into a full antivirus program, replacing Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 8 or later versions.^[6]

In March 2019, Microsoft announced Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac for business customers to protect their Mac^[7] devices from attacks on a corporate network, and a year later, to expand protection for mobile devices, it announced Microsoft Defender ATP for Android^[8] and iOS^[9] devices, which incorporates Microsoft SmartScreen, a firewall, and malware scanning. The mobile version of Microsoft Defender also includes a feature to block access to corporate data if it detects a malicious app is installed.

As of 2021, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is part of the much larger Microsoft Defender brand, which includes several other software and service offerings, including:

• Microsoft Defender XDR (formerly 365 Defender)^[10]
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud^[11]
• Microsoft Defender Endpoint^[12]
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365^[13]
• Microsoft Defender for Identity^[14]
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps^[15]
• Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management^[16]
• Microsoft Defender for Threat Intelligence^[17]
• Microsoft Defender for Individuals^[18]

Microsoft Defender Antivirus provides several key features to protect endpoints from computer virus. In Windows 10, Windows Defender settings are controlled in the Windows Defender Security Center. Windows 10 Anniversary Update includes several improvements, including a new popup that announces the results of a scan.^[19]

In the Windows Defender options, the user can configure real-time protection options. Windows 10’s Anniversary Update introduced Limited Periodic Scanning, which optionally allows Windows Defender to scan a system periodically if another antivirus app is installed.^[19] It also introduced Block at First Sight, which uses machine learning to predict whether a file is malicious.^[20]

Integration with Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge enables files to be scanned as they are downloaded to detect malicious software inadvertently downloaded. As of April 2018, Microsoft Defender is also available for Google Chrome via an extension^[21] and works in conjunction with Google Safe Browsing, but as of late 2022, this extension is now deprecated.^[22]

A feature released in early 2018, Windows Defender Application Guard is a feature exclusive to Microsoft Edge that allows users to sandbox their current browsing session from the system. This prevents a malicious website or malware from affecting the system and the browser. Application Guard is a feature only available on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. In May 2019, Microsoft announced Application Guard for Google Chrome and Firefox. The extension, once installed, will open the current tabs web page in Microsoft Edge with Application Guard enabled. In April 2024, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Defender Application Guard will be deprecated for Edge for Business. The Chrome and Firefox extensions will not be migrating to Manifest V3 and will be deprecated after May 2024.^[23]

Controlled Folder Access is a feature introduced with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update to protect a user’s important files from the growing threat of ransomware. This feature was released about a year later after the Petya family of ransomware first appeared. The feature will notify the user every time a program tries to access these folders and will be blocked unless given access via the user. Windows will warn the user with a User Account Control popup as a final warning if they opt to «Allow» a program to read Controlled Folders.

Introduced in Windows 10 version 1903^[24], Tamper Protection protects certain security settings, such as antivirus settings, from being disabled or changed by unauthorized programs.

Windows Defender was initially based on GIANT AntiSpyware, formerly developed by GIANT Company Software, Inc.^[25] The company’s acquisition was announced by Microsoft on December 16, 2004.^[26][27] While the original GIANT AntiSpyware officially supported older Windows versions, support for the Windows 9x line of operating systems was later dropped by Microsoft.

The first beta release of Microsoft AntiSpyware from January 6, 2005, was a repackaged version of GIANT AntiSpyware.^[26] There were more builds released in 2005, with the last Beta 1 refresh released on November 21, 2005.

At the 2005 RSA Security conference, Bill Gates, the Chief Software Architect and co-founder of Microsoft, announced that Microsoft AntiSpyware would be made available free-of-charge to users with validly licensed Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems to secure their systems against the increasing malware threat.^[28]

On November 4, 2005, it was announced that Microsoft AntiSpyware was renamed to Windows Defender.^[29][30] Windows Defender (Beta 2) was released on February 13, 2006. It featured the program’s new name and a redesigned user interface. The core engine was rewritten in C++, unlike the original GIANT-developed AntiSpyware, which was written in Visual Basic.^[31] This improved the application’s performance. Also, since Beta 2, the program works as a Windows service, unlike earlier releases, which enables the application to protect the system even when a user is not logged on. Beta 2 also requires Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation. However, Windows Defender (Beta 2) did not contain some of the tools found in Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta 1). Microsoft removed the System Inoculation, Secure Shredder and System Explorer tools found in MSAS (Beta 1) as well as the Tracks Eraser tool, which allowed users to easily delete many different types of temporary files related to Internet Explorer 6, including HTTP cookies, web cache, and Windows Media Player playback history.^[26] German and Japanese versions of Windows Defender (Beta 2) were later released by Microsoft.^[32][33]

On October 23, 2006, Microsoft released the final version of Windows Defender.^[34] It supports Windows XP and Windows Server 2003; however, unlike the betas, it doesn’t run on Windows 2000.^[35] Some of the key differences from the beta version are improved detection, redesigned user interface and delivery of definition updates via Automatic Updates.^[36]

Windows Defender has the ability to remove installed ActiveX software.^[37] Windows Defender featured an integrated support for Microsoft SpyNet that allows users to report to Microsoft what they consider to be spyware,^[38] and what applications and device drivers they allow to be installed on their systems.

Windows Vista included several security functionalities related to the Windows Defender. Some of the functionality was removed in subsequent versions of Windows.^[39]

Security agents which monitor the computer for malicious activities:

• Auto Start – Monitors lists of programs that are allowed to automatically run when the user starts the computer
• System Configuration (settings) – Monitors security-related settings in Windows
• Internet Explorer Add-ons – Monitors programs that automatically run when the user starts Internet Explorer
• Internet Explorer Configurations (settings) – Monitors browser security settings
• Internet Explorer Downloads – Monitors files and programs that are designed to work with Internet Explorer
• Services and Drivers – Monitors services and drivers as they interact with Windows and programs
• Application Execution – Monitors when programs start and any operations they perform while running
• Application Registration – Monitors tools and files in the operating system where programs can register to run at any time
• Windows Add-ons – Monitors add-on programs for Windows

The Advanced Tools section allows users to discover potential vulnerabilities with a series of Software Explorers. They provide views of startup programs, currently running software, network connected applications, and Winsock providers (Winsock LSPs).

In each Explorer, every element is rated as either «Known», «Unknown» or «Potentially Unwanted». The first and last categories carry a link to learn more about the particular item, and the second category invites users to submit the program to Microsoft SpyNet for analysis by community members.^[40][41] The Software Explorer feature has been removed from Windows Defender in Windows 7.^[42]

Windows Defender was released with Windows Vista and Windows 7, serving as their built-in anti-spyware component.^[43] In Windows Vista and Windows 7, Windows Defender was superseded by Microsoft Security Essentials, an antivirus product from Microsoft which provided protection against a wider range of malware. Upon installation, Microsoft Security Essentials disabled and replaced Windows Defender.^[44][45]

In Windows 8, Microsoft upgraded Windows Defender into an antivirus program very similar to Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7,^[6] and it also uses the same anti-malware engine and virus definitions from MSE. Microsoft Security Essentials itself does not run on Windows versions beyond 7.^[44] In Windows 8 or later, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is on by default. It switches itself off upon installation of a third-party anti-virus package.^[46][47]

Following the consumer-end launch, Windows Server 2016 was the first version of Windows Server to include Windows Defender.^[48]

Until Windows 10 version 1703, Windows Defender had a dedicated GUI similar to Microsoft Security Essentials.^[6] Additionally, Windows Security and Maintenance tracked the status of Windows Defender. With the first release of Windows 10, Microsoft removed the «Settings» dialog box from Windows Defender’s GUI in favor of a dedicated page in the Settings app. Then, in the 1703 update, Microsoft tried to merge both Windows Defender’s GUI and Windows Security and Maintenance into a unified UWP app called Windows Defender Security Center (WDSC).^[49] Users could still access original GUI by alternative methods,^[50][51] until the 1803 update, which saw the UI removed altogether.^[a] The Security and Maintenance control panel entry however, is still available in Windows 11; it contains links to reliability and performance monitoring, which is of the telemetry (one of the countless Vista major innovations) and allows to examine in depth issues detected, to the maintenance tools, File History, UAC Settings and Recovery (among others).

With the release of Windows Server 2016, Microsoft introduced a Defender module for PowerShell, which allows interacting with Windows Defender via a command-line interface (CLI).^[57]

Microsoft continued to decouple the management front-end from the core antivirus. In addition, to WDSC and PowerShell, it is possible to manage the antivirus via Windows Admin Center, Group Policy, WMI, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, and Microsoft Intune’s «tenant attach» feature.^[58]

In Windows 10 version 1703, Microsoft renamed Windows Defender, calling it Windows Defender Antivirus.^[59] Windows Firewall and Microsoft SmartScreen also saw their names changed to Windows Defender Firewall and Windows Defender SmartScreen.^[60] Microsoft added other components under the «Windows Defender» brand name, including Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG),^[60] Windows Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG),^[60] Windows Defender Application Control,^[61] and Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (Defender ATP).^[61]

A year later, Microsoft began dissolving the Windows Defender brand in favor a of the cloud-oriented «Microsoft Defender» brand. The company removed WDSC from the brand in the 1809 update, renaming it Windows Security Center (WSC).^[62] The 2004 update renamed Windows Defender Antivirus, calling it Microsoft Defender Antivirus, as Microsoft extended Defender ATP’s capabilities beyond the Windows OS.^[63][64]

Windows Defender Offline (formerly known as Standalone System Sweeper)^[65] is a stand-alone anti-malware program that runs from bootable removable media (e.g. CD or USB flash drive) designed to scan infected systems while the Windows operating system is offline.^[66] Since Windows 10 Anniversary Update in 2016, the option to boot into Windows Defender Offline can be initiated from within Windows itself, negating the need for the separate boot disk.

Microsoft Defender for Individuals was released to the general public in June 2022 for Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac OS, Android, and iOS devices.^[67][68] On Windows it works alongside Microsoft’s first and third-party antivirus solutions, such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

Microsoft Defender for Individuals requires a Microsoft 365 personal or family license.^[69]

Microsoft Defender for Individuals is a stand-alone app that adds central management with visibility of family devices, as well as Identity Theft Monitoring (in supported regions^[70]) to existing anti-malware features on Windows devices. On macOS and Android, the app includes its own anti-malware protection and on Android and iOS it also includes web protection (malicious link detection).^[71]

All supported platforms share a common user interface, which is also accessible from a web browser through Microsoft’s My Defender portal.

On May 5, 2017, Tavis Ormandy, a vulnerability researcher from Google, discovered a security vulnerability in the JavaScript analysis module (NScript) of Microsoft Antimalware Engine (MsMpEngine) that impacted Windows Defender, Microsoft Security Essentials and System Center Endpoint Protection. By May 8, 2017, Microsoft had released a patch to all affected systems. Ars Technica commended Microsoft for its unprecedented patching speed and said that the disaster had been averted.^[72][73]

During a December 2017 test of various anti-malware software carried out by AV-TEST on Windows 10, Windows Defender earned 6 out of 6 points in detection rate of various malware samples, earning its «AV-TEST Certified» seal.^[74]

During a February 2018 «Real-World Protection Test» performed by AV-Comparatives, Windows Defender achieved a 100% detection rate of malicious URL samples, along with 3 false positive results.^[75]

An AV-TEST test of Windows Defender in October 2019 demonstrated it provides excellent protection both against viruses and 0-day / malware attacks.^[76]

On December 1, 2021, AV-TEST gave Defender a maximum protection score of 34 points after successfully managing to detect ten out of ten ransomware samples in a lab test.^[77]

Microsoft Defender has often been subjected to criticisms related to privacy concerns, performance issues, and intrusive behavior in recent versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems. Microsoft Defender features cloud file analysis and file submission under Microsoft Spynet Membership which eventually became Microsoft Advanced Protection Service (MAPS) when opted in with basic or advanced membership collects user data and sends to Microsoft which arises privacy concerns among users.^[78][79] The cloud integration of Microsoft Defender also raised concerns among privacy advocates. The MsmpEngine of Microsoft Defender in recent versions of Windows was found to be using high amounts of system resources, especially CPU Resources when Real-time protection and scheduled scan is configured to be turned on.^[80] This issue is more apparent in PCs with Intel CPUs.^[81] Microsoft defender is configured by default to take up 50% of the system’s CPU resources available by default, although this can be configured using Group Policy Editor along with limiting the process of MsmpEngine to use a Low Priority Process during a Realtime Scan and customizing scheduled scans.^[82][83] Recent Windows Versions also deeply integrated Microsoft Defender with the operating system using mechanisms like Early Boot Anti-Malware, Tamper Protection, etc., making it almost impossible to remove or uninstall. Although these are useful to prevent malware from disabling or removing the antivirus itself, they also lead to frustration among users who utilize and seek 3rd party alternatives.^{[84][85][86][87]} In late-July 2020, Microsoft Defender began to classify modifications of the hosts file that blocks Microsoft telemetry and data collection servers as being a severe security risk.^[88][89]

• Security and safety features new to Windows Vista
• Windows Security Center

• Official website

Security threats are some of the leading concerns our customers have with technology today and that’s why we’ve built Windows 10 to be the most secure version of Windows ever. With comprehensive, built-in security features, Windows 10 provides protection from viruses and malware threats including ransomware, safer authentication with Windows Hello using your smile or fingerprint to login and ongoing security updates delivered monthly through Windows Update, to name a few.

But you don’t need to be a security expert to help secure your device and understand the protections you have in place.

https://youtu.be/QE-3zbvtdKI

Windows Defender program manager Shekhar Saxena explains the security features and controls available in the new Windows Defender Security Center app coming with the Windows 10 Creators Update.

The Windows Defender Security Center includes five pillars that give you control and visibility of your device security, health and online safety experiences.

Virus & threat protection provides a new view of your antivirus protection whether it’s Windows Defender Antivirus that comes free with Windows 10 or AV software from one of our ecosystem partners. If you’ve chosen Windows Defender Antivirus, your scan results and threat history will be displayed here, or you will be able to launch your 3^rd party AV protection app directly from this screen.

Device performance & health provides a single view of your latest Windows updates, drivers, battery life and storage capacity. Additionally, you have the option to start fresh with a clean install of Windows using the Refresh Windows feature. This option will keep your personal files and some Windows settings, and remove most of your apps for a fresh start that can help with performance improvements should your device need them.

Firewall & network protection provides information on the network connections and active Windows Firewall settings, as well as links to network troubleshooting information.

App & browser control allows you to adjust settings for SmartScreen for apps and browsers helping you be more informed and stay safer online by warning you of potential malicious sites, downloads and unrecognized apps and files from the Internet.

Family options gives you an easy way to connect to the family options available online. This page can link you to information about parental controls, options for setting up good screen time habits, setting up activity reports of your kids’ online activity and managing controls for purchasing apps and games. You can also view the health and safety of your family’s devices from this centralized location.

Our goal with the new Windows Defender Security Center is to help you become more informed and make safety simple.  It is equally important to us that you are protected by default and continuously protected – never giving the bad guys an opportunity to harm you. This new experience naturally supports customer choice in selecting an AV product. In addition, if your subscription or paid antivirus software should expire, Windows Defender Antivirus will kick in to provide protection by default until you take further action. Finally, it is important to ensure that you are in control of your PC.  Windows 10 respects your freedom to choose protection software and services that you like best.

We believe the new Windows Defender Security Center lives up to these principles and we are committed to working with you, as well as security experts and organizations throughout the technology industry to create safer experiences for everyone with Windows 10.

*Windows Hello requires specialized hardware, including fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.

Windows Defender is a software that will help protect your personal machine against pop-ups Microsoft’s Windows Defender has advanced quite a bit when it comes to its cybersecurity capabilities. slow performance and security threats that originate from spyware and also other malware t once were really bad, but recently, Microsoft has turned Defender right pretty decent free antivirus. by detecting and removing these threats out of your computer.

Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection; a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it’s detected One example is, Defender now includes sandboxing and cloud-based malware detection — boosting overall protection and making threat detection faster. It minimizes interruptions so helping you remain productive I spent a few months testing out both Microsoft’s Defender website the best antivirus programs in the marketplace, ranking them on malware detection rates, system performance, scan speeds, overall internet security software protection, and customer support.

Windows Defender is enhanced by SpyNet; an online community thats liable to bring Windows Defender users together to find and share specifics of spyware To begin with, Windows Defender still did not block many viruses that other programs easily caught, and that is because Microsoft doesn’t issue enough regular updates for the Defender database to really make it competent to detect the newest threats. This community reports potential threats recognized by the Windows Defender real-time system agents for the SpyNet servers, these therefore,  And let’s pretend which you do get a computer virus, Microsoft is not going to allow you to they’ll just tell you just how you should’ve had another antivirus installed! catalogue boost the unit to aid save you from new spyware threats These third-party antiviruses have an overabundance of effective malware scanners, are simpler to use, are available with better and tough one cybersecurity protections.

Windows Defender 64-bit For PC Review

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Fast and simple way to download free software latest versions. “Windows Defender 64-bit” Software essentials for Windows, MacOS and Android. This site is updated every day with dozens of apps covering everything from productivity and communication, to security and gaming. Also Available: Windows Defender 32-bit. Free download safely while discovering alternative software you can try.

Software Information

How to download and install Windows Defender on a PC/Laptop with Windows 11,10,8 & 7 (32 Bit, 64 Bit)

1. Make sure your computer/laptop meets the system requirements of the program, game, or utility you are trying to install.
2. You can use any web browser to download Windows Defender. If you haven’t installed the browser. you can use your operating system web browser
3. Click the “Download Windows Defender” in tab. To download and install Windows Defender
4. Once there. Click on the blue box that reads “Download.” Click “Download Windows Defender.” …
5. Find the .exe file that you just downloaded and opened. …
6. Select Run to start the installer immediately after downloading.
7. Read carefully the provisions of the service. then select Accept and install.
8. After installing a new program, if it prompts you to reboot the computer, please do so. Now you can open the application.

Windows Defender 64-bit 2025 Download Latest Version

2025 Latest Version — 100% Safe ✓

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