DEP - Turn On or Off for Programs

How To Turn DEP On or Off for a Program in Vista and Windows 7​

   Information

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a security feature that can help prevent damage to your computer from viruses and other security threats. Harmful programs can try to attack Windows by attempting to run (also known as execute) code from system memory (RAM) locations reserved only for Windows and other authorized programs. These types of attacks can harm your programs and files. If DEP notices a program on your computer using memory incorrectly, it closes the program and notifies you with the DEP stop error. DEP is ran in a software mode and in a hardware mode. If your processor supports DEP (NX for AMD, and XD for Intel), then you will have hardware and software DEP. If it doesn't, then Vista will just use software DEP. 64 bit applications will have DEP enabled all the time by default, but 32 bit applications do not and must have DEP manually enabled for them.

For more information, see: Windows Help and Support: Data Execution Prevention: FAQs

   Note

If you choose to protect all programs, you can still turn off DEP for individual programs if you know that they are safe. If a program does not run correctly when DEP is turned on, check for a DEP compatible version of the program or an update from the software publisher before you change any DEP settings.

   Warning

Do not disable DEP, or exclude (OptOut) a program, unless you have adequate protection and are having problems only with a known safe program that DEP will not let run and you cannot live without it.


Adequate Protection:

• Antivirus program with realtime scanning (EX: Avast or AVG are good ones)
• A spyware/adware program with realtime scanning (EX: Windows Defender, Spybot Search and Destroy)
• Enable Vista UAC (User Account Control). It asks you for permission first for anything that wants to run with full access to the computer.

Here's How:
NOTE: 64 bit programs will always have DEP turned on. You cannot change this.

1. Open the Control Panel. (Classic View)​

A) Click on the System icon.​

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B) Go to step 3.​

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OR​

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2. Open the Start menu.​

A) Right click on Computer and click Properties.​

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3. Click on Advanced system settings.(in upper left green area)​

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4. Click on the Continue button in the UAC prompt.​

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5. Click on the Settings button under Performance section. (See screenshot below)​

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6. Click on the Data Execution Prevention tab. (See screenshot below)​

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7. Turn DEP On for Essential Windows Programs and Services Only​

NOTE: This turns on DEP for only the 32 bit system programs and services. This is the default setting.​

A) Dot Turn on DEP for essential Windows programs and services only.​

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B) Go to step 9.​

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8. Turn DEP On for All Programs and Services Except for the Ones you Select​

NOTE: This turns on DEP for every 32 bit program except for the ones that you add to the list. The listed program will have DEP turned off for it.​

A) Dot Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.​

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B) Click Add to add the programs (32 bit) that you do not want to use the DEP feature.​

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C) Navigate to the program's .exe file that you want to add to the DEP exclusion list and select it, then click on Open.​

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9. Click on OK to apply. (See screenshot below step 8B)​

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10. Restart the computer to apply changes.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Turn Windows Features On or Off in Vista
• How to Enable or Disable DEP in Vista and Windows 7
• Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET)
• How to Create a "DEP System Properties" Shortcut in Vista and Windows 7

 

[fcz]

hi everyone!!

just reading this thread with interest as i have a problem with itunes and quicktime. dep stops both working and when i try to turn off dep for these it doesn't allow me......

can anyone help? i don't really want to turn dep off completely but will understand if i have too

 

[mansrm81]

You need to add itunes and quicktime into dep by clicking add and find the program in the program files folder.

 

[fcz]

thats what i try to do but the dialog box in the pic i posted just keeps coming up every time i try to add quicktime or itunes. it says that they must run with dep enabled

 

[Brink]

Hi Fcz, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You might see if using Compatibility Mode, with the Run this program as an administrator box checked, for these program's shortcuts may help them run properly.

If it still does not help, then disable DEP completely to see how they run afterwards.

 

[fcz]

thanks brink.

tried both these but neither work. i can't even turn the dam dep off:sa:

 

[Brink]

I do not know what else to suggest other than checking with the support website for iTunes and QuickTime to see what they have to say.

Sorry,
Shawn

 

[fcz]

doh, forgot to run as administrator. managed to get dep off and tried to run itunes, got following message......

 

[fcz]

now that dep is off i'm gonna uninstall and reinatall itunes and quicktime to see if this makes a difference. i have contacted microsoft who passed the buck and told me to contact apple. i replied to microsoft saying that this was poor service as its their operating program thats causing the problem.

apple support said i have to call their tech dept so will try this later today.

this problem is starting to really frustrating me!!!!

 

[ggbib]

According to wikipedia 'AlwaysOff: This setting does not provide any DEP coverage for any part of the system, regardless of hardware DEP support. (except in Windows Vista Ultimate)

Dep is on my hardware, disabling it would only work, under the 'Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select' would disable for ALL 32-bit apps, except the ones I add.

There is no way for me to turn them off for 64-bit apps?. Am I way confused?

I'm not sure why I would want to turn it off anyway.
It only closes a one old 32-bit app, every few weeks or so,

J

 

[Brink]

Hello J,

Normally you would want DEP on to help protect your computer. You would usually only turn it off for a trusted program (usually older) that keeps getting closed by DEP. It would be better to find a newer version of that program that works with DEP on though.

 

[husskii]

m having the same problem, my IE8 keeps shutting down. i have received a few DEP warnings, but most of the time it just shuts down & restarts, this can happen continously till i deciede to give up & shut IE8 down. My problem is certain websites i go2, and not applications. example im on a google image site and if i try right click to save the pic, then definatly IE8 will shut down & restart. if this can be fixed by DEP how do i know what to monitor and what not to.

Thanks
HUSSKii

 

[Brink]

Hello HUSSKii, and welcome to Vista Forums.

DEP is a security feature designed to protect your computer by preventing a program or item from accessing restricted memory.

Since this is happening in IE8, you might see if this tutorial can help to see if it may be a IE8 add-on that is the problem.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/114310-internet-explorer-reset.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[husskii]

hi brink, thanks on the info i had gone thru everything but still couldnt get the issue fixed.. i ended up returning to IE7 on my vista client.. currently im testing Win7beta on another partition and IE8 seems to be a little better, but still wat i found is that there still is them few sites that will reset or not load, same issues i had with vista but not as many sites... what i found is that most issues happen when u try view secured sites like banks ur ISP acoount ect.. so i ony go2 those sites whilst using IE7, just incase it has security issues in IE8... anyways sorry its taken me this long to reply, i have been a little busy in the new yr, and totally forgot to visit... i had received a notification when bobblackburn, requested some help... so thanks rob
as for yur issue, i count resolve mine, so sorry i have no advice for u... but hopfully brink or someone with his knowledge will see this and help u out.. also what version are u using, because i beleive now MS has IE8 out which isnt beta, for both win Vista & serv2008... that might help, thats if ur still using the beta version..

 

[Brink]

Hello Husskii,

You might contact those sites to inform them to see if it may a issue on their end to.

 

[husskii]

Hello Husskii,

You might contact those sites to inform them to see if it may a issue on their end to.

hi m8..
i never thought of that, worth a try. but in saying that, if they work on IE7 then wouldnt it be a prob with the browser im running...
thanks

 

[Brink]

Not necessarily. They may just not be fully compatible with IE8 yet. Sometimes running the sites with Compatibility View in IE8 may help.

 

[husskii]

Not necessarily. They may just not be fully compatible with IE8 yet. Sometimes running the sites with Compatibility View in IE8 may help.

compatible view works with most site, except for optus, when i press on the compatible button it still resets and when i hover over the button, it shows like i haven't pressed it yet.. and wat i found is that all sites that have a security certificate except of MS sites, are having trouble with IE8... for example optus keeps resetting, with my banks website instead of opening the login window in one of them secure pages, it will open in a new tab and i don't believe thats safe at all...
anyways i tried calling optus about the problem, and most say "we cant give u support on IE8 yet, coz its still in its testing stages ect ect" 1 young fella tried to assist, but when he couldn't figure it out, he then gave the same excuse...(10points for trying, i reckon) so now i use opera for optus site, and IE8 for the rest.. but when i want to do my banking, i go to my vista OS which has IE7 on it, and i use that for banking.. its a big headache i know but hopefully they will have IE8 sorted soon and i can put all this behind me...
and i am most certain that the bugs in IE8 have to do with security certificates, as i said, the only time i encounter problems, is when i try to go to a secure site or otherwise i have no hick-ups wat so ever...
cheers!

(oh yeah, and i know this is off topic but if i wanted to give someone a rep, how would i do it... Thanks much appreciated)

 

[Brink]

Hopefully so. I sent a PM to you on the rest.

 

[husskii]

yippy IE8 is finally working the way it should....
finally I get to use the one browser...........

 

[Brink]

Husskii, I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted.