Vista - Windows defender

My new computer came with Windows vista and it is running Windows defender.
When ever it comes on (defender) it makes everything run very slow and it
also runs forever. The scan started last night at 09:18pm and it is still
running now at 05:04pm. So it has been going for almost 20 hours. This is not
normal is it? What can I do to fix it. I really am not computer literate. TIA

"aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CE597D90-5A6B-44BD-946A-1C560B558599@microsoft.com...
> My new computer came with Windows vista and it is running Windows
> defender.
> When ever it comes on (defender) it makes everything run very slow and it
> also runs forever. The scan started last night at 09:18pm and it is still
> running now at 05:04pm. So it has been going for almost 20 hours. This is
> not
> normal is it? What can I do to fix it. I really am not computer literate.
> TIA

Disable it. Replace it with Grisoft's AVG (free antivirus software) and
something like Webroot's Spysweeper (not free, but good antimalware
software). Defender is neither effective nor efficient.

Thank you, I just went to find it and can not locate it in the unistall part.
I also couldn't see where on it's page to turn it off. Do you know where I
can find it?
I also have McAfee security center but that doesn't seem to work well. I
think I bought it through Dell when I bought the computer and I have it for 3
yrs. Someone else set everything up for me and I just don't feel like paying
them again to come out and fix this stuff.

"PTravel" wrote:

>
> "aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:CE597D90-5A6B-44BD-946A-1C560B558599@microsoft.com...
> > My new computer came with Windows vista and it is running Windows
> > defender.
> > When ever it comes on (defender) it makes everything run very slow and it
> > also runs forever. The scan started last night at 09:18pm and it is still
> > running now at 05:04pm. So it has been going for almost 20 hours. This is
> > not
> > normal is it? What can I do to fix it. I really am not computer literate.
> > TIA
>
> Disable it. Replace it with Grisoft's AVG (free antivirus software) and
> something like Webroot's Spysweeper (not free, but good antimalware
> software). Defender is neither effective nor efficient.
>
>

Don't uninstall it -- merely disable it. Do it under Control Panel --
Windows Security Center -- Malware Protection.

"aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8095CF67-D4C1-4997-8306-8B310836C2A7@microsoft.com...
> Thank you, I just went to find it and can not locate it in the unistall
> part.
> I also couldn't see where on it's page to turn it off. Do you know where I
> can find it?
> I also have McAfee security center but that doesn't seem to work well. I
> think I bought it through Dell when I bought the computer and I have it
> for 3
> yrs. Someone else set everything up for me and I just don't feel like
> paying
> them again to come out and fix this stuff.
>
> "PTravel" wrote:
>
>>
>> "aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:CE597D90-5A6B-44BD-946A-1C560B558599@microsoft.com...
>> > My new computer came with Windows vista and it is running Windows
>> > defender.
>> > When ever it comes on (defender) it makes everything run very slow and
>> > it
>> > also runs forever. The scan started last night at 09:18pm and it is
>> > still
>> > running now at 05:04pm. So it has been going for almost 20 hours. This
>> > is
>> > not
>> > normal is it? What can I do to fix it. I really am not computer
>> > literate.
>> > TIA
>>
>> Disable it. Replace it with Grisoft's AVG (free antivirus software) and
>> something like Webroot's Spysweeper (not free, but good antimalware
>> software). Defender is neither effective nor efficient.
>>
>>

Follow up -- Uninstall McAfee. It's intrusive bloatware that, per reports
here, interferes with a lot of things. AVG and Spysweeper will do the same
functions, but a lot better, a lot less intrusively, and much more
efficiently.

"aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8095CF67-D4C1-4997-8306-8B310836C2A7@microsoft.com...
> Thank you, I just went to find it and can not locate it in the unistall
> part.
> I also couldn't see where on it's page to turn it off. Do you know where I
> can find it?
> I also have McAfee security center but that doesn't seem to work well. I
> think I bought it through Dell when I bought the computer and I have it
> for 3
> yrs. Someone else set everything up for me and I just don't feel like
> paying
> them again to come out and fix this stuff.
>
> "PTravel" wrote:
>
>>
>> "aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:CE597D90-5A6B-44BD-946A-1C560B558599@microsoft.com...
>> > My new computer came with Windows vista and it is running Windows
>> > defender.
>> > When ever it comes on (defender) it makes everything run very slow and
>> > it
>> > also runs forever. The scan started last night at 09:18pm and it is
>> > still
>> > running now at 05:04pm. So it has been going for almost 20 hours. This
>> > is
>> > not
>> > normal is it? What can I do to fix it. I really am not computer
>> > literate.
>> > TIA
>>
>> Disable it. Replace it with Grisoft's AVG (free antivirus software) and
>> something like Webroot's Spysweeper (not free, but good antimalware
>> software). Defender is neither effective nor efficient.
>>
>>

Thank you so much for the help!

"PTravel" wrote:

> Follow up -- Uninstall McAfee. It's intrusive bloatware that, per reports
> here, interferes with a lot of things. AVG and Spysweeper will do the same
> functions, but a lot better, a lot less intrusively, and much more
> efficiently.
>
> "aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:8095CF67-D4C1-4997-8306-8B310836C2A7@microsoft.com...
> > Thank you, I just went to find it and can not locate it in the unistall
> > part.
> > I also couldn't see where on it's page to turn it off. Do you know where I
> > can find it?
> > I also have McAfee security center but that doesn't seem to work well. I
> > think I bought it through Dell when I bought the computer and I have it
> > for 3
> > yrs. Someone else set everything up for me and I just don't feel like
> > paying
> > them again to come out and fix this stuff.
> >
> > "PTravel" wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> "aewdw" <aewdw@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:CE597D90-5A6B-44BD-946A-1C560B558599@microsoft.com...
> >> > My new computer came with Windows vista and it is running Windows
> >> > defender.
> >> > When ever it comes on (defender) it makes everything run very slow and
> >> > it
> >> > also runs forever. The scan started last night at 09:18pm and it is
> >> > still
> >> > running now at 05:04pm. So it has been going for almost 20 hours. This
> >> > is
> >> > not
> >> > normal is it? What can I do to fix it. I really am not computer
> >> > literate.
> >> > TIA
> >>
> >> Disable it. Replace it with Grisoft's AVG (free antivirus software) and
> >> something like Webroot's Spysweeper (not free, but good antimalware
> >> software). Defender is neither effective nor efficient.
> >>
> >>
>
>