An icon popped up on my task bar this morning for Windows  Defender.  I had never see it before. I clicked on it and a box popped up saying you haven't scanned in three days you shoul set Windows Defender to scan every day.   Am I as dumb as a box of rocks? I didn't know Windows Defender was even on my computer. Can someone enlighten me?    Clydene

Windows Defender is on Vista. At least, I sure never noiced/don't see it on my XP, lol.   I put on Microsoft Security Essentials on my Vista (acually both it & the XP), so it automatically turned off my Widows  Defender, beca8use I don't need both. 

Basically, I believe WIndows Defender looks for 'malware'. At least that's what I get out of the blurb I saw when I tried to open it just now(I can't open it fully without turning it 'on' & I don't want to do that, since I am running MSE).

If you don't have MSE, I wouldn't worry about it...go ahead & let it 'scan', or check to see about setting it to 'automatically' scan periodically.    I'm not  sure why you've never seen that before, unless you've changed something on your computer lately & it got 'un-set'.  But it's no big deal, as far as I can tell.  D      

   Thanks  Dianne, I don't know why I haven't  seen it before either. When I got a new computer several months ago it came with Vista. I have a malware bites program, Avast,    registery Mechanic,Zappit, & smart defrag. Do I need this too?    Clydene

I don't think you 'need' it...but...EB & TC have told us it's good to have 2 'anti malware' things on your computer.  SO unless one of yours tells you not to run it--or like Microsoft Security Essentials, actually turns it OFF automatically--I wouldn't worry about it. 

Right now, this is what I'm running:  MSE (for  antivirus), Malware Destroyer, Malwarebytes Anti-malware, & SuperAntispyware. I also have Perfect Utilities (for cleaning up junk files & registry).  That's working for me.

ANyway, you seem to be fine.  I've noticed lately I need to do defrag & disk clean up almost daily--I'm guessing it's because I work with a lot of graphics. 

Have a nice day Clydene! 

Dianne  

  Thank you so much Dianne I guess I'll just let it be since it doesn't seem to be causing any problems. Thanks Again   Clydene