You will also need to agree to a supplemental license agreement (one that goes beyond what you agreed to when you installed your genuine version of Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista). If you do not want any information transmitted back to Microsoft, choose the Install Definition Updates Only option instead.

If you follow the default settings in the installation wizard you are automatically signed up for Microsoft SpyNet, Microsoft's in house database of spyware seen in the wild. Guess what? Microsoft then asks you again to validate your copy of Microsoft Windows before continuing with the Windows Defender wizard. Only then may you download Windows Defender. As mentioned, if you haven't already done so, you must first download and install the Windows Verification tool on your desktop, then you must validate that you are in fact running a licensed version of Windows. Still, it's best to get a second opinion, probably from your name-brand antivirus-plus-software application.Īlthough Windows Defender is free, you cannot simply download and run the product. Windows Defender is free and therefore should be a part of your desktop antispyware collection.

Window defenders