Windows 10: Do I need Defender?

If MSE is deactivated it can't do anything to harm you 'puter and should not interfere with anything.

 

Thanks for the updates.

Media player is ok on Win10, the Groove app is a universal app for playing media.
Media Center that was not carried forward to Win10.

To remove Media Player: Right click *Start to open the Win-x menu
Select Programs & Features at the top of the list
(or control Panel > Programs and Features)

Select Turn Windows Features on or off from the left hand pane
Expand Media Features
Clear the checkbox for Windows Media Player




I don't know what else you can do about MSE - another member might come along with more help.

 

Deleted WMP. Thanks for the how-to, Slartybart.

MSE is harmless now but seeing that red fortress/flag X'ed out

is a eye catching annoyance! *Doh

Thanks everyone! *Smile

 

If you right click on it can you remove it ?

Maybe you can unlock the task bar and remove it ? One of these might work.

 

No. A small window opens that says "Open". That's all.

 

If you unlock the task bar and click on the flag, you can drag it out of there.
To the trash ?

 

You're welcome GARoss.

See if there's a way to turn off messages from MSE in
Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Security and Maintenance > Security

and
see if you can turn off the icon in
Settings > System > Notifications... > Turn system icons on or off

 

From Seven forums.... Microsoft Security Essentials - Uninstall Completely - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

The icon is turned off now. Thanks for the tip. Still can't uninstall MSE.

 

This was a good tip but here's what I got.

 

I installed Avast (AIS) and it turned off Defender. Try using a programs such a Revo Uninstaller Pro 3.14 to remove it. It has a trial period.

 

Revo Uninstaller Pro 3.14 gave the same error & would not uninstall.

 

I have not found a good way to uninstall MSE when Defender is on the system. It should never be that way. Windows 8.x and Windows 10 have the rebranded MSE (aka Defender) installed by default. If you try to install MSE on one of those systems, it won't install. So this is an anomaly of the Win10 upgrade. The two are so closely related it might not be possible to untangle without breaking Defender.

There are a few suggestions to disable the Defender service and try uninstalling MSE, but I think that might have adverse affects Defender.
If Defender is the malware service running then that is what you want.

You can use cCleaner to remove the MSE entry from the list of installed programs in Programs & Features
The image shows how to remove Audacity from the installed/uninstall list.
You would select MSE instead, then delete to remove that program from the list. This does not uninstall the program, it simply removes the program form the list of programs you can select to uninstall.




Download CCleaner FREE if you don't already have the utility.

That's about all I can think of for now.

 

See post# 23. The MS Fixit did not run on Win10 (not for this OS)

Many MS Fixits will not run on Win10, it might take time for MS to change the OS tests in them. MS will figure out which ones can be applied to Win10 and eventually change the OS test for the MS Fixit (I hope so, because that is a very useful tool).

 

No.