Antivirus applications have been combined with Windows 10 security settings for several years now.
Antivirus applications have been combined with Windows 10 security settings for several years now.
I rely on AVG Antivirus. A yellow warning appeared next to the Windows Defender logo in the taskbar, prompting me to click it. It showed that Windows detected AVG being installed automatically. The suggested fix was to update AVG, which I did. How long has this integration with third-party AV providers been possible? I don’t recall it happening earlier.
They’ve been offering these features for a while now, alerting users when their antivirus is about to expire. This shows they’ve been monitoring the situation for a long time.
It seems you're referring to a system that's been running for at least a couple of years, possibly since Windows 10. Could you clarify if you're asking about a specific device or issue?
This kind of connection began when Windows Defender launched, likely around Windows 7. It's unclear if the "please update" prompt existed at the time. From what I understand, the integration functions in reverse—Windows provides an API for AVs to announce updates or license needs.
From Windows XP onward, this feature became unified starting with Windows 8. XP SP3 security center would inform you about the third-party antivirus software installed and its status. Vista and 7 followed comparable configurations, where Security reported which AVs were active and whether they were functioning properly. I believe it was around Windows 8 when Microsoft added toast notifications and provided developers with an API to integrate their own third-party applications into existing Windows libraries.
Was das auch in W7 vorhanden? Ich habe nicht mehr von W7 Defender oder Security Essentials gehört, das hat diese Funktion wohl später hinzugefügt. Die Warnung, dass dein Antivirus bald leer ist, wurde vermutlich später in W10 eingeführt, etwa ein Jahr nach dem Betriebssystem (viele Anbieter meldeten damals Probleme).
I'm not completely confident, haven't used W7 recently. I believe they likely had a feature where Defender would disable itself if another working AV was active, warning you about the non-working state. I recall being frustrated because my AV would take a long time to start and Windows would constantly show an alert, only to say "everything's fine" when you clicked it. However, I think @Master Disaster is right—it really began with XP.
It's not true integration. Windows simply recognizes the different AVs you're using because developers add this feature (and then Defender stops working). Your AV responds with a yes if the system checks, otherwise it says "no, I'm outdated" and shows info. This isn't secret surveillance code—it's just functionality built into the software.