Why is Defender indicating threats are present but not visible in the "Protection history" view?
Why is Defender indicating threats are present but not visible in the "Protection history" view?
A warning.
😀
I am not a fan of malware software on my personal use computers. Generally I don't use it and have not used it since I began using personal computers in the 1970s. In that 50 years, I think I have had about 3 problems with infections. Only one of them was serious and forced me to have to do a reinstall of the OS... no big deal based on how well I maintain backups. I find it to be more trouble than it's worth and an impediment to my productivity with bells and alarms going off all the time with everything from false positives to all kinds of unnecessary notifications and interruptions and required maintenance. Most of that 50 years I lived without it and net/net, I think I was better off.
I am sure some here disagree with that, but that's my opinion. I respect yours too. I am talking about personal use scenarios here. In a business scenario I think that malware protection is critical. So its not that I am anti-antimalware, it's just that for my personal use computers I don't need it.
Having said that, on the PC I am using now, I decided to leave Defender on when I bought it a couple of years ago. I have to say it has been a real PITA.
First question...
Does Defender actually delete (and I mean delete not quarantine) files without asking you if you want them deleted first?
I could swear that I have seen it make files disappear on false positives without a trace... not even putting them in the Recycle Bin! Please tell me it doesn't do this!
What I would want it to do if it suspects something is
ASK
me what I want to do with that file. Don't just disappear it like a kidnapped citizen under a foreign evil regime. I mean GEEZ, I've never once seen anything but false positives from this thing. And then it just REMOVES the files without a trace?
Second, and related to this, please see the screenshot below.
1) Defender goes off on a false positive telling me it found threats.
2) I look at the "Protection history" and nothing is there.
Second question:
What is that about?
I went to the quarantine system folder on this particular one and sure enough it removed the file and put it quarantine. But why doesn't it show that in protection history so I can restore it?
I always shut Defender down temporarily (IF I remember!!) whenever I am working with important files that would be a serious problem if it simply disappeared but I am about to disable Defender for good because it seems it has been more of a PITA than anything that protects me. 50 years without malware protection and no important problems, one or two years with it and nothing but headaches over things like this.
What would YOU do? 🤔
Thanks for reading this and I welcome your comments.
You would focus more on strengthening your backups... And will respond to @rgd1101's inquiry.