Microsoft Malware Prevention Troubleshooter now available

Is your computer configured in the best possible way security-wise? If you are a tech-savvy users you probably won't have any troubles confirming that it is, but what if you are inexperienced? It could take you a long time finding out if everything is set up properly, or if something has been changed or is missing that is holding you back or making your computer vulnerable to some attack forms.

That's where Microsoft's newest fix-it, the Malware Prevention Troubleshooter, comes into play. It runs a series of tests on the PC to provide the user with automatic or manual solutions to issues that may have been discovered during the test phase.

I'd recommend to select the manual option when you run the troubleshooter, as it provides you with insight about the changes that the program would have made automatically otherwise. The suggestions are the same, but you know what's being changed which can give you an edge, and an option to intervene in case the detection has been off.

You are probably wondering what the malware prevention troubleshooter is checking for:

• Checks if Windows automatic updates are enabled. Offers to enable the feature if that is not the case
• Checks if Windows firewall is enabled, or if an alternative firewall is being used. If no firewall is found and Windows Firewall is not enabled, it suggests to enable the internal firewall.
• Checks the computer's proxy settings to make sure that the values have not been modified by malicious software
• Checks for antivirus software, and suggests to install Microsoft Security Essentials if no software is found on the PC.
• Enables User Account Control (UAC) if it is not enabled on the system
• Checks if the latest supported version of Internet Explorer is installed, and suggests to install the latest version if it is not. Will enable the browser's popup blocker if it is not enabled.
• Checks if the WSCAPI system file exists
• Checks if Remote Registry is enabled or not
• Makes sure Windows Defender is enabled
• Checks for bad policy settings in the Windows Registry
• Checks if the Windows Security Center service has been disabled

Depending on the issue, it may either be resolved automatically by the Fix-It solution, or you may be redirected to a download page. This is for instance the case if no antivirus software is found on the system. Here you are then taken to the Microsoft website where you can download the company's own Microsoft Security Essentials to the system.

In closing, the Microsoft Malware Prevention troubleshooter can be a helpful tool for users who need help fixing issues on their PC. It can be helpful after a malware attack to quickly enable all protective measurements on the system, or proactively to make sure everything is set correctly.

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