Microsoft Malware Prevention troubleshooter checks your PC's preparedness

Is your PC properly configured to protect your files, data and information from malware and other malicious attacks? Experienced users may be able to answer that question without having to think much about it, while inexperienced users may have the nagging feeling that their PC may not be as well protected as it could or should be.
Microsoft's Malware Prevention troubleshooter serves two purposes. First, it analyzes important security related settings and features letting you know in the end if there is something that you can improve security-wise. Second, it offers to resolve several of the issues that it finds right away.
The program belongs to the Fix-It category of applications that Microsoft creates for a variety of troubleshooting related purposes. These tools can be run right after you have downloaded them to your PC.
You can select to have the application apply fixes for issues that it finds automatically, or not. I strongly suggest you select the "let me select the fixes to apply" option on the selection screen as you do not have any control whatsoever otherwise.
The scan should not take too long and results are displayed to you afterwards. If you have selected the manual option, you are free to check or uncheck identified issues so that you can decide what you want repaired or resolved, and what not.
What the program scans for
- Is antivirus software installed and running on the system.
- Is Windows Update configured to automatically install updates.
- Is the Windows Firewall enabled or a comparable program.
- Is the pop-up blocker enabled (Internet Explorer).
- Is Remote Registry turned on or off.
- Check if the latest Internet Explorer version is installed on the system. Will also modify privacy settings for improved privacy if necessary, and delete Internet cache and browsing history.
- Enable User Account Control (UAC) if disabled.
- Reset proxy settings.
Checking the findings of the program manually is important, as you may end up otherwise with modifications that torpedo changes that you have made to the system. If you require a custom proxy server to connect to the Internet, or Remote Registry, then you'd better make sure you select manual and uncheck the findings before you continue with a click on the next button.
The antivirus software that Microsoft suggests is the company's own Microsoft Security Essentials tool. While that is certainly better than no protection at all, it is not the best tool in this regard as it is not a complete solution to protect your system from malicious software.
The Fix It appears to be compatible with all versions of Windows from Windows XP onwards to Windows 7 but not Windows 8 right now. You can download the latest version of the program from Microsoft.
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What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help