How to Update Vista Without Defender
Windows Defender is an anti-spyware application bundled with Windows Vista. While Windows Defender is free, you may want to use other anti-spyware on your computer. If you've disabled or removed Defender from your Vista computer and you want to keep Windows Updates from updating or reinstalling it, you'll need to manually update your computer and hide the unwanted updates.
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Instructions
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Turn Off Automatic Updates
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Click "Start" in the Windows Vista tool bar and then select "All Programs." Click Windows Update.
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2
Click "Change Settings" on the left side of the window.
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Click the drop-down list under "Important Updates" and select "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them." Click "OK." Windows checks for available updates and informs you when they are available, but waits for you to select which updates to download.
Hide Defender Updates
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4
Launch Windows Update from the Start menu. This will open a window which will tell you if you have updates available for download.
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Click "You have # Important Updates Available" to view a list of all recommended updates available for download.
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Read through the list and locate any updates associated with Windows Defender.
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Right-click any Windows Defender updates and click "Hide."
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Repeat the process for "Optional updates" before clicking "Install Updates." Windows downloads and installs any updates that are not hidden.
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Tips & Warnings
Run Windows Update manually when updates are available. Microsoft regularly releases patches for security vulnerabilities that are important for your system's protection.
