| Quote from: penneck |
I do have one concern (apart from "is Sirefef hiding for a while?")
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I imagine the final step in your repair was to recreate the boot sector and so get rid of a boot sector component of Sirefef. So no reason to suppose it is hiding.
BUT (based on my recent experioence) you need to check that Windows Update works correctly and that Security Center runs.
| Quote from: penneck |
and that is Windows Defender on the laptop (not the bootable one in the memory stick) is stopped. It says so when I try to use it. How do you start it?
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Some time ago Microsoft bought-up a company making an anti-spyware program which then re-named 'Windows Defender'. Some years later they bought-up/brought-out a much more comprehensive security package which they gave the rather feeble name of 'Microsoft Security Essentials'. If MSE or any other modern security software is running then Windows Defender becomes superfluous and might just slow down the computer so most such programs turn off Windows Defender. With me so far?
In Windows 8, Microsoft Security Essentials is re-branded as 'Windows Defender'. But as far as I can tell it's just the name that has been recycled, it's really still MSE. And 'Windows Defender Offline' is
really Microsoft Security Essentials Offline.
Anyway, Windows Defender is stopped for a reason; you should not try to start it.
| Quote from: penneck |
Well, my thanks to all who made suggestions, particularly RR
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I know from my own experience that problems like this
are soluble, given sufficient persistence.
