I recently began having issues with my computer not performing as expected and I believe I have traced the root cause to the above mentioned "Windows Defender 'Important' update". Symptoms: > Outlook threw a warning that the firewall was blocking this program, I allowed it, but then it was forced into Offline Mode without the option to bring it back online. > The SDK Developer Toolkit for Accellos One Warehouse that allows me to edit labels could not connect to the Kernal server > I could not navigate to our SharePoint intranet site by typing "sharepoint" into the address bar. I had to type the full address (<servername>\default.aspx). > The PS_HI_GP_Listener.exe that allows comunication from Accellone One Warehouse to Dynamics Great Plains via Blue Moon upload/download sentury was blocked from running. Although I do not need this to run on my local machine, this is indeed a symptom. > I was completely blocked from our SRS Reports deployment page (SRS Report Server). Meaning, I could not navigate to our SRS reports via our intranet. Work-Arounds > Initially, restoring to a previous system restore point "fixed" the problem, but (even though I had my Windows Update setting configured to download but not install) the update was automatically installed at some point during the day and the issues started all over again. > Knowing that I could not System Restore daily (possibly multiple times a day) I read some posts about the Outlook issue and ran the Norton Removal Tool and rebooted my system (even though I have never installed Norton on this system, although it may have shipped with it, I'm not sure but I doubt it). This corrected the Outlook problem. > I added the SharePoint server ipaddress and DNS name to my Hosts file (along with the other servers to allow the Accellos SDK toolkit to function) and this allows these to function properly. Even though I have been able to start working again, there are minor annoyances that are still cropping up. Is there any way I can completely remove Windows Defender from my system, or at least remove this update and prevent it from installing again? On removing the update, it is not an option in Add-Remove programs (viewing the Windows Update/installed updates area). It shows on my Update History but not on my Installed Updates. Also, I have disabled Windows Defender by going into the admin section of it and selecting to not use it as well as stopping the service. Still having the issue. It may be worth a mention that the previous versions of this (i.e. KB915597 Def. 1.83.1076.0) did not create this issue. --Update: Moved this to a different forum than originally posted because the only response I initially got was that I had posted in the wrong forum (sorry about that). By the end of the day yesterday, Outlook had gone into "Working Offline" again. I ran a virus scan (housecall.trendmicro.com) and turned up zero infections. I ran the Norton Removal Tool again, and voila, Outlook is functining again. This has afflicted at least one other user in the company (and I fear more are to come). --Another Update: This is strange. All of these ailments (including Outlook) are resolved when I unplug the CAT5 Ethernet cable and run wirelessly. Why would DNS be affected while wired but not wirelessly? Or, am I chasing a mangy squirrel? Jody Wood

Final update: Installing KB915597 (Definition 1.83.1581.0) created on 6/11/2010 at 3:39AM fixed this issue. Now I can be wired again and everything is functioning properly. Tsk, tsk Microsoft for not catching this bug...it was a pretty big one.Jody Wood