need help re anti-virus protection

Jimmy9190 · 25 Jan 2022

Mine says no providers too. I am pretty sure that just refers to no internet/browser protection being included in Windows Security. MS Smart Screen is supposed to take care of that to avoid phishing and bad sites. Smart Screen does a good job, so does Google Safe Browsing. I add the Malwarebytes Browser Guard extension in all browsers, it does a great job and has caught things in the past that slipped by Smart Screen. I am trying to avoid Google Chrome as much as possible but the MBAM Browser Guard works fine there too. Here is a relevant post about no providers:

Web protection provider

Jimmy

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noguru11 said:

Thanks again, Jimmy, for the information and advice.
In my system tray, there is a shield (Windows Security). There is not, however, a Defender icon, either in the system tray or on the desktop.
Should there be?
Can there be?
In Windows Security, it says Web Protection, no providers. Is this important?

When Windows Security/Defender is on and active you should have the active icon for it. You might try signing in your computer under your admin account and then restarting, see if the icon comes back.

Jimmy

Try3 · 25 Jan 2022

zebal said:

"no web providers" mean there is no "internet security" provided by active AV.

I'm lost. Where are you all looking?

need help re anti-virus protection-ms-security.png

Denis

steve108 · 25 Jan 2022

Try3 said:

I'm lost. Where are you all looking?

Denis

need help re anti-virus protection here

zebal · 26 Jan 2022

Try3 said:

I'm lost. Where are you all looking?
Denis

Click on settings and then manage providers

Try3 · 26 Jan 2022

Thanks. Mine is also
Web protection - No providers

need help re anti-virus protection-windows-security-security-providers.png

Denis

zebal · 26 Jan 2022

I once asked a question here on forums about what is this "Web protection" and why it always says "No providers".

It seems like this is new feature which requires AV software vendonrs to update their software such that it registers itself as providing web protection.

Since no AV software vendor does it that's the reason why it is "No providers"

Windows defender (AV) does not provide Web protection either because WD is AV only.
If not using 3rd party protection, then Web protection is effectivelly everything that is included in OS, (except firewall and WD), like MS edge link check and smart screent, but since these are all separate features "Web protection" must be blank.

If these features would be provided by 3rd party internet protection suite as a single component then it would be a good candidate but under condition that software vendors updates their code to register the component as "Web protection" component.

This is the reason why it always says "No providers", it will take years until AV companies take advantage of this.

noguru11 · 26 Jan 2022

To all of you, thanks for helping me through this problem, which I could never have solved alone. I have marked this thread "Solved." Hopefully I will be able to duplicate my journey on my second laptop today. I have copied the thread for reference.

Paul Black · 26 Jan 2022

Hello @noguru11,

noguru11 said:

To all of you, thanks for helping me through this problem, which I could never have solved alone. I have marked this thread "Solved."

Great news, and you are VERY welcome.