How to Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10


Windows 10 version 1703 and later provides the latest antivirus protection with Windows Security, which contains Windows Defender Antivirus. When you start up Windows 10 for the first time, Windows Defender Antivirus is on and actively helping to protect your device by scanning for malware (malicious software), viruses, and security threats.

Windows Defender Antivirus uses real-time protection to scan your downloads and the programs you run on your device. Also, Windows Update downloads updates for Windows Defender Antivirus automatically to help keep your device safe and protect it from threats.

Windows Security shows you how Windows Defender Antivirus has been protecting you. It shows you when:
  • Your device was last scanned for threats.
  • Your definitions were last updated. Definitions are files that Windows Defender Antivirus uses to protect your device against the latest threats.
  • The Device performance and health scan was run to ensure your device is operating efficiently.

Windows Defender Security Center has five areas that protect your device and let you specify how you want your device protected:
  • Virus & threat protection - Monitor threats to your device, run scans, and get updates to help detect the latest threats. In Windows 10 version 1709, the section also provides configuration options for Controlled folder access.
  • Device performance & health - See status about your device’s performance health and keep your device clean and up to date with the latest version of Windows 10.
  • Firewall & network protection - Manage the settings for Windows Defender Firewall, and monitor what’s happening with your networks and Internet connections.
  • App & browser control - Lets you use Windows Defender SmartScreen to help protect your device against potentially dangerous apps, files, sites, and downloads. Also provides exploit protection where you can customize protection settings for your devices. In Windows 10 version 1709, the section also provides configuration options for Exploit protection.
  • Family options - Provides easy access to managing your childrens’ online experiences and the devices in your household.

Starting with Windows 10 version 1709, you can add information about your organization in a contact card to Windows Security. This can include a link to a support site, a phone number for a help desk, and an email address for email-based support.

This contact information can also be shown in some notifications (including those for Windows Defender Exploit Guard, the Block at first sight feature, and potentially unwanted applications.

Users can click/tap on the displayed information to initiate a support request:
  • Clicking Call or the phone number will open Skype to start a call to the displayed number
  • Clicking Email or the email address will create a new email in the machine's default email app address to the displayed email
  • Clicking Help portal or the website URL will open the machine's default web browser and go to the displayed address

This tutorial will show you how to add support contact information to the Windows Security app and its notifications for all users in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to add or remove this support contact information.

If you want to add support contact information, you must first have to enable the contact card for app or custom notifications (or both). Second, you must then specify the contact company name and at least one contact method - email, phone number, or website URL. If you do not specify the contact name and a contact method the customization will not apply, the contact card will not show, and notifications will not be customized.



Contents

  • Option One: Add or Remove Support Contact Information for Windows Security in Local Group Policy Editor
  • Option Two: Add or Remove Support Contact Information for Windows Security in Registry Editor



EXAMPLE: Support contact information in Windows Security notification and app
Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-security-center-custom-notification.png
Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-contact_support_button_on_wd_security_center.jpg






OPTION ONE

Add or Remove Support Contact Information for Windows Security in Local Group Policy Editor


The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option TWO below.


1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2 In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows components\Windows Security\Enterprise Customization

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_info_gpedit-1.png

3 In the right pane of Enterprise Customization in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Configure customized contact information policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4 Do step 5 (add) or step 6 (remove) below for what you would like to do for contact card information in the Windows Defender Security Center app.


5 To Add Support Contact Card Information to Windows Security

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)


6 To Remove Support Contact Card Information from Windows Security

A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_info_gpedit-2.png


7 In the right pane of Enterprise Customization in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Configure customized notifications policy to edit it. (see screenshot below step 2)

8 Do step 9 (add) or step 10 (remove) below for what you would like to do for custom notifications.


9 To Add Support Contact Information to Windows Defender Security Center Notifications

A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 11 below. (see screenshot below)


10 To Remove Support Contact Information from Windows Defender Security Center Notifications

A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 11 below. (see screenshot below)

Not Configured is the default setting.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_notifications_gpedit.png


11 If you did both step 6 and step 10 above to remove contact information from both the app and notifications, then go to step 17 below.

12 If you did step 5 and/or step 9 above to add contact information to either or both the app and notifications, then you must now specify the contact company name and at least one contact method - email, phone number, or website URL.


13 To Specify Contact Company Name

A) In the right pane of Enterprise Customization in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Specify contact company name policy to edit it. (see screenshot below step 2)

B) Select (dot) Enabled, and enter a company name (ex: "Ten Forums") you want under Options. (see screenshot below)

C) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 14 (email), step 15 (phone/Skype), and/or step 16 (website URL) below for which contact methods you want to add.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_name_gpedit.png


14 To Specify Contact Email Address or Email ID

A) In the right pane of Enterprise Customization in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Specify contact email address or Email ID policy to edit it. (see screenshot below step 2)

B) Select (dot) Enabled, and enter an email address or email ID (ex: "support@forumreply.com") you want under Options. (see screenshot below)

C) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 15 (phone/Skype) and/or step 16 (website URL) below for which contact methods you want to add, or go to step 17 below if finished adding contact methods.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_email_gpedit.png


15 To Specify Contact Phone Number or Skype ID

A) In the right pane of Enterprise Customization in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Specify contact phone number or Skype ID policy to edit it. (see screenshot below step 2)

B) Select (dot) Enabled, and enter a phone number or Skype ID (ex: "1-500-123-1234") you want under Options. (see screenshot below)

C) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 16 (website URL) or step 17 (finished) below for what you want to do.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_call_gpedit.png


16 To Specify Contact Website URL

A) In the right pane of Enterprise Customization in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Specify contact website policy to edit it. (see screenshot below step 2)

B) Select (dot) Enabled, and enter a website URL (ex: "https://www.tenforums.com") you want under Options. (see screenshot below)

C) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 17 below.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_website_gpedit.png


17 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.

18 If Windows Security is currently open, then close and reopen it to apply.






OPTION TWO

Add or Remove Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Registry Editor


1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2 Navigate to the registry key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Security Center\Enterprise Customization

If you don't have the Windows Defender Security Center key, then right click or press and hold on the Microsoft key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type Windows Defender Security Center for the name, and press Enter.

If you don't have the Enterprise Customization key, then right click or press and hold on the Windows Defender Security Center key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type Enterprise Customization for the name, and press Enter.

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-windows_defender_security_center_contact_info_regedit.png

3 Do step 4 (app) and/or step 5 (notifications) below for what you would like to do for contact information in the Windows Defender Security Center app and/or notifications.


 4. To Add or Remove Support Contact Card Information for Windows Security

A) In the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, double click/tap on the EnableInApp DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)

If you don't have a EnableInApp DWORD value, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, click/tap on New, click/tap on DWORD (32-bit) Value, type EnableInApp for the name, and press Enter.


B) Type 1 (add) or 0 (remove) for what you want, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-enableinapp.png


 5. To Add or Remove Support Contact Information for Windows Security Notifications

A) In the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, double click/tap on the EnableForToasts DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)

If you don't have a EnableForToasts DWORD value, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, click/tap on New, click/tap on DWORD (32-bit) Value, type EnableForToasts for the name, and press Enter.


B) Type 1 (add) or 0 (remove) for what you want, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-enablefortoasts.png

6 If you removed contact information from both the app and notifications in step 4 and step 5 above, then go to step 12 below.

7 If you added contact information to either or both the app and notifications in step 4 and/or step 5 above, then you must now specify the contact company name and at least one contact method - email, phone number, or website URL.


 8. To Specify Contact Company Name

A) In the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, double click/tap on the CompanyName string value (REG_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)

If you don't have a CompanyName string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type CompanyName for the name, and press Enter.


B) Type a company name (ex: "Ten Forums") you want, click/tap on OK, and go to step 9 (email), step 10 (phone/Skype), and/or step 11 (website URL) below for which contact methods you want to add. (see screenshot below)

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-companyname.png


 9. To Specify Contact Email Address or Email ID

A) In the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, double click/tap on the Email string value (REG_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)

If you don't have an Email string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type Email for the name, and press Enter.


B) Type an email address or email ID (ex: "support@forumreply.com") you want, click/tap on OK, and go to step 10 (phone/Skype) and/or step 11 (website URL) below for which contact methods you want to add, or go to step 12 below if finished adding contact methods. (see screenshot below)

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-email.png


 10. To Specify Contact Phone Number or Skype ID

A) In the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, double click/tap on the Phone string value (REG_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)

If you don't have a Phone string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type Email for the name, and press Enter.


B) Type an phone number or Skype ID (ex: "1-500-123-1234") you want, click/tap on OK, and go to step 11 (website URL) or step 12 (finished) for what you want. (see screenshot below)

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-phone.png


 11. To Specify Contact Website URL

A) In the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, double click/tap on the Url string value (REG_SZ) to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)

If you don't have an Url string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty space in the right pane of the Enterprise Customization key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type Url for the name, and press Enter.


B) Type a website URL (ex: "https://www.tenforums.com") you want, click/tap on OK, and go to step 12 below. (see screenshot below)

Add Support Contact Information to Windows Security in Windows 10-url.png

12 When finished, close Registry Editor.

13 Restart the computer to apply.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials



  • Windows 11 Tutorials