Windows Defender (formally Microsoft Antispyware) Beta 2 has been released. Downloaded, installed, scanned with it, first impressions are it looks a lot nicer, cleaner simpler interface.

Windows Defender needs Automatic Update service running to get definition updates, and downloads them directly through the network connection for Generic Host Process for Win32 Services. Not sure if I like that. It scans a lot slower, especially when scanning archives. It took forever to get through my Call of Duty 2 and Battlefield 2 program folders. Those game installs are loaded with huge archive folders for maps. Only 8.4 gigs on this drive and it took 23 minutes to scan with a full system scan, spending like 22 and a half minutes on just this drive. It went through my other drive with nothing but 9.5 gigs of mp3 files very quickly. Windows Defender REALLY wants to run all the time now like an anti-virus. Even when I disable Windows Defender real time protection, which it has loads of check points for, and close the window, it leaves no icon in the tasktray, but still has two running process