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Microsoft admits Windows 10 disables rivals' AV

by on22 June 2017


Temporarily


Software king of the world, Microsoft, has admitted that it does temporarily disable anti-virus software on Windows PCs.

The admission follows a competition complaint to the European Commission by a security company.

Kaspersky Labs filed the complaint against Microsoft in June, claiming Vole is abusing its market dominance by steering users to its own anti-virus software.

Microsoft says it implemented defences to keep Windows 10 users secure. Writing in its bog, Microsoft says it bundles the Windows Defender Antivirus with Windows 10 to ensure that every single device is protected from viruses and malware.

To combat the 300,000 new malware samples being created and spread every day, Microsoft says that it works together with external anti-virus partners.

The technology giant estimates that about 95 percent of Windows 10 PCs were using anti-virus software that was already compatible with the latest Windows 10 Creators Update. If there are incompatible applications, Microsoft built a feature that lets users update their PCs and then reinstall a new version of the anti-virus software.

Microsoft partner director of the Windows and Devices group in enterprise and security Rob Lefferts said: "To do this, we first temporarily disabled some parts of the AV software when the update began. We did this work in partnership with the AV partner to specify which versions of their software are compatible and where to direct customers after updating."

Last modified on 22 June 2017
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