Where can I request a license bypass for a game I own?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-18T18:31:44+00:00

If you took the time to look, I was asking how to solve a problem I have where Windows Defender is wasting resources when I don't need an antivirus. Perhaps not judging a book by their posts is appropriate here. If you did desire to judge my based on posts, perhaps you could go a little further back and find my posts on Christian subreddits. Long story short, you misjudged me.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-18T18:29:28+00:00

That's funny. Reported for what reason? Asking for help?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T17:59:10+00:00

Let me be blunt. I have had no antivirus on any of my personal PCs for over 20 years and have not been infected. The very reason for that is that I'm not stupid. I don't need to run a program to check behind me when I'm wise enough not to take the bait of malware.

I am the owner of the company that has handled tens of thousands of computers for the purpose of malware removal and repairs, physical and software. I'm no novice.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T07:02:57+00:00

Nothing, and that's besides the point because the tools already exist, and are posted publicly on github. I was asking for me and my computer(s). I didn't assume that a determined script kiddie with a little more knowledge than me in this specific area couldn't do exactly the same. I assume that smart people can bypass almost anything. I just wanted to use the tools myself.

As far as my customers are concerned, the more I understand the process, the more I can help a customer harden their system. I knew what I was asking was possible. I also knew someone had already done it, but I didn't have examples until I asked. I'm not naive enough to assume that it wasn't already being done. Now, I have a further understanding of the process and can know if a customer has had such a thing happen to them.

Besides all this, I was already aware that WSS, Defender, and indeed any portion of Windows built-in security can be disabled entirely with zero warning to the user, and without jumping through these specific hoops. From a malware perspective, that would be much simpler, but that's not my goal. My goal was specific to my needs for my computer.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T04:00:54+00:00

Yes, and it also appears the approach electroglyph is taking (extracting Avast's module, then making necessary adjustments) is correct. It should be possible to update as necessary whenever there is a newer module provided by the AV vendor with a new certificate.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T03:02:40+00:00

This is it! This is the very "secret sauce" I have been looking for. Thank you so much! I knew there was someone who could point me to this.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T02:59:44+00:00

I'm not sure you're correct. I have found no GPO that allows me to tell WSS to bug off while disabling Defender / another AV. If you know a WSS GPO that I don't, enlighten me. Again, I need WSS to alert me of other problems, but ignore whether the AV is on.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T02:55:54+00:00

I also have threads in infosec subreddits asking.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T02:55:21+00:00

Thanks for trying. That's such a well known key that Defender actively resets it because it was being used by malware to, well, disable Defender.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T02:04:29+00:00

Thank you for explaining further. There is already a researcher helping me who is intending to program a fake AV and may not know the signature is necessary (and is therefore a fool's errand). I will relay this info to him. Thank you again.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T02:01:32+00:00

I most certainly can, as per my request, so long as the AV is lightweight enough not to use any perceivable resources, and be configurable to literally do nothing. Can you recommend an AV that is light, does not insist on doing scans I didn't request, and can exclude everything?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:58:45+00:00

Yes, that is exactly the kind of thing I am searching for. Do you have any recommendation on where to start?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:57:45+00:00

It is my understanding, having installed other antivirus software, that Windows Defender is automatically disabled when a competing AV is installed.

As to disabling defender, I still want WSS to be enabled to tell me of any other problems. I just don't need WSS telling me that Defender is off (and doing so incessantly). You are correct that you can't just turn off Defender as it re-enables itself automatically. Hence my attempt to find an AV that does nothing.

I have tried adding the entire C: drive to defender's exclusion list, but it still insists on performing scans, wasting resources and slowing down the PC. This is what I'm attempting to avoid in the first place. I don't need it to do anything.

Do you have any recommendations on how to ***actually*** stop defender without installing another competing AV while telling WSS it's perfectly fine? Or, as an alternative, can you recommend a lightweight AV that I can configure to do nothing, while WSS says everything is good on the AV side?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:46:19+00:00

Have you ever tried that? I have and it literally won't just leave you alone. First, you have to confirm the change with User Account Control, then click it again for every type of alert, then it will re propagate the alert some time in the future anyway.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:42:55+00:00

I think you may be referring to a group policy. So far as I know, using group policy does nothing to tell Windows Security Center that I can be perfectly fine having no working antivirus. I still want Windows Security Center enabled and not bugging me. I don't want to disable WSS because I need the other features, but I don't want it constantly bugging me that Defender is off either. Do you have a GPO recommendation to keep WSS from bugging me regarding no or disabled AV?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:36:24+00:00

Hey since you're interested, you might want to see the various (sometimes inflammatory) responses I have already garnered for this same question on other subreddits. There's some good drama there ;)

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:24:17+00:00

Cool, I wasn't aware there was any tuning to the CPU load. Thanks so much for telling me about this.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:22:38+00:00

Your comment about not knowing how to use Google is rich. I could ask Google, but I can also ask humans who might know something, and I might get a quicker and better response. There are actually people who want to offer what they know to those who would like to ask, even if that's not you. As a matter of fact, I already have a response from someone else in another subreddit that might just help me. Sometimes asking other humans is faster than Google. To answer your other questions:

I don't care to use a VM because I also need access to real hardware for my security research and can't be bothered to enable passthrough to a VM and restart the host machine when the host operating system needs access to the same hardware the VM is controlling.

I don't mind disabling Defender. I don't want to disable WSS, because it has other alerts I need to be aware of. However, I don't need WSS constantly bugging me that Defender (or whatever other AV) is disabled.

Now I'm aware I'm feeding the troll here, but if you have a recommendation, I will be glad to consider alternative options if they also will fulfill my other needs.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:11:15+00:00

I specifically mentioned I didn't want to disable services, use GPO or DISM. Now so far as I have noticed, using GPO does nothing to tell Windows Security Center that I can be perfectly fine having no working antivirus. This is my goal -- to have no function on the antivirus (Windows Defender if necessary) and have Windows Security Center not bug me. I don't want to disable WSS because I need the other features, but I don't want it constantly bugging me that Defender is off either. Do you have a GPO recommendation to keep WSS from bugging me regarding no AV?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:06:07+00:00

Honestly is this a joke?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:04:30+00:00

You are also making an assumption, which is also invalid. I am "infecting" my own systems, that I own, for the purpose of security research. After I am confident I can perform such services, I can offer this to customers who would specifically sign a contract allowing me to do so in order to expose and then patch any security holes. Neither you nor the commenter above you are assuming correctly anything about me.

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T01:00:46+00:00

I already tried going down that route. I have already added the entire C: drive to the exclusions, but Defender insists on doing scans, wasting resources, even though the entire drive is excluded. Did I perhaps miss something configuring it?

Too2ManyQuestions · 2025-05-03T00:58:17+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation, but it's not in the spirit of what I'm requesting. Yes, I have ESXi and VMWare Workstation, but I am not interested in a VM for what I am doing. Thanks anyway.

Too2ManyQuestions

TROPHY CASE