To use antivirus software that Windows doesn't find
Antivirus software can help protect your computer against viruses and other security threats. Windows checks to make sure that an antivirus program is installed on your computer, that it's running, and that it's up to date. However, Windows does not detect all antivirus programs, and some antivirus programs don't report their status to Windows.
If you receive an alert about your virus protection software or the status in the Security Center indicates that the antivirus program on your computer needs attention, but you know that it is installed and up to date, you can use the procedure below to stop receiving the security alerts. You should only do this if you are sure that you have a full, up-to-date antivirus program installed on your computer and that real-time scanning, which checks every file before it is opened or used, is turned on.
To specify that you are using an antivirus program that Windows does not find:
To open the Security Center, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Security Center.
In the Security Center, under Virus Protection, click Recommendations.
In the Recommendations dialog box, select the I have antivirus software that I'll monitor myself check box, and then click OK.
Notes
The Recommendations button is not available when your Virus Protection setting is marked ON.
When you use this procedure, the Security Center displays your Virus Protection setting as Unknown, and does not send you alerts.
If your computer is part of a domain (a group of computers on a network), your security settings are typically managed by your network administrator. In this case, the Security Center does not display your security status or send alerts.
