33. Disable Data Execution Prevention (DEP)
Viruses and other security threats can control
your PC by executing code from within memory. To
prevent damage, the Data Execution Prevention (DEP
for short) feature monitors program applications to
ensure they use protected memory in a safe manner.
Any incorrect usage, by an application, of protected
memory and Data Execution Prevention steps in and
automatically closes the application.
While DEP, by default, only monitors Windows
programs and services, it is possible to increase
protection by having DEP monitor all applications on
your PC.
As DEP monitors activity in the background you
may not have actually experience DEP close a program
down. On the other hand, you may have already
experience DEP at work because it closed down an
application that you actually trust.
Like all security features, it is not recommended
that you turn these features off. It is better, if
possible, to work with the security feature. In many
cases there are options available whereby a trusted
program that constantly causes DEP to block it can
actually be allowed to execute without the need to
completely shut down the security feature
completely.
Regardless of how good or how essential a
security feature is there is always going to a
minority of users' that want to shut it down
completely. These instructions, therefore, are for
those that cannot live with DEP. Disabling
DEP,however, can potentially lead to the exposure of
the user to viruses and trojans that can deliver
personal details to people who want to steal
identities.
Disable
1/ Click the Start Button.
2/ On the Start menu Click
All Programs.
3/ On the All programs menu
Click Accessories.
4/ From the Accessories menu
Right Click on the Command
Prompt and, from the drop down
menu, Select Run as administrator.
5/ If the User Account Control
feature pops up you will need to either press the
Continue button or else provide UAC
with the details it requires.
6/ When the Command Prompt
window opens type: bcdedit.exe/set {current}
nx AlwaysOff and press Enter.
7/ If all has gone well you should see a message
saying that The operation completed
Successfully.
8/ Close down the
Command prompt window and Restart
your PC for the changes to take effect.
Enable
If, at a later time, you want to re-enable DEP
proceed as follows:
1/ Click the Start Button.
2/ On the Start menu Click
All Programs.
3/ On the All programs menu
Click Accessories.
4/ From the Accessories menu
Right Click on the Command
Prompt and, from the drop down
menu, Select Run as administrator.
5/ If the User Account Control
feature pops up you will need to either press the
Continue button or else provide UAC
with the details it requires.
6/ When the Command Prompt
window opens type: bcdedit.exe/set {current}
nx AlwaysOn and press Enter.
7/ If all has gone well you should see a message
saying that The operation completed
Successfully.
8/ Close down the
Command prompt window and Restart
your PC for the changes to take effect.