Remove/disable MSE and install other?

Gang
I'm using 8 sporadically on a lab unit, as a "learner". Heretofore I have not used MSE much at all; AVAST is too good on Windows 7 so I've had little interest in lesser devils. But today, or yesterday... can't recall.. I saw something MSE let through that AVAST would block - a site that puts up one of those fake "you have a problem" popups that looks entirely legitimate - in fact it looked like a MSE message. I was using firefox pre-release 'Nightly' x64 and it was in "full protection" mode so only the strong survive all that. Essentially, the invader froze FF, and I had to terminate the processes to get coherence again.

So this lead to my question: in Win8, is MSE integrated to some great degree not present in Win 7?? Is it safe to disable it [how?] and move on to a broader protective package?

thx
c

Yes, I did exactly that in win8 RP

Pleased I did.

I am using [URL=http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/]classic Shell[/URL] - so I typed defender in startmenu search - it popped up.

Can't recall exactly where the setting is to turn it off - but it's not hard to find.

Then install Avast in the usual way.

Much better - lower on ram use as well.

(Sorry I am not in win8 at the moment - I can only take it in small doses.)

I'll have another look under the hood
I was ignorant of the rename, or merge, or whatever they would call it

I've had pretty good luck with Norton Internet Security on a number -- somewhere between a half and a full dozen -- of Windows 8 installations on tablet, notebook, and desktop PCs. NIS has lost its bloat since 2009, and is actually both relatively modest in resource consumption and impact these days. The Norton 2013 betas are free, have no advertisements, but last only 28 days (14 days with one 14-day renewal), after which you must uninstall the old and reinstall the new if you want to keep going. So far it's been worth the minor inconveniences involved for me.

--Ed--

Disclaimer: I have worked for Symantec as a talking head and writer at various times over the last 20 years, but own no stock in the company, nor have other financial interests in their success or failure. This recommendation is based on personal positive experiences, and is entirely the reader's to ignore or follow as he or she chooses.

Windows Defender is in the services. (Services.msc) You can turn it off there.