Windows 7 - Windows Defender

roytom

Windows Defender (WD) - Windows 7 - will not run - I've used all the advice I can find - no other anti-virus/spyware detection software competes with it or is running - on one machine its starts and then stops saying "Windows Defender is turned off..."

I've tried setting the Services.msc Windows Defender dialog to Automatic - doesn't work - endless reboots make no difference.

Each time I go to use WD I get "Windows Defender is not running ... click to turn on" - sometimes it starts, often not, but then stalls with "Windows Defender is turned off..."

Anyone got this to work?

Thanks

debitcardmayhem

Have you got any Antivirus Software other than Defenceless

check here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/turn-windows-defender-on-off#turn-windows-defender-on-off=windows-7

Hedgehog99

Have you tried Microsoft Security Essentials?

If you use it, check that the icon in the task bar is 1) present & 2) green. If it disappears, it usually means trouble, so don't do any online payments/use passwords until you have found out why.

roytom

No other security software other than MS Security Essentials, and that's working ok I assume.

Just checked on a newly re-installed copy of Win7 and it doesn't work on there either.

dogmaryxx

Q: Is Microsoft Security Essentials (XP/Vista/7)designed to replace Windows Defender?

A: No but if you are running Microsoft Security Essentials, you do not need to run Windows Defender. Microsoft Security Essentials is designed to disable Windows Defender in order to manage the PC’s real-time protection, including anti-virus, rootkits, Trojans and spyware.

Q: Does installing Microsoft Security Essentials (XP/Vista/7) disable Windows Defender?

A: Microsoft Security Essentials should disable Windows Defender on Vista and Windows 7and uninstall it from XP. In some cases, this does not happen automatically.

answers.microsoft.com