Windows Defender won't autostart

[Andrew]

Reposted with additional information because last post didn't yield a
solution.

System:
Vista Business Edition, avast! free edition, Windows Firewall.
One Care is not being used, and !avast is the only run-time AV.

Windows Defender is set to Auto-start.

At start up, Security Centre gives me the message that Windows Defender is
not turned on, despite it being set to auto-start. Using Security Centre to
turn on WD results in a 5 mins+ search for updates, then it returns a
message saying no updates are available, and WD is still turned off.

However WD starts from the "All Programs" menu with no problems.

Any ideas anyone?

TIA
Andrew

 

[MowGreen [MVP]]

Andrew,

First, check to see if Defender is turned on:

Turn Windows Defender on or off
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/31d797aa-091d-4d67-a556-dbfaf21bf0dc1033.mspx

Turn Windows Defender real-time protection on or off
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/13f74d76-344a-4dcc-9284-7ab43d9171b21033.mspx

If it's on, let's see if manually updating Defender fixes the issue.
Go here:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/default.aspx

In the right frame, under ' Latest Definition Updates ',
click the appropriate link for either 32bit or 64bit, depending upon
which flavor of Vista the system is running.
*Save* the file
When the download is finished close the browser and any other open programs
Turn Defender off for now using the steps on the above Vista Help page

Locate the download and *right* click it and choose 'Run as
administrator'. Follow the UAC prompts.
After the definitions install, or even if they don't, restart the system

IF Defender did not AutoStart, go back and turn it on using the steps on
the Vista Help page.

If the definitions did not install please post the last 50 or so lines
of the WindowsUpdate.log located in the WINDOWS directory [folder].

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

 

[Andrew]

OK done all that, and still the same result. The updates installed OK.

If I start WD from All Programs, and I get the running WD window on the
desktop telling me that real time protection is on, Security Centre still
says it isn't running. If I click "Turn on Now" in SC, it looks for updates
and still does nothing. I think the problem is SC as it obviously can't
detect when WD is running.

Andrew

Andrew,

First, check to see if Defender is turned on:

Turn Windows Defender on or off
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/31d797aa-091d-4d67-a556-dbfaf21bf0dc1033.mspx

Turn Windows Defender real-time protection on or off
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/13f74d76-344a-4dcc-9284-7ab43d9171b21033.mspx

If it's on, let's see if manually updating Defender fixes the issue.
Go here:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/default.aspx

In the right frame, under ' Latest Definition Updates ',
click the appropriate link for either 32bit or 64bit, depending upon which
flavor of Vista the system is running.
*Save* the file
When the download is finished close the browser and any other open
programs
Turn Defender off for now using the steps on the above Vista Help page

Locate the download and *right* click it and choose 'Run as
administrator'. Follow the UAC prompts.
After the definitions install, or even if they don't, restart the system

IF Defender did not AutoStart, go back and turn it on using the steps on
the Vista Help page.

If the definitions did not install please post the last 50 or so lines of
the WindowsUpdate.log located in the WINDOWS directory [folder].

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============

Reposted with additional information because last post didn't yield a
solution.

System:
Vista Business Edition, avast! free edition, Windows Firewall.
One Care is not being used, and !avast is the only run-time AV.

Windows Defender is set to Auto-start.

At start up, Security Centre gives me the message that Windows Defender
is
not turned on, despite it being set to auto-start. Using Security Centre
to
turn on WD results in a 5 mins+ search for updates, then it returns a
message saying no updates are available, and WD is still turned off.

However WD starts from the "All Programs" menu with no problems.

Any ideas anyone?

TIA
Andrew