Windows Defender

[Guest]

I have set Windows Defender to run every day at 2:00 a.m. but it doesn't do
this. Also, when I bring the Windows Defender screen up and click on the
"scan now" button, I get an error dialog box: "Windows Defender encountered
an error: 0x80004003. Invalid pointer" I have uninstalled and reinstalled the
program, which did nothing to help. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

The error when pressing that button is a known bug, scheduled to be fixed,
but for which we haven't seen the fixed code yet. The workaround is to
simply select the desired scan from the menus at the top.

Scheduled scans depend on the Windows Task scheduler to function--this can
be found in control panel, performance and maintenance, scheduled tasks.

 

[Guest]

Robert,
check out the following link. It should solve the problem.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/sec...5a5718-c4e5-4919-b278-4bb0e374d53a&sloc=en-US

 

[Guest]

The error when pressing that button is a known bug, scheduled to be fixed,
but for which we haven't seen the fixed code yet. The workaround is to
simply select the desired scan from the menus at the top.

Scheduled scans depend on the Windows Task scheduler to function--this can
be found in control panel, performance and maintenance, scheduled tasks.

 

[Guest]

I have had the same problem with scheduled scans. Please give specific
instructions about how to deal with the Windows Task Scheduler.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

What version of Windows?

In XP, control panel, performance and maintenance, scheduled tasks.

Hit the Advanced menu choice at the top of the scheduled tasks page, and
tell me how the first menu item reads?



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[Guest]

It reads "Stop Using Task Scheduler".

What version of Windows?

In XP, control panel, performance and maintenance, scheduled tasks.

Hit the Advanced menu choice at the top of the scheduled tasks page, and
tell me how the first menu item reads?

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

That's a good sign. If you move further down that same menu, you can show
hidden tasks.

If you do that--there should be a job called MPScheduledScan.

If you right click that and choose run, does the status change to running?

If you then start Windows Defender via Start, all programs, and wait a few
seconds, it should display scan progress.
I wonder if scans are starting but not completing?



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[Guest]

Bill, it is there, but the "Status" is "Could not start". When I try to run
it as you suggest, the "Status" does not change to "Running". Curiously, my
other scheduled tasks also have a "Status" of "Could not start", so I must
have a more general problem. Any suggestions on how to correct it? Thanks,
James B.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308558/en-us

is the omnibus troubleshooting document--it isn't clear to me that it has
any "meat" in it, though--it tells you what resources to look at, but I
don't see anything about causes.

See if it helps you out. It does mention a log file--if you can spot just
the details of that last run attempt in the log file, you could cut and
paste those to a reply here.

Is this XP Home or XP Professional?

Does your user account have a password set on it?

If you double-click the job, what text is in the "Run As" box?

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[Guest]

I gett the following information in the log file: MP Scheduled Scan.job"
(MpCmdRun.exe) 3/29/2006 8:46:11 PM ** ERROR ** The attempt to retrieve
account information for the specified task failed; therefore, the task did
not run. Either an error occurred, or no account information existed for the
task.
The specific error is:
0x80090016: Keyset does not exist.

I have windows XP Home. I have no password set and I am the authorized
user. I'm not sure what you mean by "double-click the job".

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

OK - that's one that I've seen before, and that user was able to resolve
it--let me see if I can find the details:

OK - going from memory, this KB article resolved the issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;246183



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[Guest]

I got error resolved by doing a fix for it on the Microsoft Support Site.
Now I have run into another error message: 0x8004130f. The Microsoft
Support Site hasn't helped me much on this one. I might need a hotfix, but
I'm not sure, since it infers that the problem was fixed with SP 2. It seems
as thought the problem started in mid-February of this year for my other
programs than are in Task Scheduler.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

You might need a hotfix, but perhaps not the one you were looking at--take a
look at this one:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;884573


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[Guest]

Thanks. I believe I have the problem fixed now.

You might need a hotfix, but perhaps not the one you were looking at--take a
look at this one:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;884573

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

Excellent!