No ability to Update defender

[Guest]

I receive the error message:
Windows Defender was unable to complete the update: 0x8024402c.

I have entered all defender X.exe into "safe" applications with Norton
Internet security and allowed registry changes in Spy Bot. I am at a loos.

 

[Guest]

Hello BBI,

See if it's any help here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=900936

Eиçel

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

Does AutoUpdate work fine on your system?

Please go to WindowsUpdate, do an express scan, and install all offered
critical updates.

 

[Guest]

Bill
I have always had the AutoUpdate enabled and my critical updates were up to
date prior to installing defender.
Any other suggestions for me?

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

I'm glad that your critical updates were up to date prior to installing
defender--however, I posted that advice for a reason: Windows Defender
updates via two mechanisms:

1) within the program (help, about, check for updates)--it updates via
autoupdate.
2) You can also update manually by going to Windows Update, doing an express
scan, and applying the offered defender definition updates.

If autoupdate is working, but you are not seeing Defender updates offered,
you may need a prerequisite.

Going to Windows Update and doing an express scan and applying what is
offered is the way to get that prerequisite, as well as the definition
updates.

--

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bill
That worked. I still don't understand why the obvious manual update is
broken on my machine but express update works, however I guess I don't need
to know.
Many thanks,
Ed

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

I'm not trying to hide anything from you---just get it going.

The update within the program--whether automatic, or via help, about, check
for updates, uses Autoupdate.

If Autoupdate isn't working there are a bunch of possible causes. You could
be missing a prerequisite of some sort-which I've never managed to pin
down--in some cases, getting everything available on an express scan at
Windows Update puts that prerequisite in, and henceforth, autoupdates work.

Another possibility, on a corporate machine, is that autoupdate is
restricted to a corporate server/patch distribution mechanism which either
cannot or does not distribute Windows Defender definition updates. If this
is the case, the update within the program will continue to fail.

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