I don't know how it happened, but Windows Defender was removed from my computer.

I am running Vista Home Edition.

I can't download and install the software separately, because it says that Defender is a part of Vista.

Any ideas?

I don't want to reinstall the OS.

Thanks in advance!!!

Are you sure it was not just disabled?

Windows Defender is included with all versions of Windows Vista and is part of the operating system so it cannot be uninstalled. Not sure what removed it in your case.

Have you tried using System Restore or System Restore from a command prompt in Safe Mode to return to a previous state before this issue appeared?

Thanks for the advice, but I lost Windows Defender some time ago, so System Restore isn't going to work.

To be more clear, Windows Defender is still "on" mt system, in that I can see the icon in Control Panel and the files (all?) appear on my drive. When I try to run it, it says:

Application failed to initialize: 0x800106ba. A problem caused this program's service to stop. To start the service, restart your computer or search Help and Support for how to start a service manually.

Did you go into Services and try to manually start the service? Right-click My Computer, select
Manage, expand Services and Applications in the left pane to get access to Services in Vista or go to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrative Tools and double-click on the Services option.

If so and that did not resolve the problem, check at the
Newsgroups for Windows Defender.

I tried to manually start, but get the message:

Windows could not start the Windows Defender service on local computer.

Error 0x8007003: The system cannot find the path specified.

I looked on the Microsoft site and nothing worked.


Thanks for your help with this. I assume you are out of ideas, and that's OK. I did not need the stinkin' (BLEEPING!) program anyway!

Happy Holidays!

That's why I posted the link for the Newsgroups. Thats the next place to go for support.

You can also check here:
"Windows Defender Support & Training" click the link titled Phone Support
"Troubleshooting Windows Defender in XP"

Thanks so much for your time! It is appreciated!!!

You're welcome.

I see that you've moved on to other resources to get help with your Defender problem, but I have a few things for you.

First, I think it's a blessing in disguise that you're not able to use it anymore. Windows Defender is really a waste of time and space, as the fine folks at Microsoft have their hands full with other more important projects and don't put a whole lot into Defender. It hasn't been a utility that I have needed or used for myself or clients in ages. If it's not affecting your day to day operations and not causing problems or errors (aside from when you attempt to use it, of course) then I would say let it be. This is one of those rare occasions where I would say that the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" adage does NOT apply.

Second, I haven't had to do much in the way of diagnosis and problem solving with my Vista machine, especially not lately, but I will now to see if I can find answers. Does Defender even show up on the list when you go to remove programs?

Defender is still located in the start menu and the control panel, but it is NOT in the "Uninstall or change a program" menu...

The main reason I want to get this fixed is so that the updates will install and I won't have to hide them to get them to stop appearing.

Thanks for your time,

and Happy Holidays

You can manually download the latest Windows Defender Definition updates from the Microsoft Malware Protection Center Portal. Double-click the Mpas-fe.exe file to install, then click OK. To install the file on a Windows Vista-based computer, right-click the file, and then click Run As Administrator) to install it.

I installed that, but it still doesn't make the Windows Defender operate...

I found this on the web. Might be worth looking at.


http://blogs.eweek.com/devlife/content/vis..._turn_on_1.html