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computerman2
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join:2002-04-20
Trenton, MI

2 edits

computerman2

Premium Member

Windows 8 Pro Defender Keeps Turning off

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Hi All

Windows 8 Defender keeps turning off

Already did online scan--nothing found

Can't complete Windows Defender Scan--Fully

Malwarebytes free nothing found

Should I Reset Windows 8 Pro PC, and when I re setup just install Avast 8.0.1483, and Rest of my programs?

I don't know what is turning off Defender right now, so I don't know if my backups fully safe or not

Happened Twice in last 15 minutes, so far still on for Windows Defender

Cudni
La Merma - Vigilado
MVM
join:2003-12-20
Someshire

1 edit

Cudni

MVM

I'm seeing reports of it too. Not sure what is causing it but try to update WD, restart (no need for reset) the pc. Keep restarting the service it will stop stopping eventually

edit: it keeps occurring, maybe corrupt update. Needs fixing MS end I think)

Cudni

dib22
join:2002-01-27
Kansas City, MO

dib22 to computerman2

Member

to computerman2
Do you have other AV/Antispy/Antimalware programs running?

You can see what windows thinks is running in the action center.

Just launch action center and click the down arrow next to 'security" it should show you what it has registered as the Spyware and unwanted software protection. If you have another one running windows defender will turn itself off in most cases.

norwegian
Premium Member
join:2005-02-15
Outback

norwegian to Cudni

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to Cudni
said by Cudni:

edit: it keeps occurring, maybe corrupt update.

On that note, sometimes turning off A/V's and deleting the updates folder contents and allowing it all to be downloaded again can fix it.
However I do not use this product and cannot verify if it would work.

Eg. With Kaspersky, deleting the update .xml file or the databases would fix engine errors from corruption once a fresh download occurred. It maybe something just as simple.

andyross
MVM
join:2003-05-04
Aurora, IL

andyross to computerman2

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Are there any messages in the Event Viewer saying why the services stopped?
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to computerman2

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Well, shit. I read your thread when you first started it and my Wiindows Defender was just fine.

However, it just NOW stopped.

I have NO other security software installed.

If it is a corrupt definitions update....that doesn't make sense. My last updates were 27 hours ago 1.145.1442.0 yet this problem just started. So, I don't see how it could be a corrupt update. I update manually usually ever 24 hours but I forgot a few hours ago...so I was going to update and saw it shut down.

Why doesn't Action Center notice that it is shut down? That's SCARY.

Well. double shit!!!! It says that the last quick scan was on March 4! SOMETHIING IS TERRIBLY WRONG. It scans every morning at 5AM but since I restarted it just now it says it hasn't scanned in almost a week. That is NOT true because I notice every 24 hours when I do a manual update whether it has scanned that morning or not. I know it scanned on March 9 so why is it saying it scanned last on March 4? REALLY SCREWED UP.

I just manually updated it and did a quick scan.
Mele20

Mele20 to computerman2

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It's in Event Viewer. For me, it started faulting at 8:48PM this evening. It faulted three times and then I noticed it (this was about 6 hours ago it faulted the first time and twice after that). BAD that nothing ALERTS you! I was in Action Center three times since 8PM for other reasons and NOTHING there about this!

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 3/9/2013 8:48:01 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: (100)
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Smokey
Description:
Faulting application name: MsMpEng.exe, version: 4.0.9200.16384, time stamp: 0x5010a938
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000007e8059408c
Faulting process id: 0x1350
Faulting application start time: 0x01ce19767112a779
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: 72ede37f-894e-11e2-beb5-689423c8335e
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
Event Xml:

1000
2
100
0x80000000000000

7002
Application
Smokey

MsMpEng.exe
4.0.9200.16384
5010a938
unknown
0.0.0.0
00000000
c0000005
0000007e8059408c
1350
01ce19767112a779
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
unknown
72ede37f-894e-11e2-beb5-689423c8335e

HA Nut
Premium Member
join:2004-05-13
USA

HA Nut

Premium Member

I don't like hearing that the Action Center doesn't report that Defender is off. In MS's "wisdom", they refuse to show the Defender status icon in the tray. Now they won't alert you if you have no AV. Great!!

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

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Hmm, no problem with MSE on WinXP SP3 and Win7 x64 and I think it uses the same definitions as Defender on Win8.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

1 recommendation

Mele20 to computerman2

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Known issue. But getting worse while Microsoft tries to troubleshoot. Evidently, this started a couple of weeks ago with Win 8 users reporting crashing on trying to do a full scan. (I don't do full scans so I wouldn't know if that was a problem). But it has progressed over the last two weeks to now faulting repeatedly when no scan is being attempted.

There is a 18 page thread at Microsoft's help forums on this issue. There is speculation it is a Windows 8 problem not Windows Defender per se...but it may be a definitions problem and maybe fixed with the latest definitions. I didn't read the entire thread. I first read several other threads started on March 9 where users were all pointed to this very long thread. One MVP said the latest definitions were supposed to fix it.

Others report that Action Center is silent regarding Windows Defender not working. But Event Viewer records it.

»answers.microsoft.com/en ··· 663a3e47
Mele20

Mele20 to HA Nut

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said by HA Nut:

I don't like hearing that the Action Center doesn't report that Defender is off. In MS's "wisdom", they refuse to show the Defender status icon in the tray. Now they won't alert you if you have no AV. Great!!

Yeah, disgusting. Microsoft needs to put it in Systray. I think this lack of notification to the user that Windows Defender is not currently defending is the WORST PART of this issue.

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

Win8 Defender doesn't have an icon in the systray????

MSE does and if I didn't see it (I have it configured to always show) or it isn't green I'd check it out immediately.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Nope. There is no icon and that is deliberate. I just read something about it but it is way past my bedtime so not going looking now for what I read. Action Center was designed to alert one if Defender was not running but that is not working. Besides, on my Win 8, Action Center is a HIDDEN icon. If I unhide it, it hides itself again right away. It will NOT remain in the systray. I rarely check the hidden icons (Scotty won't stay in the Systray either...it hides also) so I would not have known about this issue (without this thread) until I went to update Windows Defender and checked after installing the update to make sure everything was ok.
computerman2
Premium Member
join:2002-04-20
Trenton, MI

2 edits

computerman2

Premium Member

Yes Action Center said Windows Defender is Protecting on and On during this, no message at all that it was even off

Kinda almost makes me wanna switch to Avast, at least then i'd have an icon in the Systray and know something was wrong sooner rather than later

Very Scary that it doesn't even alert that the service even stops from Action Center at all, Just did manual update and Quick Scan Will see if that solved the issue or not in a few moments--If it doesn't, I guess i'm disabling and restarting, and Installing Avast 8.0.1483, and Pray Avast doesn't have a false positive issue that I have to deal with next.

Once I noticed it was off, I was like What? Action Center shows On, so I was like is there an infection turning it off, I logged out of Multiplayer game Battlefield 3 for over an hour troubleshooting last night before bed, then I was like well i'll deal with more in the morning.

Microsoft Needs to make some changes with Windows Defender for One a System Tray Icon, and I hope they do in Windows 8.5 or Blue whatever they version it later on, Defender might be an ok antivirus to use for folks if it actually alerted when there was a problem I feel.

Update: Since Manual Update, and Quick Scan seems to be working fine now, still not sure if will continue using it or convert this machine to Avast as well, like rest of household...decisions, decisions

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
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join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

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Interesting as this is the first instance of hearing of WD turning off. Something in Services or MSCONFIG ?

HA Nut
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join:2004-05-13
USA

1 recommendation

HA Nut to computerman2

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I agree that the lack of a tray icon for Defender (in Win 8) is a terrible decision. I know that much of the public doesn't look at the tray (how many times have I looked at PCs that had expired and inactive AV) but at least give all of us (who care about things like this) the chance to know something is wrong!

I recently went from Avast alone to MSE and MBAM (real-time) on my Win 7 PC. I ALWAYS look at the icons to check the status of my machine. MSE's icon is excellent because the status color is nice and bright!

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

Premium Member

said by HA Nut:

MSE's icon is excellent because the status color is nice and bright!

Agreed. That green really sticks out even to my old and tired eyes

HA Nut
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USA

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Has this resolved itself? I checked the Win 8 machine we have at work and it was ok.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Yes, it was tainted definitions and that resolved with ones from shortly after I had the problem.

But the issue of Action Center NOT notifying that Windows Defender was off has not been resolved as far as I know. Couple that with NO tray icon and it makes me nervous now to use Windows Defender.
redwolfe_98
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join:2001-06-11

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redwolfe_98 to computerman2

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mele, windows 8 doesn't have a "taskbar", does it? assuming that it doesn't, that would explain why there is no WD-icon in the systray, because windows 8 doesn't have a taskbar and, so, there is no place to put a WD-icon..
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

I don't think Metro side has a taskbar (I spend almost zero time there so not sure) but Desktop has a taskbar and systray. It has Quick Launch (also Desktop which sits on the task bar and lists everything on the desktop in a vertical column much like Start/Programs did in XP) and Start8 gave me back the Start button.

I pinned Windows Defender to the taskbar but I did it since I update the definitions manually and want to make sure they install every evening after I download them from Microsoft Malware Protection Center which is on a Fx tab that I never close. Pinning WD to the taskbar does not provide any information about its status on hover or right click. I have to actually bring it up to see its status.
computerman2
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join:2002-04-20
Trenton, MI

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is a taskbar with notification area on Desktop mode of Windows 8, even Avast has an icon to notify, by the way action tells me now when avast is off, so why can't it for Defender, doesn't make sense really

norwegian
Premium Member
join:2005-02-15
Outback

norwegian

Premium Member



N/M......love to pass on my view of no alerts on this one.....