Defender Beta 2 - Not Ready for PrimeTime

[Guest]

I had the first Defender beta installed - and it worked fine. Today I spent
almost 9 hours trying to get this beta installed and updated. I have followed
every suggestion in every post here and I can't get it to work - and I can't
get it uninstalled either! Tomorrow I'm going to back all my data up and
reformat my hard drive. Maybe on a clean drive I can get everything working
again. - sheureka

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

If you are having trouble getting it installed or uninstalled, there's
something getting in the way--maybe your antivirus, maybe another
antispyware app.

When you went to Windows Update, and did an express scan and applied all
offered critical updates--were you not offered updates for definitions for
Windows Defender?

 

[Guest]

I was offered updates - and sometimes it said they installed - and sometimes
it would said they failed. Then it would immediately say I needed an update.
So I followed all the instructions in troubleshooting - and got an error
message that the file I was supposed to run didn't exist on my machine and
was not an installer package. So I tried uninstalling and then running the
"dial-a-fix" solution. Reinstalled Defender and again had the same updating
problem. I'm fairly sophisticated with computers (though not a professional
or anything) but this is much too complicated for me - and certainly will be
for the vast majority of people who will try to install it.

And by the way, I disabled my virus program and uninstalled the antispyware
program before I even started.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

That's clearer--the update issue is definitely a problem, although perhaps
the variety of advice here is partly to blame. You shouldn't have either
install problems or uninstall problems, though. In general, uninstalling
and reinstalling doesn't fix things, in my experience--I'd prefer using the
repair option via control panel, add or remove programs, click here for
support info, repair. (That, in fact, followed by a Microsoft Update visit)
got me the latest update.

--

 

[Steve Dodson [MSFT]]

I wonder if one of the updates which is failing is windows installer 3.1. I
could imagine we may have some installation issues if that pre-req file is
not installed.

--
-steve

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Windows Defender Beta Lead
MCSE, CISSP
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod
--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which they
originated.

 

[Guest]

Not sure what's failing, but I have the same problems and have tried the same
route to fix them. Get the same confusing messages. Frustrating.

I wonder if one of the updates which is failing is windows installer 3.1. I
could imagine we may have some installation issues if that pre-req file is
not installed.

--
-steve

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Windows Defender Beta Lead
MCSE, CISSP
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod
--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which they
originated.

That's clearer--the update issue is definitely a problem, although perhaps
the variety of advice here is partly to blame. You shouldn't have either
install problems or uninstall problems, though. In general, uninstalling
and reinstalling doesn't fix things, in my experience--I'd prefer using
the repair option via control panel, add or remove programs, click here
for support info, repair. (That, in fact, followed by a Microsoft Update
visit) got me the latest update.

 

[Steve Dodson [MSFT]]

Can you visit WU and tell me what updates are failing to install?

--
-steve

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Windows Defender Beta Lead
MCSE, CISSP
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod
--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which they
originated.

Not sure what's failing, but I have the same problems and have tried the
same
route to fix them. Get the same confusing messages. Frustrating.

I wonder if one of the updates which is failing is windows installer 3.1.
I
could imagine we may have some installation issues if that pre-req file
is
not installed.

--
-steve

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Windows Defender Beta Lead
MCSE, CISSP
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod
--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which they
originated.

That's clearer--the update issue is definitely a problem, although
perhaps
the variety of advice here is partly to blame. You shouldn't have
either
install problems or uninstall problems, though. In general,
uninstalling
and reinstalling doesn't fix things, in my experience--I'd prefer using
the repair option via control panel, add or remove programs, click here
for support info, repair. (That, in fact, followed by a Microsoft
Update
visit) got me the latest update.

--

I was offered updates - and sometimes it said they installed - and
sometimes
it would said they failed. Then it would immediately say I needed an
update.
So I followed all the instructions in troubleshooting - and got an
error
message that the file I was supposed to run didn't exist on my machine
and
was not an installer package. So I tried uninstalling and then running
the
"dial-a-fix" solution. Reinstalled Defender and again had the same
updating
problem. I'm fairly sophisticated with computers (though not a
professional
or anything) but this is much too complicated for me - and certainly
will
be
for the vast majority of people who will try to install it.

And by the way, I disabled my virus program and uninstalled the
antispyware
program before I even started.

:

If you are having trouble getting it installed or uninstalled,
there's
something getting in the way--maybe your antivirus, maybe another
antispyware app.

When you went to Windows Update, and did an express scan and applied
all
offered critical updates--were you not offered updates for
definitions
for
Windows Defender?
--

I had the first Defender beta installed - and it worked fine. Today
I
spent
almost 9 hours trying to get this beta installed and updated. I
have
followed
every suggestion in every post here and I can't get it to work -
and I
can't
get it uninstalled either! Tomorrow I'm going to back all my data
up
and
reformat my hard drive. Maybe on a clean drive I can get everything
working
again. - sheureka

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

I know if that (installer 3.1) is missing, there will be problems, but I
haven't seen that one reported recently in these groups, and it hasn't been
missing on systems I work with directly that have had problems. (i.e. I
think if that is missing the problem isn't so subtle--and we are seeing more
subtle problems now.)

--

I wonder if one of the updates which is failing is windows installer 3.1. I
could imagine we may have some installation issues if that pre-req file is
not installed.

--
-steve

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Windows Defender Beta Lead
MCSE, CISSP
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod
--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which they
originated.

That's clearer--the update issue is definitely a problem, although
perhaps the variety of advice here is partly to blame. You shouldn't
have either install problems or uninstall problems, though. In general,
uninstalling and reinstalling doesn't fix things, in my experience--I'd
prefer using the repair option via control panel, add or remove programs,
click here for support info, repair. (That, in fact, followed by a
Microsoft Update visit) got me the latest update.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

So, to prove me wrong, there's one with the Installer (and 22 others)
missing in today's messages!
--

I know if that (installer 3.1) is missing, there will be problems, but I
haven't seen that one reported recently in these groups, and it hasn't been
missing on systems I work with directly that have had problems. (i.e. I
think if that is missing the problem isn't so subtle--and we are seeing
more subtle problems now.)

--

I wonder if one of the updates which is failing is windows installer 3.1.
I could imagine we may have some installation issues if that pre-req file
is not installed.

--
-steve

Steve Dodson [MSFT]
Windows Defender Beta Lead
MCSE, CISSP
http://blogs.technet.com/stevedod
--

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

Note: For the benefit of the community-at-large, all responses to this
message are best directed to the newsgroup/thread from which they
originated.

That's clearer--the update issue is definitely a problem, although
perhaps the variety of advice here is partly to blame. You shouldn't
have either install problems or uninstall problems, though. In general,
uninstalling and reinstalling doesn't fix things, in my experience--I'd
prefer using the repair option via control panel, add or remove
programs, click here for support info, repair. (That, in fact, followed
by a Microsoft Update visit) got me the latest update.

--

I was offered updates - and sometimes it said they installed - and
sometimes
it would said they failed. Then it would immediately say I needed an
update.
So I followed all the instructions in troubleshooting - and got an
error
message that the file I was supposed to run didn't exist on my machine
and
was not an installer package. So I tried uninstalling and then running
the
"dial-a-fix" solution. Reinstalled Defender and again had the same
updating
problem. I'm fairly sophisticated with computers (though not a
professional
or anything) but this is much too complicated for me - and certainly
will be
for the vast majority of people who will try to install it.

And by the way, I disabled my virus program and uninstalled the
antispyware
program before I even started.

:

If you are having trouble getting it installed or uninstalled, there's
something getting in the way--maybe your antivirus, maybe another
antispyware app.

When you went to Windows Update, and did an express scan and applied
all
offered critical updates--were you not offered updates for definitions
for
Windows Defender?
--

I had the first Defender beta installed - and it worked fine. Today I
spent
almost 9 hours trying to get this beta installed and updated. I have
followed
every suggestion in every post here and I can't get it to work - and
I
can't
get it uninstalled either! Tomorrow I'm going to back all my data up
and
reformat my hard drive. Maybe on a clean drive I can get everything
working
again. - sheureka