I want to retry the command line procedure. I've removed Forefront from
my
machine, and started Defender, so I can capture the output from that
command
to show you what should happen, and I can provide clearer directions:
Start, all programs, click on the Accessories folder, and right click on
"command prompt" and choose "Run as administrator."
Click continue,
in the command prompt window:
cd \program files\windows defender <hit enter>
mpcmdrun -removedefinitions -al <hit enter>
This is what you should see (ignore version number differences):
-----------------------
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>cd \program files\windows defender
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender>mpcmdrun -removedefinitions -all
Service Version: 1.1.1600.0
Engine Version: 1.1.3007.0
AntiSpyware Base Signature Version: 1.23.3764.0
AntiSpyware Delta Signature Version: 1.23.4365.0
Starting engine and signature rollback to default...Done!
Service Version: 1.1.1600.0
Engine Version: 1.1.2908.0
AntiSpyware Base Signature Version: 1.0.0.0
AntiSpyware Delta Signature Version: 1.0.0.0
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender>
------------------------------------------------------
So--what happens in your system? Do you get that same result, with
definitions taken back to 1.0.0.0?
If you get a failure message, right click the title bar of the window,
choose edit, then select all, then edit, then copy, and copy the text
back
to a message here.
If that process succeeds, please go to Windows Update and do a check for
updates.
Nope the only program affected by this is Defender. I don't know if I
mentioned this or not, but under update history, the definition update
said
"Failed." So far it's failed on 3 different definition files. Windows
Update
seems to be working fine. There was only one other update I could
download
to
test it, Windows Live Messenger. It downloaded and ran fine. I'm not
sure
what .msi files are.
:
Is anything else failing besides Windows Defender?
Can you tell whether WindowsUpdate is working?
Are you able to install any other apps which come packaged as .MSI
files?
(I tried to spot something small to try as a test but didn't come up
with
any good ideas.)
We tried that too. We did DellConnect and he fiddled with stuff for
like 3
hours. I remember it as you write it. The system restore didn't
work.
:
What do you remember trying with Dell?
System restore to a restore point before the bad download should
work.
Otherwise, the options in this article are what I can think of:
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/windows_vista_repair_options.htm
but I can't see why this problem should require going to that
length.
Doing only the first command still didn't work. I am unable to
open
Windows
Defender. Any time I try to open Defender I get the same error I
get
when
Windows logs on. I wouldn't mind completely erasing Windows
Defender.
It's
useless to me now, and I hate seeing error messages all the time.
:
What happened?
Can you re-try, doing only the first command--lets try blowing
away
the
definitions.
If you can get that to complete without an error, open Windows
Defender
and
verify that the definition level shows as 0.0 (I think.)
Then try updating via Windows Update.
I'm interested in whether the issue is in removing the current
definitions,
or in reinstating the newest update subsequently.
I believe I have done this on Vista, but don't have a test box
with
Defender
and Vista on them to try it out again at the moment.
If this does not work, my approach would be to use the Windows
Installer
cleanup tool to remove JUST THE DEFINITIONS. However, I dislike
using
this
tool, and am not at all sure what it will show on Vista. You
want
to
be
absolutely sure you are removing just the definitions, and not
Windows
Defender itself, if that shows in the tool.
No luck with this either.
:
I would recommend:
Go to an elevated command prompt in the folder Windows
Defender
is
installed
in:
Start, all programs, accessories, command prompt.
Right-click
command
prompt, and choose "Run as Administrator" and then click
continue
to
assent
to the elevation.
cd \program files\windows defender
(You may need to change drive letters if you have more than
one,
and
Windows
Defender is installed on a different drive)
mpcmdrun -removedefinitions -all <enter>
mpcmdrun -signatureupdate <enter>
exit (to close the elevated command prompt window)
See whether that resolves the issue.
message
The Dell Tech and I tried running that utility, but it did
not
recognize
Defender. Defender also is not on the add/remove programs
list
in
control
panel. We found no way of removing it from the system. We
also
tried
reinstalling it, but it told us since I have Vista I
already
have
Defender.
Poor Dell guy was more frustrated than me. Please Microsoft
help!!!
