Windows Defender - Total Frustration

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Guest

I've reinstalled this program 3 times already. The first time I couldn't
download updates. The 2nd two times including tonight the automatic update
option continues to download and I think I must have installed the update 10
times tonight. I was advised to turn automatic updates off-I did.

Now, I still have the yellow icon with updates ready to install-for now
about 13 times.

WHAT DO I DO?????
 
Jimbo said:
I've reinstalled this program 3 times already. The first time I couldn't
download updates. The 2nd two times including tonight the automatic update
option continues to download and I think I must have installed the update
10
times tonight. I was advised to turn automatic updates off-I did.

Now, I still have the yellow icon with updates ready to install-for now
about 13 times.

WHAT DO I DO?????
Click to expand...

Several people recommended this fix. It worked for me.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/915105
 
Looks daunting, huh?

The three steps under resolution are what are important. 2 and 3 look
pretty simple to me--I suspect that if you printed this article out, you
could handle those two without much difficulty.

What looks hard is step 1.

Here's what I'd do:

Bring that document up on the screen and click on the line for step 1,
immediately in front of the M in Msiexec.

Hold down the shift key, and click again after the last curly bracket.--that
should highlight the command. Then right click it and choose copy. Don't
worry to much about the comma--just try to copy the command itself to the
clipboard.

Do Start, Run, and paste the command into the window. If the comma got in
there, hit end, and backspace to remove it. Then hit the enter button.

You don't need to type that long name.

So--just three steps, of which the first is the hardest--if cutting and
pasting seems too difficult, you can just type it in--but it has to be
correct to work.
--
 
Okay, I've done that several times now. I get a message that it finds no
new updates.

Still there is a message on the main screen that says my definitions are 41
days old.
 
Are you on a managed, corporate network?

Can you go to Windows Update or Microsoft Update?

If you are able to go to Windows Update you should be offered Windows
Defender signature updates.

--
 
I do, and have done so many times. Defender keeps trying to download an
update, even after it is uninstalled. The record at the update site shows
this update successfully downloaded and installed at least a dozen times,
but it keeps trying to update it.

I'm on a small home network of two PCs.
 
OK - this is what I would try next:

Download and install the Windows Installer Cleanup tool:

http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;290301

via the link in the KB article above.

When this is installed, run it, via Start, all programs, and remove "Windows
Defender signatures."

Once that is removed, retry updating via Windows Update.

--
 
Done that, too.

Have gone through all these evolutions and then reinstalled, and get the
same thing all over again.

Only thing I haven't done is scour the registry for leftover Defender files
after uninstalling.
 
Well - you've got me stumped too, I guess. I really don't see registry
scouring as needed, and I haven't seen that uninstall/reinstall cures
anything with Defender, but I'll admit that I'm stumped on your case--you
seem to have tried everything that I have to recommend, to no avail.

--
 
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