Dear Microsoft ,

Windows defender has been unable to complete the update. 0x8024400a.

Unable to complete windows defender scan while attempting ti insatll. Help

My WN Defender keeps updating the same database, over and
over. Reinstall?

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=915105

Windows Defender Beta 2 disables my ability to download anything. Had to delete it to restore that function.

Works fine on my laptop.

The new microsoft windows Beta 2 is terrible. I had used microsoft antispyware for a long time with no problems (even though it would only run at 2am every day). I cannot update definitions for MSAS Beta 2. I tried uninstll, reinstall 3 times. I keep getting alert bubbles saying my definitions are over 29 days old... I just downloaded it this week. This is really not an upgraded version but a downgraded version.
It sucks so bad I uninstalled any reference to windows defender from my computer. I'll wait a few months for them to get it fixed. This beta really is a work in progress experiment.

I had the same problem... no updates when program checked for updates.
Goto Windows update to get the current defender updates.

post the following into google tool bar
Article ID : 915105
Last Review : February 20, 2006
Revision : 1.1
be patient enough to read it and follow instructions about deleteing signature file then opening up defender and go to about to check updates....it worked for me

works fine for me on all systems I've put it on.

Some people need to learn more about pre-login jobs, and services in general around here.

I use MS's antispyware product over all others now, whereas before i used to use Adaware/spybot/any random other i could find. I no longer have multiple applications to update, I no longer have spyware issues, and I haven't fixed any spyware related problems on 100% of the systems Defender/Antispy has been installed on since the inception of the application.

Systems range from Win2000-XP-server2000-server2003, and 64-bit XP. old and new, different hardware all around, plus a lab of 152 desktops and 30 laptops.

It does what it says, and, when the system is >>properly setup, and the application is >>properly installed and configured, it works like a charm, updates just fine, and results in cleaner systems.

I personally use Linux, firefox, and tend to stay away from MS product in general.

But when forced to work in a Windows environment I prefer a slightly slower system due to a little protection app in the background, as opposed to god knows how many spyware apps running in its place..actually degrading the thing and spreading.

plus, it's public beta.
can anyone confirm that it's beta?...wait..yes we can.

the product is geared for Vista, as stated consistantly by MS TechNet Press notes. As I see it, it's just nice that MS allows us to use it early, and of all things > in XP, as opposed to doing strict private beta, and we not see it till RTM Vista.

Complaints on this product have all been coming from people who either aren't doing something correctly, or, are asking for more than the application is capable of doing....meanwhile other applications are also incapable of doing as well...so I don't see the point.

A messy system that is not well-done in regard to software installation/configuration is not only obvious, but it lacks what we call "opinion". If it doesn't run well for you, then, not only is it not my opinion that something about your system is misconfigured, it's just cold unbias fact. I would apologize if it were an opinionated thing, but for the reason that it is simply factual in nature I can only show apathy for those who complain vigorously when their own system isn't accepting the product perfectly.

Beta software is not something to complain about. Microsoft has designed a product that works well on well setup systems, with supported hardware, with no spyware currently installed, and for your convenience in an effort to make your life as a tech and regular user easier.

Although I've aleviated my own pain in this issue by going to Linux some time ago, it still remains that the more experienced users are able to achieve performance out of this software, and others are not.... reading these posts, it's for obvious reasons.

My only experience (EVER) with spyware getting by MS's antispyware product, is when users avidly use IE6, carelessly, and wrecklessly, (as far as even purposefully clicking on ads) yet even then, the spyware is detected upon scanning the system and removed effectively, where other products failed to even detect it.

Same problem, won't update. I get and error 8205, which tells me I need 21 updates. I'm not trying it again.

I installed the version for XP64 (three times) and also found it would not update, it left the little exclamation mark on the tray icon and left the warning that my definitions were more than 20 days old when the program was opened.

I also liked the extra tools for cleanup that version 1 had, now removed. Like the Ole, Ball Game, three strikes and your out, but then that's why it is BETA.

An easier way to solve this issue:
-Go to Control Panel
-Go to System
-Go to Equipment Name
-Change
-Workgroup: USERS

That´s it

Umm, no...

I think it's safer to follow the directions in the posted article, rather than follow the inaccurate instructions of this guy.

EDIT: If you need to know why his advice is wrong, here it is. He tells you how to change the Workgroup membership... but the problem in the article is that the "Security Groups" assignment is wrong in Computer Management, Local Users and Groups, Groups.

When I try to update it from the program I get this

"Windows Defender was unable to complete the update: 0x8240022.

There is no such error code listed on the Find Solutions page at MSN update. In addition I get this message:

The wrong Diskette is in the drive. Insert %2 (Volume Serial Number %3) into drive %1".

The first three times I went to the msn/windows update site it wouldnt install and I got this error code:

0x8007F0F4

Again no such error code is listed on the find solutions page

The last time I went to the update page, last night, I got this code after failure to install:

08x80070643

with the following message: Office 2003 Update failed to install.

I dont have Office installed on my machine. Personally I think the update mirrors are screwed. I took Defender off of my machine, I got tired of getting an updates available message that I cant correct.

Does anyone know why the definition updates fail? I keep getting the message:

Windows Defender was unable to complete the update: 0x8024402c

I can't find anything about it on the Microsoft support site that helps. According to support the error code indictes a problem with a proxy, but I don't use a proxy.

Mine was due to not having Auto update service enabled so I just dumped it. I won't enable that other than to do a patch and then disable it again.

Just run WIndows Update, it will get the latest definitions....

Indeed.

I wonder when they are going to fix the update problems in the New Windows Defender. I received an Defender engine update notice yesteray but so far (more than several attempts) it wont install. Keeps giving some error message about installing a disk in a drive.

"Windows Defender was unable to complete the update: 0x8240022. The wrong Diskette is in the drive. Insert %2 (Volume Serial Number %3) into drive %1"

I have yet to experience this problem on my test machines... but it sounds like a corrupt install. You may wish to uninstall it, reboot and reinstall.

Tried all of that, no good. I did find this web site but I havent tried it yet. When I do, if it works I'll post another note.

Windows Defender - Unable to Complete Update

sophist, it appears others have had some success in manually updating through Microsoft Update site... might give it a go.

any reason why I sure update this over beta 1?

You mean besides that it's faster, offers better protection/detection, and a nice spiffy interface?

Yeah ... that's what happens when you only hire monolingual programmers ....

Actually, this could have happened by any number of oversights that have nothing to do with language. It could have simply been that they neglected to enable SID translation to insist that the installer look for the group "Users" SID key instead of using the name "Users".

Are you speculating or is this really what they had done?

I am speculating in this case... but I've seen it be an issue in my own development efforts and that of coworkers.

when i installed this i found something hidden in the background of my PC after i installed defender. When i tried to delete it it would just come right back. I had to do a system restor to get rid of it. I recomend no one to download this at all. I dont know what microsoft did but even when defender wasn't on i still saw this program hidden in the background and was slowing my PC down. I know its a beta but damn defender has some major problems.

Would you care to identify this "mysterious hidden program" ?

If you're talking about "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe", then you are referring to the Windows Defender Auto-Protect Service. It is by no means hidden since I saw it clearly in the "Services" control panel tool.

If you're talking about "C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe" -hide (which is located in the Local_Machine Run portion of the registry, and therefore visable by multiple tools, including but certainly not limited to MSConfig and Windows Defender)... then you are referring to the Windows Defender User Interface component, and can be removed if you wish. However, having it running in the background improves program performance. If you remove the -hide parameter, it will make it so that the interface appears on login.

Either way, all you had to do was ask or take time to research your "complaint" before posting a rant about an issue that isn't really an issue.

First off, tell us what it is that you found and not just attack the program you are installing. It might have been there before defender. Did you download from a legit site?

I installed the program with no problems on 15 different machines and have not had any problems. I realize that different computers and different installations may interfere, but your attack at MS is highly subjective. For what the OneCare and Defender offer and for the price, is well worth anything that is out there on the market now.

If you don't like MS, then just say it and move on. Defender runs much more smoothly in the background the its predecessor Antispy, and does have a better interface for a BETA program. Though not complete yet, I like what it does, and what it does is exactly what it says it will do.

MS Conspiracy PLEASE!

He did kind of exaggerate some crap, but what is the deal with not being able to exit out of the background programs. I stopped them multiple times in task manager and they reappeared. There are also no options to disable the msmpeng.exe in defender either that I found. I do not like a program auto loading or running in the background that I don't want there. That's my problem with defender, and would advise other people who also don't like auto running programs to uninstall this product.

I am only confused on what some people are looking for when they install programs like Defender. It is intended to block malware from attacking the machine before they become costly ones. Same reason for a firewall. You want the firewall to run when the system starts up - don't you? And one of the reasons we have programs like these is to catch the adware and spyware that do make it on our computers even though we have the firewall turned on. Figure that?

There has to be other reasons for not wanting a program at startup - slow performance for games(if playing all the time) or it interferes with other programs installed. But when you talk about protection, it is a full time job.

I have setup maintenace tasks(Adaware, Spybot, etc) on my machine to clean such programs off my computer and it took much time out of week to complete. For customers that I support this is even more of a headache when it comes to teaching it to them and the fact they have to do it often(based on their searching habits).

When I started using OneCare and Antispy, I never had to do any of these jobs and could easily idetify a schedule based on their individual surfing habits. To this day, I have been able to reduce this time to about 3 hours a month. I took off Adaware, Spybot, and others all together.

I am not 100% pro MS, but 100% "if the product works, use it." The product has worked even with the questionable acts from MS on Claria.

If it slows your system down, add more memory. If you have a problem with it starting up, don't install it. But, what it does, it does well and doesn't interfere with the performacne on the machines that I have installed it on(my customers included). I can only speak from my frame of reference, and it is a great program.

Oh STFU, you're full of BS!

Well said!

"but what is the deal with not being able to exit out of the background programs"

>>> Did you misunderstand me when I said that the Windows Defender "Service" was that-- a service, which means you can configure it to be "Disabled", or better yet, go to the Programs "Options" dialog and disable it from there? Just curious, it seems like a logical place to look when you want to shut things off... afterall, it's a consistent "feature" in almost all programs.

Incidentally, it's called "AUTO PROTECT" for a reason. It is supposed to be "automatic" and not require a lot of input from you and run in the background. Otherwise it would be called "MANUAL PROTECT" and nag you to death like Symantec Internet Security and McAfee do.

Just like athome stated, the point of these services is to load on boot so that they are running and defending you BEFORE other applications run on logon.

ROFLMAO

You do realize Defender is supposed to be running in the background constantly to protect against spyware installations right?

My main problem with it automatically starting without an option to disable it other than going into services is that I use multiple programs to combat spyware. Want to know what kind of jumbled mess would ensue if Spybot, Ad-Aware, Spy Sweeper, MS Defender, Hitman Pro, and Arovax all decided they wanted to automatically run??? I guess maybe they should all automatically start without an easy option to disable them, I mean they know what's best for me after all.

"afterall, it's a consistent "feature" in almost all programs."

I guess that makes it ok then, I mean it's a consistent feature in many programs to include spyware. That's ok too I guess using your logic.

But there IS an option to disable it.... It's called Tools > Options.

I've got no Defender icon in the system tray :(

Indeed... this is because it is running as a system service now. The general idea is that it's supposed to be unobtrusive, and out of the way. :)

I can honestly say I have been a Microsoft user for many years and I find myself personally defending Microsoft against non useing MS associates. But now I must say I personally don't like this MS Defender Program. I must say I'll fight to the end for my Symantec (It has never let me down). I use it hand in hand with the go getter, Lavasoft. My opinion is that MS should stick with what it does best Operating Systems,Browsers,Office Programs. I must ask this though...why in the heck is MS spending time developing Firewalls and anti spyware that really arent what they are good at when we havent had a new browser version in years and to top it off how many years have we got to wait for LONGHORN. That should of already be on the market. Thats where there energy should been on. And please no more releaseing OS's then havieng to UPDATE them with 30 to 50 patches/fixes because there not putting the time needed to do what they do best . I Dl'ed defender first time and did the 24 updates then it wouldnt scan. Re-installed it then it wouldnt update but it scanned.So gawd I gave it another try and this time I got multiple errors, come on people I know its Beta..*2* But I cant recall a Beta I've tried b4 be this tempormental....Its gone for good now...kind of reminds me a bit of there OS called "ME". And XP's SP-2's Firewall thats a joke...it's disabled....DO WHAT YOU DO BEST AND STICK TO IT!! Also...please stop giving into the Chinese Goverment...by censoring and changeing the internet too.. so there people cant get the truth and reality. Go U.S.A Thanks Microsoft..just do what you do best and lets all move on.