Help with Windows Defender (1 Viewer)

[Polish Hammer]

I am running a Dell desktop on Windows 8.1. It came with Kaspersky and that expired after one year. I uninstalled Kaspersky. Now I cannot get Windows Defender to restart. It is throwing all kinds of error messages at me. For instance:

1. When I try to run Win Def from the "tiles" screen I get - "This app has been turned off and is not monitoring your computer." Then followed by something about another AV program running in its place. It isn't, I uninstalled it.

2. When I try to start it under services, I see that it is shown as a "Manual" start service, but that option is greyed out so I can't change it to Automatic. When I try to manually start I get Error 577 "Windows cannot verify the digital signature for this file. A recent hardware of software change might have installed a file..."

3. When I did some research and saw online suggestions about changing the registry entries for startup type for Windows Defender, and found those entries and tried to change them, it told me I couldn't.

WTF am I supposed to do now?

 

[BoltBacker]

WTF am I supposed to do now?

Batting tee.

 

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ulls pin:

#PCPROBLEMS

:runs away:

 

[Jack White]

Why didn't you renew Kaspersky?

Best program out there . . .

 

[Rustoleum]

On Windows 8, uninstalling from the control panel isn't always enough to get a defender turned back on. You have to also make sure it uninstalled the metro app too.

Go to the stupid Metro desktop, look for a Kaspersky tile there, and try to right-click on it and hit uninstall from the tile. After that, Defender should turn itself back on.

I've had to do this when getting rid of trial versions of Norton and McAfee, so I would guess the behavior is the same for Kaspersky.

 

[Polish Hammer]

Nothing from Kaspersky on the tiles.

To the other question, I removed it b/c I didn't want to pay for the renewal and all reports were that Defender was solid as a free program.

 

[captain_amazing]

Defender is solid but it's not going to protect you very well. Most ISPs give out free antivirus/anti malware software nowadays, so check with them and get it if its offered (Comcast doles out a full Norton suite for free, which I believe configure and automates WD for you).

 

[Polish Hammer]

Wasn't the former knock on Norton that it was a resource hog? Has that changed?

I have Comcast and am mulling over a switch to Verizon FiOS. Does that come with one?

 

[Rustoleum]

I guess the next thing I would try is to go the other route and get into the winows8 equivalent off control panel - add remove programs and look for any reminaing Kaspersky stuff there that can be uninstalled.

barring that, I would look on Kaspersky's website for an uninstall utility of some kind that can maybe clean up any registry entries keeping Defender from coming back on.

Once Windows 8 is finally convinced don't have any other AV running, it should turn itself back on.

Edit : This ipad is butchering my typing -sorry.

 

[Jack White]

Nothing from Kaspersky on the tiles.

To the other question, I removed it b/c I didn't want to pay for the renewal and all reports were that Defender was solid as a free program.

Each to his own.

I don't mind paying about a dollar a week for something proven that provides peace of mind.

 

[Polish Hammer]

Tried using the Kaspersky removal tool from their site. No change.

 

[bostonfred]

I guess the next thing I would try is to go the other route and get into the winows8 equivalent off control panel - add remove programs and look for any reminaing Kaspersky stuff there that can be uninstalled.

barring that, I would look on Kaspersky's website for an uninstall utility of some kind that can maybe clean up any registry entries keeping Defender from coming back on.

Once Windows 8 is finally convinced don't have any other AV running, it should turn itself back on.

Edit : This ipad is butchering my typing -sorry.

apple problems imo

 

[captain_amazing]

Wasn't the former knock on Norton that it was a resource hog? Has that changed?

I have Comcast and am mulling over a switch to Verizon FiOS. Does that come with one?

Yes and no. It was a bigger deal when resources were a problem, but resources have significantly outpaced the amount that something like Norton will take up.I have no clue about Verizon, but I'm going to assume yes.