Windows 10: Windows 10 Pro Microsoft Security Essentials and No Windows Defender?

Looks like MSE not removed during upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Cannot find anyway to removed MSE now.

Windows Defender will not run and MSE is a not listed program on the machine.

Belarc Advisor shows:

Virus definitions are older than 30 days

Microsoft Security Essentials Version 4.6.0305.0
Scan Engine Version 1.1.11005.0
Virus Definitions Version 9/23/2014 Rev 1.185.967.0
Realtime File Scanning Off

What's the solution for this?

:)

 

[How To Fix] Microsoft Security Essentials prevents Windows Defender from running & cannot be uninstalled

Premise

I recently upgraded my HP Compaq 8510p notebook from Windows 7 Pro x64 to Windows 10 Pro x64, and for the most part, the transition period has been fairly smooth.

One minor niggle I had, however, was that Microsoft Security Essentials was previously installed under Win 7, and after the upgrade to Win 10, the presence of Security Essentials prevents the new Windows Defender service from starting. When I tried uninstalling
Security Essentials via the Control Panel, an error message appeared informing that the uninstaller could not be run under Win 10.

After a brief detour involving amateurish modifying of startup files through msconfig and deleting files in Safe Mode, which caused my laptop to no longer boot to Windows and ultimately necessitated a clean install, I'd like to share some lessons learned
with everyone.

Before upgrading to Windows 10 from 7/8.1:

Make sure you uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials first, as the uninstaller will not run under the new OS, and will interfere with the new Windows Defender.

If you already upgraded to Windows 10 but still have Microsoft Security Essentials running

You'll probably need to roll back to the previous version of Windows, remove Security Essentials, and then upgrade again.

If you aren't able to roll back (e.g. you removed the Previous Windows Installations via Windows Cleanup), the only way (unfortunately) would be to back up all of your data and perform a clean install to remove Security Essentials entirely.

Hope this helps.

 

Using Security Essentials in Windows 10, vs. Windows Defender?

Microsoft Security Essentials, is NOT compatible with Windows 10. You should uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials and restart your PC and it will turn on Windows Defender.

Technically, Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials are using similar detection engine, while for Windows 10, Windows Defender enhanced due to new security features in Windows and it has better protection.

 

Do you have another AV program running ??? Sometime that AV program will disable the built-in MSE and WD

 

No Other AV running. Was told Norton Security was installed at one time but removed. I ran Norton Removal Tool but no change.
Directory in C:\Programs with MSE but is Empty.

 

Belarc Advisor warns about Definition over 30 days old.

I Looked in Registry but nothing. WD and MSE from same company?

What if I use Local Group Policy Editor and turn on Windows Defender?

 

Have you tried reinstalling MSE again and then completely remove it
Or have you tried Revo Uninstaller you can try it for 30 day trial

 

Yes. I thought about reinstalling MSE but did not want to mess up machine if failed.

I use Local Group Policy Editor and turn on Windows Defender. Restarted machine.
WD would open. I enabled and downloaded definitions. It did a quick scan, Looks normal in Security like it working now.

I went back into Local Group Policy Editor and return setting to Not configured. Restarted. WD is on and active now.

Belarc Advisor shows the same message as before.

Should I try to reinstall MSE now and uninstall?

 

No if WD working ok see how it goes ok.
Also have you updated Belarc Advisor as I believe it might be out of date, and that is what is giving you the false reading.
I had it once when it kept telling me I had two updates out of date but they were not.

 

OK. That was far to easy. I will monitor and update Belarc.

 

You can't do that even if you try.
Windows Defender is the "improved" version of MSE.
If you try to install MSE, the system will NOT let you do that because you already have Windows Defender.

 

It guess it "improved". I think MSE was not uninstall right or Norton destroy it. WD was working until I restarted.

I took a snapshot of a working WD registry. Registry says enabled, and I can open and it has control of firewall and virus. When updates try to download it saying no network connected can not complete update. Looks like when ever WD tries update it wants send update to MSE location. The working snapshot value is 0 and this machine value is 8 and will not allow a change.

I thought MSE and WD software was same company. WD uses MSE basic frame with improvements. He will have to reinstall Windows 7 or a clean install of Windows 10.

 

You'll need to backup your files and do a PC Refresh or clean OS install - it seems this as a bug that MS have still not fixed

 

Yeah, there seems to have been an issue concerning Defender connected to the last update. Several people have had similar problems & in those cases, it looks like a refresh or repair install solves the problem.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade - Windows 10 Forums

 

Bug for sure. I researched problem and never did find a fix. Don't think Refresh would work. I did a clean install. No problems at all. He already had all his files saved and program disks.

I found other problems that might be related MSE also. I found 2 files left in another directory that could not be removed, with cardfile in name (MS Wallet I think or something related to credit cards).