I need some professional computer help. The problem is my Defender will not open and the setting/window defender options are all gray. This 64 bit Win 10 off-line (it is only online for updates and program authorization) computer has not an OS update for about a year: it wasn't broke so I didn't fix it.
The following programs found not mal-ware or viruses: 1-anti malwarebytes 2-Rkill - but it did find other problems see below 3-adwcleaner 4-Windows on-line virus checker
Also hijack this found other problems also, including the fact that there is no host file. Ccleaner found no problems with the registry
My best guess is that either I have a very bad virus or, more probably, my disk drive is failing. My guess it is the later.
I should add that I installed the Kontakt 5.71 update and the Olympus Micro Choir Element Kontakt program but even after these I could turn Defender on and off. It was a couple of days later the problems started.
I appolgize for the length of this message but I wanted to give you as much information as I could. I also thank you very much for your time and talents.
Following is the Rkill and hijack this text logs and the defender error message.
Program finished at: 10/26/2017 08:00:19 PM Execution time: 0 hours(s), 0 minute(s), and 55 seconds(s) ------------------------------------------------------------------
Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.5 Scan saved at 4:16:57 PM, on 10/27/2017 Platform: Unknown Windows (WinNT 6.02.1008) MSIE: Internet Explorer v11.0 (11.00.10586.0545)
(kidding). I'm not seeing anything jump out here. I have never had Windows Defender go off, not turned it off manually.
You said you've left your PC offline for a long time. Are you sure it isn't just in the process of a lot of updating? I have that with my camp computer, which you've seen. When I visit, it takes a long time, maybe 20 minutes, to load all the updates. Task manager shows the CPU running at over 90%. While it's doing that, everything is unresponsive. In your case, it has a lot to do and I would let it alone overnight.
ps I like ADWCleaner. Even though it's owned now my Malwarebytes I run both (MWBPro), but ADW is the one that finds the problems.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-8, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
... computer has not an OS update for about a year: it wasn't broke so I didn't fix it.
This concerns me. Actually, I think you antivirus is conflicting and causing the shutdown of Defender, but while I also turn off the OS updates in Services, I do turn them back on every couple months or so. Or when I am having a problem which I can't figure out, like maybe what you are seeing now.
When you turn updates back on, it will take you two days to get everything downloaded and installed, then you can turn it off again.
If you can - then see what was the latest programs installed and if you see something suspicious that you did not install UNINSTALL IT
INFO for later ----------
you may need to run DSIM btu before you get there you DO have a Win 10 USB you built when you installed/upgrade to WIN 10 - or a local network to another GOOD win 10 PC? You might need it to recover any Win 10 system files it finds are missing or corrupt if it can't find a local (hidden) copy
PS I KNOW you use CCleaner (and similar tools but NOT including Malwarebytes and root killers) but you should NEVER let it or ANY tool MODIFY your Registry in ANYWAY (unless you have investigated that Registry KEY and its entries and YOU know what it is changing and its impact!).
These tools are TOO aggressive and frankly too dumb to not break OTHER stuff in the registry (and they also can be overly aggressive with uncommon but perfectly fine files, dlls, .coms, .exe'.s.
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
I forgot to mention that I am using Win 10 Pro with the Win updates turned off. That is why this computer hasn't updated in over a year.
I also forgot to mention that I have tried run/services.msc and set startup type to automatic and also cmd (as administrator)/scannow. Again nothing found.
I also was in the registry trying to reset all of the defender data, again with no luck.
This one has me stumped. I do have a C:/ backup on an eternal HD but I do like to solve problems like this. The backup was about a month ago and I would lose only a couple of program updates that I could reinstall.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
The first thing I did was to run safe mode and check all programs. There was nothing strange there. But I went into safe mode again and ran rkill and adwcleaner. Again no problems were indicated.
I ran fsutil dirty query c: and sfc/scannow (again) and no problems were indicated, i.e. c: is not dirty.
I think that I will just bit the bullet and upgrade Win 10. Like I said I do have a backup disk.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
This is clearly closing the stable door after the horse has bolted but when you get 'er fixed - IMAGE (backup) the OS drive!
I thought you had/used Acronis? Maybe not, but in any case get and use something. Even PC's/laptop's that are used off-line need to be imaged, FREQUENTLY, for just such disasters.
Just the fact you turn on a PC puts them at risk of a SNAFU, let alone HDD, yes even SDD, errors in the worst possible place. Murphy is ALIVE and well and living in your system.
GOOD LUCK Larry
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
Yes, I have Acronis and I do have an image backup on two external HDs. That is my backup plan if the updates mess up this computer.
I am going to update because I haven't done so in a little over a year. It is time I think. I think the latest Defender update on my old OS caused all of my problems as every test that I took came back with no problems indicated, even in safe mode.
Note that I do an image backup either every month or after a major change on my system.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
FYI - I had to use my backup plan and load my Acronis image.
The problem was that Defender somehow got locked and nothing would allow it to change, not even a Win 10 update or services.msc/Windows Defender Service or Windows Defender Network. I have no idea how it got locked but that was the problem.
Its a good thing I believe in backing up may systems.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
I was about to ping you to see if you had it solved or paved over it.
Only trouble with not knowing what caused "it" and what "it" was means: "it" could bite ya again.
Larry
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
I was about to ping you to see if you had it solved or paved over it.
Only trouble with not knowing what caused "it" and what "it" was means: "it" could bite ya again.
Larry
It did bite me again. I installed the backup image and all was fine. I added the three Kontakt instruments and one Kontakt update (5.7.1) and all was well. With Defender turned off I shut down the computer for the night. The next day the Defender problem back.
So I ran Chkdsk c: and it found no bad sectors or other problems. I ran chkdsk c:/f/r/x and it went to 11% and stayed there for quite awhile. I turned off the monitor, turned it on about 6 hours later and the desktop was up. No chkdsk or chkdsk log! Is this normal if all is OK?
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
A on my 2TB drives takes WELL over 5 hours, but there should have log
look in the Event viewer: run "eventvwr" look in Windows Logs -> Application and wait for it to update then look for event with source called chkdsk I guess date would have been yesterday(?)
In one case with a one bad sector it took closer to six hours but it was in a non-critical location (non-OS related).
That's why use the additional /C and /I switches (at first) - it may miss something on first run but it will find big problems a lot faster (MINUTES not hours).
But it sounds like a configuration (registry muck up)/conflict with other SW (other A/V and malware and firewalls) and/or Services issue(s) at this point, especially since you ran CHKDSK twice (before and after re-image) and you have already run SFC before with no issues
I think I missed the details on Windows Defender - you turned it off " or your OTHER A/V turned it off? In my case when I install my A/V install it turned off that part of windows defender ditto my firewall. Only thing I tuned off was the "App & browser Control" section (you don't need even more interrupts running) as well as "Family Options" but that's Win. Def. in update 1703
I Haven't allowed update 1709 on yet and I just put 1703 (spring update) on two weeks ago - and it was a much different Defender than were previous two (1603? or 1507)
hope you find it and squash it
Larry
========== no help to you but I have multiple boot drives so I boot into Win 7 to run CHKDSK c: /f /r on my Win 10 drive (no need to use the dismount switch /X) and it actually runs faster, I reverse it for Win 7 drive - run chkdsk from Win 10.
Won't work from my Win XP drive becasue I have to hide both the Win 7 and Win 10 drives from Win XP (otherwise Win XP overwrites those OSs' restore points) - but WIN 7 and Win 10 see and can perform checks on the WIN XP drive.
Last edited by Larry Kehl; 11/01/1709:01 AM.
Win10Pro,i9,64GB,2TBSSD+20TBHDDs,1080TI,BIAB'24,Scarlett18i8,Montage7,Fusion 8HD,QS8,Integra7,XV5080,QSR,SC-8850,SPLAT,FL21&others,Komp.14,IK suite&others, just a guitar player-AXE FX III &FM9T, FishmanTP, MIDIGuitar2, GK2/3'sw/GI20
I just triple checked the logs and there is no mention of chkdsk. I have no idea what happened.
The only time that this computer is on-line is to update software that either is a PITA to do off-line or has no off-line service available. Thus my Ethernet card is mostly disabled. I also keep Defender turned off because if it is on it has a propensity to slow my DAW to a crawl. I also keep anti-malwarebytes turned off for the same reason.
After each software update I update and run both Defender and anti-malwarebytes. After they are finished those two are turned off and the Ethernet card disabled. Note that no other anti-virus was installed on this computer.
The system was running fine, as I was able to turn those off and on with no problem. I turned them off, shut down my system, and went to bed. The next day I had the problem all over again.
Today I DLed the free Avast anti-virus. Thus far all is fine, i.e. I have shut down and started it with no problems. We shall see in the morning if all is still OK. Note I scanned everything with Avast and it didn't find any viruses either.
Thanx for you time and help - MarioD
PS - I'm going to buy another 1 TB HD just in case.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 11 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Hey Mario, for the network on/off, I just use the following 2 DOS command lines each in their own .BAT file with shortcuts on the desktop. That way I can turn the network off and on with a click.
I also have the DISABLE one set up in Scheduled tasks to turn off the network overnight each night at the same time and have the window prompt me that it's going to turn off in 1 minute. That way I can stop it if I'm working on something online.
netsh interface set interface "Ethernet" ENABLED
netsh interface set interface "Ethernet" DISABLED
I don't turn off anything else and Microsoft seems to not have any issues with updates.
Also "Ethernet" above is the name of my main network connection. Could be different in your case.
It was sent to me by Microsoft after a posting to their community:
(First, set a Restore Point, just in case.)
Open up your Command Prompt window (Start Menu-->Windows System-->Command Prompt) and type (note the spaces):
sfc /scannow
[Shift]-[Ctrl]-[Enter] to run as administrator
After the error report, even if nothing is found, type:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
[Shift]-[Ctrl]-[Enter] to run as administrator
I hope that the same magic occurs for you that occurred for me---everything was back as it should be. Also, I noticed no recent data losses.
(2) I'd say you're due for an update. The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update cleared up issues for me, including a Windows Defender error that was introduced by Driver Assist (I do NOT recommend this program) and could not be rectified by the outdated version of Windows 10. It also makes Edge run faster, more reliably, resolves issues for it, and does not delete Favorites for Edge like previous updates did (although, I would still export my bookmarks/favorites from within Edge before I updated, using the export option in the upper-right "•••" menu (Settings->Import from another browser->Export to file). I'd say you're due for an update.
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