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windows defender install errors

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by tabcomputers2002

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I'm trying to install Defender on a WIN2K Pro machine (fully patched) with full admin rights. I'm getting this error when I install. Any ideas?

"Product: Windows Defender -- Error 1920. Service 'Windows Defender Service' (WinDefend) failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services."

Thanks
Tim

21 replies

by liame

Is it a machine that is/was part of a domain and a security policy was enforced? Just an idea. If so you'd need domain admin rights as opposed to local admin.

Other than that are the any other antispyware / antivirus programs causing the problem? If so disble them and try again.

If its not that - is there a possibility the PC is infected and a virus / malware program is blocking the install?

by tabcomputers2002

The machine isn't part of the domain. I was able to map a drive to it from my machine, and it's clean. I have the AV disabled, and I still have the problem.

by dugadugdug

Quick thoughts - Is the RPC service running as Windows Defender requires it and are you installing the latest version of Windows Defender?

by tabcomputers2002

RPC is running and it is the latest. I thought maybe I had a currupt file, so I used the one I installed on another machine, and had the same problems.

by jordanspcrepair

i have ran into the same problem with windows defender for w2k pro. make sure you have the GDI+ files on your computer since they are not included with w2k pro. here is the link to download it: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6a63ab9c-df12-4d41-933c-be590feaa05a . once you download it, extract the files to the system32 folder in the windows 2000 installation folder, such as WINNT\SYSTEM32\ or however it is named on your computer. if you don't still get an error while installing, then go into the registry editor and delete the windows defender entries that you see in the: software\microsoft\ part of both HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. make sure you backup the registry before doing this though. and restart your computer after you have edited the registry. if you still have problems installing it, you might need to get the latest version of windows installer off of the windows update website.

by blackcurrant

Hi

It might be related to a Registry permission as well. Also, you say you have full admin rights, but are you logged in as a user with full admin rights or as Administrator? Try installing it using the local Administrator account.

Good luck

by tabcomputers2002

I logged in as both my self and as Administrator. I have the full admin rights, and was hoping it was a problem with just the admin account.

by liame

I'll have another wild stab at this... did you download the install file on another PC and are trying to install it on a second by any chance?

Windows defender requires the windows validation active-x to have been installed. If that is the case just go through the download process for defender on the machine itself.

by tabcomputers2002

I tried both ways. I started with a new download, then tried a copy I had on another system. I was hoping I the one I downloaded was bad. No luck

by sgt_shultz

you probably already did this but it is worth mentioning maybe to uninstall it and reinstall using the new version (beta 2)
sounds like a bug...

by jamest

Check out the following links
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/02/windows_defende.html

http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?query=error+1920&cboDiscussionGroup=en_US_8ba098b8-48d1-489f-b528-80be82b74a39%3A%3Aen%3AUS%3A%3A%3A%3A&=Go&dg=&cat=en_US_8ba098b8-48d1-489f-b528-80be82b74a39&lang=en&cr=US&pt=&catlist=&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us

by wilpower

1. Are you using the first version or Beta 2 version?

2. Do you have enough free disk space?

3. Try what you have on another system or try a system with a different OS.

4. In Computer Management/Services/Windows Installer and Application Management, try changing your "Log On As" to local system account. Or changed them all to local system account.

by blackman

It may be of no help but this is not an isolated problem. I am logged in as Administrator, have GDI+ and Installer 3. installed and I get the exact same error on a Win2K SP4 box.

by blackman

More digging and found this on http://nothing.golddave.com/

1. While the installation is in it?s error state (in other words, while the error message is up) open up your services (Go to Start->Run, type Services.msc in the Open field and click OK).
2. Then open the defender service and change it from local account to an administrator account on your network.
3. Try to start the service. (It?ll probably give an ?access denied? error?.
4. Change it back to local account and it should work.

Problem is that when I use this machine at home I?m not on a network so I can?t log in as a network administrator. So I just changed the account. The account I use has admin rights but isn?t the admin. So I just changed to the admin of the machine, tried to start the service, got the error message then switched it back to the original account (with admin privileges) and it worked!

People have reported that you need to reapply these steps every time you reboot but I can?t vouch for that yet. I don?t shut down this computer very often opting instead to out it in Hibernate mote so I can boot it faster when I need it. But with the way I use this machine I?m bound to need a re-boot in the next few days so I?ll post an update when that happens.

Update: I have confirmed that the steps for remedying this situation outlined above must be repeated after every re-boot.

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