Windows Defender keeps terminating

Yesterday, Windows Defender was scheduled to do a full scan, but when I went to check it, it was off, the last full scan being two weeks ago (it's been updating two to three times a day on a separate task). Trying to start it, I got the error that shows in the screenshot. Then I enabled the service and a full scan, only to come back later to find it terminated (in less than two minutes). Repeated just to be sure. Events Viewer showed the errors below. Is there any way to fix this short of refreshing or reinstalling Win 8? That's not something I'm inclined to do again. A System Restore seems out of the question, since Windows Backup runs every day and this has to be at least 8 days old. Thanks,

Event ID 7034: The Windows Defender Service service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 3 time(s).

Event ID 1000 Application Error:
Faulting application name: MsMpEng.exe, version: 4.0.9200.16384, time stamp: 0x5010a938
Faulting module name: mpclient.dll, version: 4.0.9200.16384, time stamp: 0x50109ed2
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000006bc5
Faulting process id: 0xaec
Faulting application start time: 0x01cddfc5e14c7ee1
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\mpclient.dll
Report Id: 8598f9a1-4bba-11e2-bed4-50e549cfa7ae
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
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Do you have another Anti virus program installed?
If so, that is the problem. If you think your alternative anti virus , which, in your case, has probably also included it's own firewall, then you have no need for the MS version.
Otherwise, what you must do is uninstall any antivirus third party programs. Several of these organisations have their own uninstall, which I suggest you use. However, unfortunately that is not the end of the story.. If you have the knowledge, it is them necessary to open the registry and do a search for any remnants of the program (Norton, for example). When completed, reboot your computer and open the Action Centre. If all has gone well, there should be a new message there, with the option to turn ON the Firewall.

 

Is Windows 8 different in this regard? No third party firewall? Has MS put out a notice to that effect? Under Windows XP, then Win 7, I used the comobo of MSE, SAS Pro and Comodo Firewall for years without major problems (with Avira and SAS together for a short while). The irony is that MSE, in theory much broader in scope than SAS Pro, was never as a effective as the latter in catching problems. I reinstalled SAS with Win 8, along with Comodo. In any case, thanks for your advice and I will look at uninstalling SAS Pro and see what happens.

 

Another question: could this be related to dual boot of Win 8/7? There's another thread about problems people have had creating restore points with a dual boot system.

 

No. Nothing to do with a dual boot. The problem is that Windows Firewall willingly relinquishes hold to any third party Antivirus/Firewall. The jury is still out as to whether this is the fault of Microsoft or the third party applications.

 

Not quite sure of your entire meaning - "either that..." or ? But if Windows Firewall is off, why would the problem occur?

 

Sorry. slip of the fingers. I have amended it.
Your query. You mean the updates? Although disabled, Defender is not uninstalled, so the MS update facility sees it in its various paths in the OS, and continues to update. One omission, which I understand MS will rectify (the sooner the better) is that Defender does not show itself, and its activity, in the notification area, as MSE did. That function would help a lot.

 

Yes, and so would it including an ability to set scan and update schedule directly, as with MSE, instead of through task scheduler.

Yesterday, I uninstalled SAS Pro completely, including all mentions in the registry, but Win Defender wasn't quite happy yet. That is, it ran a quick scan ok and instead of crapping out after 1-2 minutes on a full one, it ran for quite awhile before doing so. So I reinstalled SAS Pro and this morning, three weeks after dying, Win Defender is up and running again - that is, short of having tried a full scan. Thanks,