How to fix when Windows Defender Service is Missing
Question
I have a problem with Windows Defender. When I try to start, it says: “Please turn on the Windows Defender Service” and when I go to service.msc to start it, there is no “Windows Defender” service listed in the services list. I am wondering where my Windows defender is? I know very well that Windows 7 has Windows Defender service, can anybody please help me to get it back?
Solved Answer
In fact, your system has lost windows defender service from registry as well. So fixing the registry entries could easily fix this issue. You have two options to do so. The first is automatically by running the download and running the default registry files or creating the entries manually.
1. Fix “Missing Windows Defender Service” Automatically
Run this Microsoft fixit to fix security related issues that could be in Windows Defender Security . This Microsoft fixit automatically detects the issue and fixes it automatically.
Here is the link to download the fixit: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918355
OR
If the above given fixit is unable to fix the issue then you will need to re-create the Windows defender service using its default registry file. You’ll just have to download the Windows defender default registry file and then merge it to your system registry, the Windows defender service will be recreated. Learn the same with the step by step guide below:
Step 1: Download the Windows defender default registry file.
Step 2: Double-click on downloaded windefend.reg file.
Step 3: User account control will ask you for confirmation to run the registry file, so click on YES .
Step 4: Now the system is asking you to merge the registry content into the existing system registry, so click on Yes.
Step 4: The Windows defender registry has been successfully updated to the system registry.
Step 5: Reboot your computer. After rebooting, your Windows defender service will be available.
2. Manual steps to fix this problem
Step 1: Click on the start button and type “Notepad” in the search bar. Open the Notepad app from the result.
Step 2: Copy the following text and paste it on notepad.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WinDefend]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WinDefend]
"DisplayName"="Windows Defender"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
6b,00,20,00,73,00,65,00,63,00,73,00,76,00,63,00,73,00,00,00
"Start"=dword:00000004
"Type"=dword:00000020
"Description"="@%ProgramFiles%\\Windows Defender\\MsMpRes.dll,-1176"
"DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,70,00,63,00,53,00,73,00,00,00,00,00
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
"RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,49,00,6d,00,70,00,65,00,72,00,73,00,6f,\
00,6e,00,61,00,74,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,\
65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,42,00,61,00,63,00,6b,00,75,00,70,00,50,00,72,00,69,\
00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,52,00,65,00,73,00,\
74,00,6f,00,72,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,\
00,00,00,53,00,65,00,44,00,65,00,62,00,75,00,67,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,\
69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,00,61,00,6e,00,67,\
00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,\
6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,65,00,63,00,75,00,72,00,69,\
00,74,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,\
53,00,65,00,53,00,68,00,75,00,74,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,\
00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,49,00,6e,00,63,00,\
72,00,65,00,61,00,73,00,65,00,51,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,50,00,72,00,69,\
00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,41,00,73,00,73,00,\
69,00,67,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,6d,00,61,00,72,00,79,00,54,00,6f,00,6b,\
00,65,00,6e,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,\
00,00
"DelayedAutoStart"=dword:00000001
"FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WinDefend\Parameters]
"ServiceDllUnloadOnStop"=dword:00000001
"ServiceDll"=hex(2):25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,\
00,6c,00,65,00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,\
20,00,44,00,65,00,66,00,65,00,6e,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,5c,00,6d,00,70,00,73,\
00,76,00,63,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WinDefend\Security]
"Security"=hex:01,00,14,80,dc,00,00,00,e8,00,00,00,14,00,00,00,30,00,00,00,02,\
00,1c,00,01,00,00,00,02,80,14,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,\
00,00,02,00,ac,00,06,00,00,00,00,00,28,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,06,00,00,00,00,00,\
05,50,00,00,00,b5,89,fb,38,19,84,c2,cb,5c,6c,23,6d,57,00,77,6e,c0,02,64,87,\
00,0b,28,00,00,00,00,10,01,06,00,00,00,00,00,05,50,00,00,00,b5,89,fb,38,19,\
84,c2,cb,5c,6c,23,6d,57,00,77,6e,c0,02,64,87,00,00,14,00,fd,01,02,00,01,01,\
00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,00,00,18,00,ff,01,0f,00,01,02,00,00,00,00,00,\
05,20,00,00,00,20,02,00,00,00,00,14,00,9d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,\
04,00,00,00,00,00,14,00,9d,01,02,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,06,00,00,00,01,\
01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,05,12,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WinDefend\TriggerInfo]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\WinDefend\TriggerInfo\0]
"Type"=dword:00000005
"Action"=dword:00000001
"GUID"=hex:e6,ca,9f,65,db,5b,a9,4d,b1,ff,ca,2a,17,8d,46,e0
Step 3: Paste it into the notepad
Step 4: Click on the file menu at the top and click on save.
Step 5: Name the file and save it.
Step 6: After saving, double-click on the saved file. It should have been saved in the “My documents” section and other locations that you have chosen.
Step 7: Click on Yes for confirmation.
Step 8: Click on OK – It has been successfully merged to the system registry. Means your Windows defender serivce has been made manually.
Step 9: Now restart the computer to take effect.
Step 10: That’s it. After restarting, you can go to the services page and check for Windows Defender service.
