Windows Defender error 0x800106ba

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12/11/2007

Long post, sorry.
Desktop computer with new clean install of Vista Ultimate about 15 Oct 2007.
Everything else works. Tried to open and to start to run Windows Defender
in order to scan my disks and got a message something like this:

Application failed to initialize : 0x800106ba. A problem caused this
program service to stop. To start the service, restart your computer or
search Help and Support for how to start a service manually. Did the
restart, however IT DID NOT CORRECT THE START PROBLEM of Windefend. I went
to services to try to start it manually by right clicking on the WinDefend
and selecting start. The message received was:

Windows Defender could not be started.
System error 2 has occurred
The system can not find the file specified svchost.exe in the Windows
System32 folder.

I checked to insure that the file was in the system32 folder. It was.

Check Google and one fellow said that the command: 'net start windefend'
worked for him. I typed the command: 'net start windefend' and got the
following messages:

The Windefend service is starting and then
The Windefend service could not be started
A system error has occurred
System error 2 has occurred
The system cannot find the file specified

Went to the MS download site and downloaded new Defender program and tried
to install the program over the installed version. Received this message
when starting the install - "You do not need to install this software
because Windows Defender is included in Windows Vista. You can access
Windows Defender from the Security Section of the Control Panel.

Went to Control Panel - Programs and Features - Uninstall or Change a
program, but Windows Defender was not listed. I guess it was not listed
since it was included in the release of Vista. Went to msconfig and
disabled all services and rebooted. Used the command 'net start windefend'
and got the same system 2 error answer. Computer still operates with no
other problems noted. I wonder if my security program "Avira Premium
Security Suite" is blocking the Defender? It shouldn't be true since I
stopped all services and got the same error.

Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks.

Bill Quinn

Hello Bquinn,

I quote dean – dean --a regular contributor here:

You might try this. Go to the main Windows Update window and
click on "Installed Updates" (on the left-hand side of the window, at the
bottom), and then remove "Update for Microsoft Windows (KB931099)" (only).
Reboot. Reboot again. Go back to Windows Update, and re-install the same
update, by clicking on the Check for Updates button.
This should essentially re-install Windows Defender on Vista.

Thank you Engel for your help. Did the uninstall of KB931 099 update as
outlined in your message, rebooted two times, and then ran the update
program which did reinstall the KB931 099 and KB915 579.

I still get those same error messages so the Defender is not fixed. Since
the computer is running OK with those problems maybe I should stop trying to
fix it --- or should I say live with it.

Again thanks for you help and interest.

Hi Bill,
I know you posted a long while ago......but I have the same issues with
an OEM loaded Vista 64 on a laptop I purchased some 6 months ago.
Looking for a fix is driving me mad! Tried so many things.
Thinking of giving up on Windows Defender....unless u were able to find
a fix??

See here:

http://www.microsoft.com/communities...p=1&sloc=en-us

Event Viewer - Windows Vista features a unified event log so that a support
professional can view all the operational information about a machine from a
single Event Viewer.

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=FDE1C060-CF5F-4B62-B985-6BF494F42EF9&displaylang=en>

Windows Defender - Windows Defender works with Internet Explorer 7 to help
you make conscious choices about software installed on your PC by providing
always-on protection that monitors key system locations, watching for changes
that signal the presence of unwanted spyware.

<http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c32ecf20-ea7c-489b-8d66-fde0606de2ad&DisplayLang=en>

[lbug]

I had the same issue after I installed Mcafee. After contacting Mcafee tech support I found out that there was a conflict with Internet Explorer 8Beta. Removing the Internet Explorer 8Beta from my Windows XP computer corrected the issue. But the computer with Vista kept having the same error. I followed the steps that romieb69 wrote. After the computer restarted the first time the issue was resovled. Thank you all for your posts!

This may be a bit late but I experienced the same problem on my Toshiba
laptop running Vista Home / 32 bit OS.
I tried all the solutions online but nothing helped fix the irritating
0x800106ba error that Defender would put up when I tried to launch it
using the icon in Control Panel.
The fix that worked for me was to go to Start/Control
Panel/Administrative Tools/Services.
I found Windefend (or Windows Defender) and left-clicked, then
right-clicked to bring up the pull-down menu. Clicked on Properties and
changed the status from manual to automatic!
I re-booted TWICE (because it was advised on one of the forums) and
it's running fine now.
Now if your Defender is already set to automatic and you're seeing the
same error, I would change it to manual, go thru ALL the above steps
(and try not to be too impatient) and then change it to automatic,
reboot twice and see what happens.
As a side note, my version of Vista won't allow un-installing Update
KB931099 to fix this problem.
Keep trying, the great feeling you get when you troubleshoot this
successfully may be the highlight of your day.

I gotta tell you

I had been dealing with this problem for months and I have googled,
uninstalled, etc....to no help

I did exactly what you said and POW! It is gone

it made my day to hear you fixed it!! You go Girl!
And it's a pleasure giving back after receiving so much help from this
forum.

Thank you so much! I thought it was a McAfee conflict since it seemed
to start after I installed McAfee. Your solution worked the first time!

This same process worked for me too running Windows Vista. Thanks for
posting this info!!

Since I was getting the message at Windows Login, I didn't have to boot twice. First time in it was gone. My OS is Vista Business.

THANKS again.

[Symonman]

Thanks for your post

How'd you come up with this fix?! You're the best man!
Thanx a lot! :)

This doesn't work for me cause that there are no updates related to
Defender in my list of updates. Please advise as this issue has cost me
too much frustrating time... Thanks... :)

Thanks so much Mark! This is the only suggestion that worked for me
after wasting so much time trying many things. I appreciate your
contribution as well as those of all others though they didn't work for
me.

The confusion thing is, how did the problem get intoduced. I didn't
change the service setting to 'manual' and it used to automatically run.
Also, since it was now somehow set to manual, then why was I getting the
error upon start up, unless cause it was in the Start up task list and
then there was a conflict with the 'manual' service setting... Oh
well... Thanks again... :)

[DaniMack]

Every time i startup my laptop, it comes up with the 0x800106ba error message.
I recently connected it to my HD TV, ever since then the internet, sound, windows installer, windows security are not working. I have tried uninstalling windows defender, but it doesn't appear in the remove programs list, i have tried changing it in the bootup menu (automatic0, with no luck.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Looking for the steps that romie69 listed, but can'tfind them. Can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks. This worked for me too. This is the first time I have used Windows
Live for a fix. I will use it again now that I have found that it works. I
have a 64 bit system, but it worked just the same. Thanks Again...

It worked first time and I only had to reboot once.
System is running perfectly and Defender immediately did a scan to check all
is well.

Your solution effectively got rid of the niggling problem on my Acer

I had the same problen and You solved it for me - I rebooted just
once after changing to automatic - just as you described - you really
made my day.

in properties where did you change form manual to auto

[hubby]

Originally Posted by mlt503

This may be a bit late but I experienced the same problem on my Toshiba
laptop running Vista Home / 32 bit OS.
I tried all the solutions online but nothing helped fix the irritating
0x800106ba error that Defender would put up when I tried to launch it
using the icon in Control Panel.
The fix that worked for me was to go to Start/Control
Panel/Administrative Tools/Services.
I found Windefend (or Windows Defender) and left-clicked, then
right-clicked to bring up the pull-down menu. Clicked on Properties and
changed the status from manual to automatic!
I re-booted TWICE (because it was advised on one of the forums) and
it's running fine now.
Now if your Defender is already set to automatic and you're seeing the
same error, I would change it to manual, go thru ALL the above steps
(and try not to be too impatient) and then change it to automatic,
reboot twice and see what happens.
As a side note, my version of Vista won't allow un-installing Update
KB931099 to fix this problem.
Keep trying, the great feeling you get when you troubleshoot this
successfully may be the highlight of your day.

Changing windows defender to automatic in administrative tool/services and rebooting worked for me. Thanks! Using Windows Vista Home Premium on Acer Aspire with McAfee.