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Can't Open Windows Defender in Vista

Started by gramasu52 , May 09 2014 07:16 AM

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#1
gramasu52

Posted 09 May 2014 - 07:16 AM

New Member

Member
2 posts

The icon for Windows Defender on my laptop running Vista is blank. When I try and open it, I get the message: "Windows cannot access the specific device, path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item". In the top right hand corner of that little box, it says Explorer.EXE. What's up? Can someone help?

#2
RKinner

Posted 09 May 2014 - 06:02 PM

Malware Expert

Expert
24,483 posts

If you have an anti-virus program on the PC, they usually turn off Windows Defender so that the two don't fight. However, there are some viruses which take over the Windows Defender program so you might want to post in our Malware Forum. (Make sure you read the first post in the forum and include your OTL log)