# Windows Defender error 0x80240022



## kimar (Oct 8, 2005)

Windows Defender has been showing this error since the day I bought this laptop two weeks ago. 
Its running Vista.
the message within Defender says 'can't download definition updates' error code 0x80240022.
I've googled till I can't google no more, and can't find a solution. I've been to the Microsoft manual update site and all I get is a 'page not found' from the download link. 

Any help appreciated.


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

A lot of results come up on Google. Perhaps you haven't read some of them.

Windows Defender error 0x80240022


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## kimar (Oct 8, 2005)

Thank you for the link, but I have been through all of those for several days now and have not been able to find a solution. 
A lot of those refer to Windows 2000 and Windows Defender Beta. the ones that make reference to Vista, have slightly different error messages and also point back to Microsoft manual download which has not worked either.


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

Read this from Microsoft. It may apply to you.


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## kimar (Oct 8, 2005)

ok, well that just opened up a whole new can of worms as Windows Update won't work either and gives a similar error code. 
thanks for the link, I'll try and work through this problem too.


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

Hope you solve it. Feel free to come back for other questions.


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

I would go into Admin Tools, Control panel and disable that stupid thing anyway as it is of no use to you. Then go into "Run,msconfig,ok,startup" and uncheck the startup entry for Windows Defender and that will end that issue.


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

Rich-M said:


> I would go into Admin Tools, Control panel and disable that stupid thing anyway as it is of no use to you. Then go into "Run,msconfig,ok,startup" and uncheck the startup entry for Windows Defender and that will end that issue.


Unfortunately here, the problem seems to go beyond Windows Defender:


> ok, well that just opened up a whole new can of worms as Windows Update won't work either and gives a similar error code.
> thanks for the link, I'll try and work through this problem too.


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## kimar (Oct 8, 2005)

Still trying the above options, but.....
if I were disable Windows Defender what do you recommend I use instead? 
I had Zone Alarm but I had to remove that as it was causing all kinds of issues with internet access (but not MSN) and I couldn't restart or shut down the computer at all.


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## Phantom010 (Mar 9, 2009)

Get yourself Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware instead. But, remember, Windows Defender or MBAM are anti-spyware programs, not antivirus programs. Do you have an antivirus?


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Prefer Superantispyware myself but both are infinitely better than Windows Defender.


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## kimar (Oct 8, 2005)

I'm running AVG free and quite happy with that. Only had two viruses in 10 yrs and those came via MSN. 

I have used Malwarebytes too in the past, so I'll look into that again, thanks.

Meanwhile, trying some of the above solutions you linked me to, I can't update Windows either, I get an error with similar numbers again. Any tips for that other than googling the error code?


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## Rich-M (May 3, 2006)

Try updating the Windows Update Agent:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa387285(VS.85).aspx
Also see if any of this helps:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/ph/6527/


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