Windows Defender Application failed to initialize: 0x80070006. The handle is invalid.

[korniceman3000]

Hi everyone,

My laptop was recently infected with a virus that hijacked my browser and started this wau.exe file that displays this fake Windows Defender scan that keeps popping up when I access the internet. I was able to remove the infection using Malwarebytes but afterwards, every time I start up the computer, I get this message:

Windows Defender
Application failed to initialize: 0x80070006. The handle is invalid.

I can't start it manually and I don't know if this is because the virus turned it off or removed something from defender.

I use Windows Vista Home Edition

Please advise me on how I might be able to correct this problem.

Thank you so much for your help. It is greatly appreciated!!!

[iain.t]

Hi and welcome to MG's,

You need to follow the instructions as per this Thread....

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407

once you have gone through the cleaning process for you OS and have created the logs requested make a new Thread in that part of the forum.

This explains how to attach those logs......

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=86880

once the Malware Guru's have given you a clean bill of health and you still have issues post back here in this Thread and we will try to help as best we can.

iain.t

[DaiseyMoonshine]

I uninstalled Windows Defender after having aquired a virus that mimicked Windows Defender which took over my computer. I had to go into safe mode to run a malware scan and quarrantine the SOB. Then proceded to uninstal the actual Windows Defender.

Since then, I had the same error message upon each and every start up, and I searched online for a resolution.

Microsoft asks you to reinstall Windows Defender (of course) but all you really need to do is this to make that error message go away is this:

Click Start Menu button
Type 'msconfig' in the search area
Click Enter

A system configuration window will pop up. The first tab is General. There is a section called Selective Startup. Uncheck all and click on apply.

Reboot your computer and enjoy your PC once again You will have to open your programs manually from then on, but it's better not to have unecessary programs running upon start up, anyway. IMHO...

[solaris89]

Originally Posted by DaiseyMoonshine

A system configuration window will pop up. The first tab is General. There is a section called Selective Startup. Uncheck all and click on apply.

Reboot your computer and enjoy your PC once again You will have to open your programs manually from then on, but it's better not to have unecessary programs running upon start up, anyway. IMHO...

Oh boy