Hi,I'm running win 7 home premium 64 bit, Avast anti-virus, malwarebytes anti malware and superantispyware but having a problem with windows defender. I noticed it was not working, although it has been in the past, so I tried to enable it but get this message:"This program is blocked by group policy. For more information contact your system administrator. (Error code: 0x800704ec)"Any help appreciated.

Hello Trumpy9404 – Welcome to Microsoft Answers Community. I recommend you open Local Group Policy Editor (LGPE), from run by typing gpedit.msc and bypassing UAC. Once LGPE is open, underthe Computer Configuration expand Administrative Templates and expand Windows Components and select Windows Defender and on the right-side you’ll see a list with settings, check those. I hope you find this information useful and if you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact me and let me know. I hope this information was helpful… Have a nice day… Best regards,FisnikItknowledge24.com

Hello Trumpy9404 – Welcome to Microsoft Answers Community. I recommend you open Local Group Policy Editor (LGPE), from run by typing gpedit.msc and bypassing UAC. Once LGPE is open, underthe Computer Configuration expand Administrative Templates and expand Windows Components and select Windows Defender and on the right-side you’ll see a list with settings, check those. I hope you find this information useful and if you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact me and let me know. I hope this information was helpful… Have a nice day… Best regards,FisnikItknowledge24.com

Thanks for your reply,I type in gpedit.msc and get a page which has only libraries, homegroup, computer, custom and internet icons displayed. Have clicked everywhere searching for LGPE, comp config, admin templates etc but to no avail. Am I missing something. I have gone into services via control panel to ensure windows defender is not disabled.Still lost I'm sorry

Hi, I would like to suggest you try to disable third party antivirus program and test the issue in Clean Boot. If the issue persists, I also would like to suggest you perform the following steps to check the result. Delete All Group Policy Registry keys ======================== 1. Click “Start”, type “regedit.exe” (without quotation marks) into “Search” box and press Enter. 2. Locate the following key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft] Right click on "Microsoft", click "Export"; please name the file as "RegBackup" (without quotation marks) and then save it to the C:\ drive as a backup. Note: In case we need to undo the modification, we can double click this RegBackup.reg file to restore the registry key. 3. Highlight Microsoft and click "Delete". 4. Please repeat the above steps for the following registry keys. [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft] [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy Objects] [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies Note: if some keys do not exist, please ignore them. 3. Exit the Registry Editor. Does it work? Regards, Arthur Li - MSFT

Hi Arthur and thanks for your input. I tried the clean boot method but no result. Being a little worried about fiddling with the regedit scenario, I thought maybe delete windows defender and reinstall but it's not in control panel/programs and features.......I'm pretty sure it was there before. It is a complete mystery to me.

Hi Arthur and thanks for your input. I tried the clean boot method but no result. Being a little worried about fiddling with the regedit scenario, I thought maybe delete windows defender and reinstall but it's not in control panel/programs and features.......I'm pretty sure it was there before. It is a complete mystery to me.

Hi, You may try to run Services.msc, disable and restart Windows Defender service to check the issue. Regards, Arthur Li - MSFT

Hi, You may try to run Services.msc, disable and restart Windows Defender service to check the issue. Regards, Arthur Li - MSFT

Hi Arthur, Have tried that several times. I downloaded WD and tried to reinstall it but get the message that it is already installed. Hmmmm, I'm lost

Hi Arthur, Have tried that several times. I downloaded WD and tried to reinstall it but get the message that it is already installed. Hmmmm, I'm lost

Hi, You cannot uninstall and reinstall Windows Defender. If you want to repair Windows Defender, I would like to suggest you perform an In-Place upgrade. In-place Upgrade ============ 1. Start the computer. 2. Insert the Windows 7 DVD in the computer's DVD drive. 3. Use one of the following procedures, as appropriate: a. If Windows automatically detects the DVD, the Install now screen appears. Click Install now. b. If Windows does not automatically detect the DVD, follow these steps: b1. Click Start, click Run, type Drive:\setup.exe, and then click OK. Note Drive is the drive letter of the computer's DVD drive. b2. Click Install now. 4. When you reach the Which type of installation to you want? screen, click Upgrade to upgrade the current operating system to Windows 7. Regards, Arthur Li - MSFT

Hi, You cannot uninstall and reinstall Windows Defender. If you want to repair Windows Defender, I would like to suggest you perform an In-Place upgrade. In-place Upgrade ============ 1. Start the computer. 2. Insert the Windows 7 DVD in the computer's DVD drive. 3. Use one of the following procedures, as appropriate: a. If Windows automatically detects the DVD, the Install now screen appears. Click Install now. b. If Windows does not automatically detect the DVD, follow these steps: b1. Click Start, click Run, type Drive:\setup.exe, and then click OK. Note Drive is the drive letter of the computer's DVD drive. b2. Click Install now. 4. When you reach the Which type of installation to you want? screen, click Upgrade to upgrade the current operating system to Windows 7. Regards, Arthur Li - MSFT

Hi Arthur, No luck, I went through the whole circus of "upgrading" but it's still the same. In fact now I have problems with programs and of course all updates have been lost. Think I'll do a format and clean install, seems all I can do. Thanks very much for your help anyway.

Hi Arthur, No luck, I went through the whole circus of "upgrading" but it's still the same. In fact now I have problems with programs and of course all updates have been lost. Think I'll do a format and clean install, seems all I can do. Thanks very much for your help anyway.

Hi, Just a reminder, please backup all the important files to avoid data loss before formatting and reinstalling Windows 7. Regards,Arthur Li - MSFT

Hi, Just a reminder, please backup all the important files to avoid data loss before formatting and reinstalling Windows 7. Regards,Arthur Li - MSFT

I had the exact same problem as the original poster. The solution by Arthur_Li to delete the certain registry keys worked.

I had the exact same problem as the original poster. The solution by Arthur_Li to delete the certain registry keys worked.

thak you so much i did the "Delete All Group Policy Registry keys" and it worked .. my question now is the stuff i deleated .... will it cause conflict with anything?

You should use only one antivirus at a time. Delete all the other antivirus. If you have two antivirus software, it will cause conflict with each other.

You should use only one antivirus at a time. Delete all the other antivirus. If you have two antivirus software, it will cause conflict with each other.

I have figured out to how to get windows defender to work with the error code in affect! Go to start menu, search, run, regedit.exe, hkey_local_machine\software\policies\microsoft\windows defender. Look to your right in the same window and you will see DisableAntiSpy... right click on that then left click modify make the value data zero. min the window go to control panel click windows defender it will ask to turn back on, then click it to. it will say the same error code then close the error code window and there is your windows defender!!!! You will have to leave the value data at zero though!! If that works close the regedit.exe window. I wouldnt recommend messing with anything else in the regedit un less your brave sobe carefull and always back up before you venture in any pcu operation!! Till next time Riggityred!

I have figured out to how to get windows defender to work with the error code in affect! Go to start menu, search, run, regedit.exe, hkey_local_machine\software\policies\microsoft\windows defender. Look to your right in the same window and you will see DisableAntiSpy... right click on that then left click modify make the value data zero. min the window go to control panel click windows defender it will ask to turn back on, then click it to. it will say the same error code then close the error code window and there is your windows defender!!!! You will have to leave the value data at zero though!! If that works close the regedit.exe window. I wouldnt recommend messing with anything else in the regedit un less your brave sobe carefull and always back up before you venture in any pcu operation!! Till next time Riggityred!

Ok....so I tried this....and I do not even have windows defender in this location. I was able to search it within regedit and found it in a location with a tonne of numbers preceding it, however it doesnt mention DisableAntiSpy....any other suggestions?

Ok....so I tried this....and I do not even have windows defender in this location. I was able to search it within regedit and found it in a location with a tonne of numbers preceding it, however it doesnt mention DisableAntiSpy....any other suggestions?

This solution posted by "riggityed" worked for me, nothing else did. Thank You very much. JHS