Originally published at: How to: Uninstall Security Essentials in Windows 10
When a Windows user upgrades their computer from Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 to Windows 10, the Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) program, designed to act as the onboard security program for these versions of the Operating System, is meant to be replaced by Windows Defender. Windows Defender is the resident security program for Windows 10…
What do you do when you right-click ‘WinDefend’, use the dropdown-list to choose ‘Stop’, and receive a reply saying, “Access Denied”?
first use avg cleaner, it’s a utility run it to make sure all left overs are removed.
then reboot pc, and try starting the service.
Windows Defender keeps telling me that I cannot switch on Real-Time Protection because another Anti-Virus Program is running, which is not true! I recently uninstalled my AVG anti-virus in order to start using Windows Defender! I used it for a few weeks until it recently told me this! I did some research and I was told that Windows Security Essentials might be the cause of it and that I needed to uninstall it! I tried but then it gave an error message saying “This action is only valid for products that are currently installed”! Now, I followed your directions from this article! On opening task manager, WinDefend was already stopped! I started it, but Windows Defender is still telling me the same thing!
What should I do? Should I stop WinDefend, restart my computer and turn it on back?
Are you using any thing party anti virus software? If yes, then they both wont work.
what happens if you do not see MSE in your programs and Windows Defender still is not working?
That means it’s disabled. You appear to already have an antivirus running. Essential can not run with another antivirus software already running.
Stop and Restart are greyed out and I still can’t uninstall