MS Security Essentials will not install

I have been unable to update my Microsoft Security Essentials. It stops before finalizing and says that the process failed.

Finally, I uninstalled it and downloaded it again. This time, it looked like it was doing OK and then a window pops up asking for the location of some file.

It seems like the program should be self contained because when I originally installed it several months ago, it installed quickly with no problems.

Also, when I try to install other downloaded software (not Microsoft) a window pops up asking for the installaiton CD. This happens on almost everything I try to download and install and I cannot figure out why it is doing this after all these years.

Is this a Windows 7 problem or is it related to something else?

Thanks

 

I don't know how relevant this is but I have had the same problem a couple of times on Win 7 (64 bit) & Vista (32 bit). I just closed the MSE GUI & re-opened it a few minutes later & it worked fine. IMHO it's either some bug in MSE 2 or something to do with the update servers.

 

Again, I'm not sure exactly how relevant this is to the OP but I have noticed on my Vista 32 bit laptop that the MSE systems tray icon stays red sometimes on start-up & I can't even enable real-time protection with the MSE GUI. Inevitably I have to kill it in task manager & re-boot. This normally fixes the issue, I never had this problem with MSE #1. I wonder if there is a bug MS aren't owning up to?

My 64 bit desktop (Win 7) often has this slight lagging 'red' problem on start-up although it always eventually turns green. This 'lag' is not unknown on 64 bit systems apparently.

Considering what happened to the original poster I am not inclined to attempt a clean install. Perhaps it's time to move to avast!

 

OK Ron. It's just my odd sense of humour again . I can't help feeling that the problem the OP is having is related in some way to some of the strange things happening to MSE 2 on start-up for me. Plus I have had identical experiences with updating problems. Maybe I'm just being paranoid but I have a feeling MS aren't telling us something. I never had any problems like this with MSE 1.

 

The only security software installed on my computer is the Windows 7 firewall and when I successfully installed Microsoft Security Essentials originally, this was not a problem.

I also tried to install it in safe mode but a message pops up saying that it connot be installed in safe mode.

I tried all the suggestions on the Microsoft site from the link above but none worked. It said that if they do not work and that I should call Microsoft. I have not called them in years and at that time, it seemed that they are not serious about anyone calling and asking for help.

Maybe I will have to give up and try another program. It may have to be Avast or Avira because when I tried to install the AVG free program, it also will not install.

I did notice that Microsoft Security Defender is on my computer when a red icon appeared on the system try and said that I needed to scan the computer. I did that from that Icon but cannot find that program in my C:\Programs folder, the "start" key and then searching for it, and looking for it in my uninstaller program. I do not know where this came from but maybe it is the problem.

The time and date are OK on my computer so I will try some of the other suggestions.

Thanks