How to avoid Windows Defender Error 0x80240438

 How to avoid Windows Defender Error 0x80240438

  Windows Defender sometimes has trouble scanning files, analyzing the system or even booting, but it usually just sends us a message to find out what it's all about.  In this article we will talk about error 0x80240438, which prevents it from updating properly.  This will cause it not to work as it should and therefore, we will not be adequately protected against viruses and malware in general.

  Why does error 0x80240438 appear

  What causes the error code 0x80240438 to appear?  It is not a failure that can appear for one reason, but in general it is caused by some problem with the system update or with some additional security software that we have installed.

  If this Windows Defender error appears after a Windows update, a corrupt file may have been left not updating properly or an interruption occurred during the installation.  This can lead to problems with some programs, such as Microsoft's antivirus.

  It may also be that we have installed other security software.  For example, we may have another antivirus other than Windows Defender and this causes a conflict.  Maybe even a firewall detects it as a threat and blocks it.

  Another reason that could be an error of this kind is that we are browsing through a proxy or VPN.  This can cause problems when using certain components of the system, such as antivirus.

  What to do to solve this problem:

  We have seen that it can have various causes.  So what can we do to fix the problem?  Let's see how we can avoid error 0x80240438 and make Windows Defender work normally again and protect our devices.

  Control of installed security software:

  The first thing we must do is keep track of the security apps we have installed.  Do we have another antivirus installed?  This is not a good idea, as there can be a conflict between them and they even do not work, which can leave the computer completely unprotected.

  If we have installed another security software such as Bitdefender, Avast, Kaspersky or any other software, we must disable it.  This may be the cause of the problem and we can fix it quickly.

  But something similar can also happen if we have a firewall installed.  Although an antivirus and a firewall should not cause problems and are compatible, sometimes it is true that a bad configuration or use of an inappropriate program can block some applications including Windows Antivirus.

  Windows Defender Definition Update:

  The reason may be that we have an outdated Windows Defender.  The normal thing is that new versions are installed automatically, but there may be some conflict and problems.  These updates may be stuck.

  What we will do is manually download the files needed to update Windows Defender.  For this we have to go to the official Microsoft page and there choose the version of the operating system and download the EXE file that we will have to run later.

  Once it is installed, you must restart your computer.  This will allow the changes to be implemented and we will have the latest version of antivirus definitions from Microsoft.  It is a solution in case it does not update automatically or there is a problem like error 0x80240438.

  Check for problems with system updates:

  Did you recently update Windows and since then this error appears?  In this case, the error is most likely due to a failure in the update process.  This is something that can happen sometimes.  For example, it happens if the Internet runs out during installation or the device turns off for some reason.

  So, what we are going to do is to check if the Windows update is really good and, if necessary, update it manually.  We must go to Start, enter Settings and go to Update and Security.  There it will show us which version we have installed and will indicate if there is a newer version available.

  Disable VPN or Proxy

  Browsing through VPN or proxy can cause certain problems if we configure something wrong or the software we are using is not working properly.  This also includes errors in the antivirus software for Windows itself, so we must control it.

  Both options are used to encrypt the connection.  Basically, we will communicate through an intermediary rather than having our information go directly to the web server we are visiting, for example.  There are many options either way, such as NordVPN or ExpressVPN for VPN.  What we must do to find out if this is a failure caused by these programs is to disable them momentarily.

  It is wise to avoid free VPNs, as many of them can cause problems like the ones we see.  We must choose an alternative that is reliable and works well.

  Reset the network:

  Another step we can take if we see that the Windows Defender issue is not resolved is a network reset.  It is a function built into the operating system and allows to resolve some failures that may have occurred with some network components, such as the Wi-Fi card.

  We have to go to Start, enter Settings, go to Network and Internet and there we will find the option to Reset Network.  We have to click on it and continue the process.  This will allow all configurations to return to the default state and once done we can restart the computer and check if it has any positive effect.

  In short, if you see the error 0x80240438 and you see that Windows Defender is not working well, the reasons could be numerous but it is normal that the update failed or an additional antivirus was used.  You can follow these steps we have seen and thus get it working properly again and your PC is not left unprotected.