Server 2016: Windows Defender cannot be uninstalled, fixed, started or replaced?

[Guest DigitalDynamic]

Good afternoon, I am working on a server 2016 installation. For whatever reason my windows defender service has stopped operating. Trying to remove, reinstall, or fix via DISM/SFC seems to have failed and I'm near my wit's end.

 

 

So, here's what I know.

 

 

Windows update cannot update the definitions, fails with a 0x80070643 error

 

Removal via powershell command Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name Windows-Defender fails with a 0x800f0831 error at 57%

 

Removal via "remove roles and features" fails similarly, as does command line.

 

Renaming the Windows Defender folder and creating a new one with a transplanted set of files from a working 2016 installation did not work (but also doesn't seem to have broken anything additional)

 

SFC /Scannow doesn't return anything unusual, while DISM /online /cleanup-image /restore-health hangs for a very long time at 100% and then returns a "not enough storage available to complete the operation. The server is using about 30Gb of 100Gb total (give or take) and has about 300 gb free on the C drive.

 

 

 

Net Start Windefend gives a

 

Windows Defender Service could not be started, A system error has occurred

 

 

System Error 3 has occurred.

 

 

System cannot find the path specified

 

 

 

I ran a command cmd /c reg query HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend |clip and got a result very similar to this, with the exception of the last line didn't exist [REG] Windows Defender Service Registry Settings [Windows 10] - Pastebin.com

 

 

Last 3 lines on mine said

 

"

 

LastFeaturesQuery Reg_SZ 2018/02/02/23:34:39

 

 

HKEY_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend\Roles

 

HKEY_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend\Security

 

"

 

 

echoing the program files directory returned the proper directory

 

 

I'm losing my mind here, If anyone could return my workdays to peace I would be very thankful.

 

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