MSE then blocks attempts to uninstall it by saying I do not have sufficient privileges (this is the admin acct). Then MSE will not allow me to download MSE claiming their is a virus in the exe program. Windows Defender provides built-in protection against malware for Windows 10. You can't use Microsoft Security Essentials, but you don't need to since Windows Defender is already included and ready to go. Since this thread is dedicated for your concern about Windows Defender, we suggest that you create a new thread for your Windows Update concern. Additionally, Microsoft Security Essentials will not update. I have uninstalled and re-installed Microsoft security essentials and it will update upon installation, but will not update after that. Mal-ware bytes will update no problem. When I try to update Microsoft Security Essentials, I get this code: 0x80070424 Personally I've seen Secure Score take almost 48 hours to update on a few occasions, so you may need to wait a bit more. The fact that the two are not in sync seems a bit unusual though; I would suggest waiting a little longer, and then opening a support ticket through your Microsoft 365 portal if the issue persists. Seems like a backend issue. Use the following free Microsoft software to detect and remove this threat: Windows Defender for Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, or Microsoft Security Essentials for Windows 7 and Windows Vista; Microsoft Safety Scanner; You should also run a full scan. A full scan might find other hidden malware. Get more help UDD7m.

microsoft security essentials not updating