One very common issue in Microsoft Windows 10 is Windows Defender not turning on, and it is important for your PC security as it protects from viruses and malware. It is also known as Windows Defender Security Centre that is a fully integrated program offering real-time protection. It protects your PC or laptop from viruses, malware and spyware by stopping potential threats. Contacting 24/7 tech support will guide you through steps to fix Windows Defender issue and listed below are some of the solutions to fix it.
Solution 1
In case you have installed a third party antivirus software, the Windows OS will detect it and turn off Windows Defender, so disabling them can turn on Windows Defender. If this didn’t work, then you will have to completely uninstall them. For this you have to go to “Control Panel” and in “Programs” select the third party software from the list on the right-hand side and click “Uninstall” to remove it. Now, restart the PC and try launching Windows Defender.
Solution 2
If the above method didn’t work then you must try enabling certain services that are required for Windows Defender to work properly. So, they can be enabled by, first tap “Windows” key + R and launch the “Run” command box, type in “services.msc” and hit “Enter”. In the “Services” window scroll to “Security Center” service and right click on it and select “Restart”. Now, check if Windows Defender is working.
Solution 3
In Windows 10 if Windows Defender is not turning on and runs into an unexpected error, then there must be some error in the system file and in such a situation run an SFC scan. SFC or System File Checker is a Windows 10 tool that scans and restores corrupted Windows system files. To do it, first type in “cmd” i.e. command prompt in the “search box”, right click on it and select “run this program as administrator”. Now in the Command Prompt window, type “sfc/scannow” and hit Enter and this utility will begin running System Scan and wait until the verification reaches 100%. After this, exit the Command Prompt and check if the Windows Defender unexpected error is fixed.
To fix Windows Defender Antivirus not running you have to run DISM scan and for that, first launch Command Prompt as mentioned above and in the Command Prompt window type “DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth” and hit Enter. Now wait for the scan to complete and exit the window and check if Window Defender Antivirus is running.
There are other solutions and if the above solutions didn’t work contact online computer tech support for guided assistance.