Buzz
Today, Mytour will show you how to turn on Windows Defender on your PC. If you've disabled Microsoft Defender (previously known as Windows Defender) since your last system restart, you can reactivate it through the Windows Security program. If you've installed a third-party antivirus program recently, causing Microsoft Defender to be disabled, you will need to uninstall that program in order to use Microsoft Defender again.
Steps
Enable Microsoft Defender
You must ensure that Microsoft Defender was recently turned off. If you disabled Microsoft Defender after your last system restart or shutdown, it may not have turned back on automatically. You can follow these steps to reactivate it.
- If you haven’t turned off Microsoft Defender since your last restart, it’s possible that another antivirus program has disabled Microsoft Defender. You will need to uninstall this antivirus program to enable Windows Defender again.
Click on the Windows Security (Windows Protection) on the left side of the screen.
Click on the Virus & threat protection in the middle of the window.
- You might need to maximize the Windows Security window by clicking the square in the top-right corner before proceeding.
Click on the Virus & threat protection settings option in the middle of the menu.
Click on Yes when prompted. Microsoft Defender will be re-enabled.
Uninstall third-party antivirus programs
Determine whether you recently installed any other antivirus software. If you did, this is likely the cause of Windows Defender being disabled. If not, it's possible that another antivirus program was automatically installed by some software as part of a bundle. In this case, you will need to identify the 'culprit,' even if its name is unknown.
Click on the Apps option located in the center of the Settings window.
Sort the programs by date (if necessary). If you're unsure about which antivirus program to look for, narrow down your search by checking the recently installed programs. To do this, click on "Sort by" and select Install date from the dropdown menu.
- If you already know the name of the antivirus program, you can skip this step.
Search for the antivirus program. Scroll through the list of installed applications until you find the program you need to uninstall.
- If you haven't recently installed any antivirus software, the 'culprit' may appear near the top of the list if Windows Defender was only just disabled.
Click on the name of the program you wish to uninstall. The program's name will expand, revealing the Uninstall button.
Click the Uninstall button below the program name.
Click on Uninstall when prompted. This will open the program uninstallation window.
Follow the uninstallation instructions. Click through the uninstallation prompts that appear on your screen. Additionally, ensure that the option "Delete all files" (or similar) is selected if asked whether you want to keep any remaining files or applications.
Remove any related programs. Some antivirus programs come with additional software for handling tasks like web security. If you find any software from the same developer or with a name similar to the antivirus you just removed, uninstall those as well before proceeding.
Restart your computer.Begin
Power
Restart- If Microsoft Defender doesn't start automatically after the computer restarts, you can manually enable the program.
Tip
- Microsoft Defender is the most suitable antivirus choice for Windows computers, so there's no need to install any third-party software. In fact, installing another antivirus program only changes the malware definition provider.
Warning
- Installing more than one antivirus program can lead to numerous issues, from inadequate security to the inability to shut down your computer.
