Forum Discussion
Windows Virus and Threat Protection service won't start – any way to fix it?
I never turned it off as far as I remember, and even if I did, I should be able to turn it back on—but nothing's working. The service just won't start. I've tried restarting, checking services.msc, and even running a few scans, but it stays stuck.
Everything else on the PC runs fine—no other issues with system performance or other apps. I don't really download sketchy files, so I'm not sure what triggered this in the first place. It just stopped working one day and hasn't come back.
Running Windows 10 22H2 on a Ryzen 5 3500U with 8GB RAM.
Anyone know how to get the Virus and Threat Protection service running again?
2 Replies
Even if you don't remember installing one, check for leftover security software. Windows Defender automatically disables itself when it detects another antivirus program, and sometimes the uninstall doesn't fully clean up.
Make sure these other services are running as well:
Service↓ Startup Type Status Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Service Manual – Windows Defender Antivirus Network Inspection Service Manual Running Windows Defender Antivirus Service Automatic Running Windows Defender Firewall Automatic Running Let us know if this helps!
