Windows Security is a set of tools that assist safeguard the system and its data against virus and malware threats originating from the internet or other third-party applications.
Many Windows users have lately reported that after upgrading to Windows 11, they are unable to launch the Windows Security software on their PC. Users of Windows have been frustrated because they have been unable to do anything about it.
There might be a number of causes for this, and we’ve mentioned a few of them below.
- Corrupted data files
- Not updated windows
- Third-party antivirus
- Windows system settings might have been changed
- Security Center service not running
- Changed Registry Settings
Following our research into the aforementioned reasons, we have created a list of solutions in this post that will assist users in fixing this issue.
Fix 1 – Reset the Windows Security Application
These kinds of issues are visible even with minor changes made by users in any application settings. As a result, it’s a good idea to reset or repair the application in order to fix this.
Let’s have a look at how to reset the Windows Security application in this article.
Method 1 – Using PowerShell application
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys together on your keyboard that opens the Run command box.
Step 2: Next, type powershell in the run box and press CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER keys together to open the PowerShell application as an admin.
Step 3: Accept the UAC prompt if any, by clicking Yes to proceed.
Step 4: Once the PowerShell app opens up, copy and paste the below command and hit Enter key to execute it.
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI -AllUsers | Reset-AppxPackage
Step 5: Once the command gets executed, close the PowerShell application window.
Now check if the windows security app opens up on your system.
That’s it.
Method 2 – From the Installed Apps page
Step 1: Press the Windows key and type installed apps.
Step 2: Select Installed apps system settings from the search results as shown below.
Step 3: Once the Installed apps page opens, type windows security in the search bar.
Step 4: Then, click the three vertical dots icon at the right corner of the Windows Security app from the search results as shown in the below image.
Step 5: Select Advanced options from the list.
Step 6: This takes you to the Advanced options page. Scroll it and go to the Reset section.
Step 7: Then, Click on the Reset button to reset the Windows security app as shown below.
Step 8: Once it resets, close the installed apps page and check if the windows security app opens up normally.
Hope this fixed your issue.
Fix 2 – Reinstall Via Powershell
1 – Search Powershell in Windows search box.
2 –Right click on Powershell icon and click run as administrator
3 – Now, copy and paste the commands one by one and hit enter every time to reinstall Windows security
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
Press Y and hit enter to execute the above code.
Now, run the command given below
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
Close the powershell windows and try to open again.
Fix 3 – Restart the Windows Security Center Service
The Windows Security Center service guarantees that the Windows Security App is kept up to current with the most up-to-date information for protecting the system from threats. If there is a problem with this service, it is possible that the windows security app may not launch on your Windows system.
So we recommend users that restart the windows security center service once on the system and see if this works on resolving this issue.
Let us see how this can be done with the steps given below.
Step 1: Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC keys to open the Task Manager on the system.
Step 2: In the Task Manager, go to the Services tab as shown below.
Step 3: Then, search for the Security Center Service (wscsvc) and right-click on it.
Step 4: Select Restart from the context menu as shown in the below screenshot.
Step 5: Once it is done, close the Services window.
Now try opening the windows security app on your system and see if this fix worked for you.
Fix 4 – Perform System File Checker Scan and Restore System Health using DISM
Corrupted data files on the system might be the primary cause of this problem.
When the user fails to repair or remove these corrupted files, they cause system and application performance to suffer.
When these kinds of issues arise, it’s a good idea to check for any damaged data files.
Take a look at the steps for doing an SFC scan and restoring DISM health.
Step 1: Open the elevated Command Prompt on your system by pressing the Windows key and typing cmd.
Step 2: Then right-click on the command prompt from the search results as shown below.
Step 3: Select Run as administrator from the context menu.
NOTE: Click Yes on the UAC prompt to continue.
Step 4: In the Command Prompt, execute the below command to scan for any corrupted system files.
sfc /scannow
Step 5: If there are any corrupted files listed available, replace them immediately.
Step 6: Once done, copy and paste the command below and hit Enter key to restore system health using the DISM tool.
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Step 7: After this, close the command prompt and check if the issue is resolved.
Fix 5 – Keep the Windows system updated
If any user does not update the windows, then such problems tend to arise on the system. Microsoft releases many updates now and then to ensure the users get the maximum benefits and experience whether it is driver updates or system updates.
Follow these steps below on how to update the windows system.
Step 1: Press Windows + I keys together on the keyboard to open the Settings app.
Step 2: Then, go to Windows Update on the left side panel of the Settings window.
Step 3: On the Windows Update page, click Check for updates at the top right corner as shown below.
Step 4: Once done, check if there are any updates available.
Step 5: Please download and install all the updates available on the system to keep it updated.
Step 6: After this, close the Settings window.
Now check if the problem got fixed or not.
Fix 6 – Modify the Registry File using Registry Editor
Changes to the registry file, often cause havoc with the system. These changes might have been made unintentionally by the user or by third-party software on the system.
The registry file can be modified to fix Windows Security (Defender).
NOTE: Before starting, make a backup of the registry file, as it is the most important file and might cause the system to crash if something goes wrong.
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys together to open the Run command box.
Step 2: Type regedit in the Run box and press Enter key to open Registry Editor.
NOTE: Accept the UAC prompt by clicking Yes to continue.
Step 3: In the Registry Editor, copy and paste the below path in the empty address bar and hit Enter key to reach the Windows Defender registry key as shown below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
Step 4: Select the Windows Defender registry key on the left side and check if there are any DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisableAntiSpyware on the right side of the window.
Step 5: If not, then right-click on the Windows Defender registry key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value from the context menu as shown below.
Step 6: Rename the newly created DWORD value to DisableAntiSpyware and open it by double-clicking on it.
Step 7: Next, Enter 0 in the Value data field and click OK to apply changes.
Step 8: Once done, close the Registry editor.
Now see if the windows security app is opening normally or not.
Thank you!