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Fix: Microsoft Defender Threat Service Has Stopped
Disconnect your work/school accounts as it could be the problem
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Windows Defender is a built-in security solution in Windows. It protects your system from malware and other types of harmful threats. This makes Windows Defender your only security against threats if you have no additional antivirus programs.
IfWindows Defender is not working, your system is exposed to many vulnerabilities. Usually, when the threat service has stopped, you can click on the Restart button, but this doesn’t always work. Luckily, we put together this article to help you resolve this issue.
Why has Windows Defender stopped working?
The most common reasons for Windows Defender to stop working are:
How do I restart the Windows threat service?
Try these basic workarounds before moving to the complex solutions below:
1. Restart Windows Defender service
2. Disconnect work/school accounts
3. Repair Microsoft Defender
4. Reinstall Microsoft Defender
5. Create a new user account
Once you log in to the new profile, test it and check whether the Microsoft Defender threat service runs smoothly. If it is, you can conclude that your previous profile was corrupt and take the necessary steps to repair it.
6. Re-enable Windows Defender
7. Delete Group Policy restrictions
Deleting the above registry entries will disable the settings managed by your organization and give you more control of your system. You may receive errors when running some of them, but this should not cause alarm as it just means those entries are not on your PC.
We recommend performing a System Restore if you’ve tried all these solutions, but none seem to work. This can help you roll back to a previous point where Windows had no issues.
If you had notcreated a restore point, try a clean install of Windows. This could help you restart Windows afresh with no issues. With such issues, it is important toconsider whether Windows 11 needs an antivirus program.
Let us know if you have solved this issue in the comment section below.
More about the topics:Windows Defender issues
Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products. With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.
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Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11 errors.
