sfc /scannowĪnd DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth 4. Step 2: Give the commands below, one at a time, and wait for it to run. You may also use PowerShell, which is more advanced. Step 1: Search for and open Command Prompt from the Start menu with administrator rights. The System File Checker or SFC scan will find and repair corrupt or missing system and registry files crucial for running core apps like Defender. Check if you can turn it on manually under the ‘Virus & threat protection’ heading.

Some apps like Malwarebytes allow both the apps to run simultaneously.

Uninstall it if you want to use Defender. Kind of unnecessary to run two antivirus apps on the same machine, at the same time. The error code for the same is 577, but you may or may not witness it. Using a third-party antivirus app will turn off Microsoft Defender automatically. Check again in the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). You may have been searching for the wrong program, thinking it is not running. As noted earlier, Windows Defender was renamed and is now part of Windows Security. However, they contain important background information about the topic. I am assuming that you have already tried checking for updates and rebooted your computer once before coming here. Microsoft probably already knows everything you do on Windows. After all, antivirus apps have system-level access. It is better to let Microsoft snoop on you rather than some other company. We will help you troubleshoot and fix the issue in this guide. I suggest you stick with Microsoft Defender. It makes little sense to download/buy a third-party antivirus app when the default one is solid and does the job.

Antivirus microsoft defender windows 7