How To Fix Windows Defender Greyed Out

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How To Fix Windows Defender Greyed Out. In this article, you will read how to get rid of Windows Defender real-time protection greyed out. Windows Defender is an in-built software provided by Microsoft for Windows. It protects your computer from viruses, malware, spyware and other attacks. Like other apps, Windows Defender also causes various types of errors. One of them is Windows Defender real-time protection greyed out. If this issue occurs, your system is at risk when you are online. To solve Windows Defender grayed out Windows 10, follow the various methods below.

How To Fix Windows Defender Greyed Out:

Method 1 – Restart Security Center Service:

Various services are running in the Windows. They should be turned on and work properly, so Windows Defender works perfectly. The real-time protection greyed out the problem can be due to this issue. You have to restart the services to solve the problem. To do so:

1.Click Windows + R key.
2.Run dialog box will appear.
3.Type services.msc.
4.Then click OK.
5.Search for Security Center.
6.Right-click the Security Center.
7.Then click Restart.
8.After the service is restarted, check if the problem has been resolved.

Method 2 – Uninstall Third-Party Antivirus:

Any third-party antivirus can cause the issue. Because, Windows will detect and turn the Windows Defender off. To resolve the issue, uninstall the antivirus. Follow the steps:

1.Open Control Panel.
2.Go to Program and Features.
3.Select the third-party antivirus program.
4.Right-click it.
5.Select Uninstall.
6.The program will be uninstalled from the system.

Method 3 – Run DISM Scan:

If Windows Defender real-time protection is not turning on, then run the DISM scan. To do so:

1.In the Windows search box, type cmd.
2.Select the top option and right-click on it.
3.Select Run as Administrator.
4.Enter the command and then press Enter.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

5.The scan will take a few minutes.
6.When the scan is complete, restart the system and check if the issue is solved.

Method 4 – Run SFC Scan:

Any unexpected error can cause the Windows Defender real-time protection not turning on issue. Do a SFC scan to check if any corrupted system files. Follow the steps to do a SFC scan:

1.In the Windows search box, type cmd.
2.Select the top option and right-click on it.
3.Select Run as Administrator.
4.Enter the command and then press Enter.
sfc /scannow

5.Now, the scan will start checking the files.
6.It will take a few minutes.
7.Now, exit the Command Prompt window.
8.Restart the system.
9.Check whether the problem has been resolved.

Method 5 – Change The Group Policy:

Group policy might have turned off the Windows Defender, that’s why it is not turning on. If you want to know how to turn on real-time protection, change the group policy. Follow the steps below:

1.Press Windows + R key to display the Run dialog box.
2.Type gpedit.msc
3.Press Enter.
4.Group Policy Editor window will open.
5.On the left side, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Template > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus.
6.Click Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus.