# How to Fix ‘Windows Defender Offline Scan not working’ Issue on Windows 11/10 **URL:** https://www.compsmag.com/blogs/how-to-fix-windows-defender-offline-scan-not-working-issue-on-windows-11-10/ **Author:** Ayushi Chauhan **Published:** 2022-05-03 **Updated:** 2022-05-03 **Categories:** Blogs **Tags:** Blogs Daily, Computer Guides, Computers Tips and Tutorials, guiderobert, Guides and Tutorials, guiding12, How To Guide, How To Guides, internet tips and tutorials, Software tips and tutorials, Tips, Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Tips **Reading Time:** 5 min --- This tip is about the how to Fix ‘Windows Defender Offline Scan not working’ Issue on Windows 11/10. So read this free guide, How to Fix ‘Windows Defender Offline Scan not working’ Issue on Windows 11/10 step by step. If you have query related to same article you may contact us. ## How to Fix ‘Windows Defender Offline Scan not working’ Issue on Windows 11/10 - Guide It seems that once Windows Defender performs a certain update on its database, it has issues with freezing or simply not working properly on Windows 10. Many users who prefer Windows Defender Offline Scan have complained that this tool does not work. In most cases, the error message appears when you try to run a custom scan or a full scan of all your hard drives, and you will likely get a pop-up.up.up message that Windows Defender was unable to scan your computer. This software service stopped with error code 0x800106ba. Windows Defender, also called Windows Security, is a powerful antivirus program built into Windows 10/11. With it, you can easily protect your PC from viruses and malware, and your PC is always protected in real-time. Once some threats are detected, Windows Defender will block and delete them. This program offers a scanning option called Offline Scan. With it, you can perform a deep scan offline to look for and remove all kinds of threats like viruses, ransomware, rootkits, trojans and other malware that other antivirus programs may not detect while Windows is running. ## Fix 'Windows Defender Offline Scan Is Not Working' Issue in Windows 11/10 ### Recreate recovery partitions This method should work when Windows Defender Offline Scan is stuck or doesn't start at all. Users often resort to a clean install and then deleting recovery partitions. This causes Windows Defender to stop working. So what you should do is try to run an in-place Windows update repair install which will also recreate the deleted partition. The operation can be performed using Windows 10 ISO files or the Media Creation Tool to copy Windows 10 to portable media and insert it into the affected device. You may also need to install some updates later. ### Use command prompt Launch the command prompt as an administrator. At the command prompt, you will need to write the following command: C:ProgramFilesWindowsDefenderMpCmdRun.exe–removedefinitions Now press Enter to run the command. After the command is executed, close the Command Prompt and restart your PC. ### Use a third-party antivirus If you are still unable to fix the issue with Windows Defender, consider switching to a third-party antivirus solution. While Windows Defender is a good, free tool, there is other, more reliable antivirus software that comes with it. features. In this sense, we recommend using ESET Internet Security as a very affordable, lightweight and efficient solution. Surely you've heard of ESET, as they are a long-established brand in the online security industry, and now their products perform even better thanks to the latest updates. ESET Internet Security offers web browsing protection and online banking security features keeping ransomware and spyware attackers at bay. ### Run System Restore Press Windows key + S and enter system restore. Choose Create a restore point from the menu. The System Properties window will now appear. Now click on System Restore button. When the System Restore window opens, click Next. If available, check Show more restore points. Select the desired restore point from the menu and click Next. Now follow the onscreen instructions to complete the restore process. ### Check your exclusions Press Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Now navigate to the Update & Security section. From the menu on the left, choose Windows Defender. In the right pane, select Open Windows Defender Security Center. The Windows Defender Security Center will now appear. Click Virus and threat protection. Now select Virus and threat protection settings. Scroll down to the Exclusions section and click Add or Remove Exclusions. You should now see all available exclusions. Select the exclusion and click the Remove button button. ### Run SFC, DISM and chkdsk checks Press Windows key + X to open the Win + X menu. Select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list. If the command prompt is not available, you can also use PowerShell (Admin). When the command prompt starts, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. The SFC scan will now start. Wait for the verification to complete. Bear in mind that this verification may take up to 15 minutes. ### Install the latest updates Open the Settings app and navigate to the Update & Security section. Now click on Check for updates button. Windows will check for available updates and download them in the background. After installing the latest updates, check if the issue still persists. ## Final note I hope you like the guide How to Fix ‘Windows Defender Offline Scan not working’ Issue on Windows 11/10. 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