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This article will show you how to Fix Windows Defender ‘Unexpected Error’ issue. Windows Defender, also called Microsoft Defender Antivirus, is a part of Microsoft Windows that protects against malware. In terms of operating system security, it does some simple things. It can let users know if they have malware or other security risks. If you want to know more information about this Visit Official Microsoft Support site.
When Windows Defender came out for the first time, it only kept people from getting spyware. No longer do people need to use third-party antivirus software to feel safe when they use Windows11/10. But sometimes people have trouble when they try to use it. Users say that when they try to run a scan, they get a “Unexpected Error” message.
Here’s what the whole message says: Even though we don’t know what could cause Windows Defender to give you this warning, we have put together steps that might help you fix it. People think that the problem is caused by a lack of updates, meddling from a third-party antivirus software, or the Security Center service. We mentioned below are the ways to Fix Windows Defender ‘Unexpected Error’ issue.
Run a full system scan with Microsoft Safety Scanner
You can also try using the Microsoft Safety Scanner to do a full scan of your machine. People who have used this method say that it might actually solve your problem. Microsoft Safety Scanner is a tool that looks for and gets rid of viruses on Windows computers. Just download it, run a scan, and look for malware to see if this happened to your computer. If malware is found, it means that this virus may have made Windows Defender not work because it was infected by it.
- Downloading the Microsoft Safety Scanner is the first thing you need to do. You can do this on Microsoft’s main website. Click the button for your machine to start the download.
- Once the scanner is fully downloaded, open it and tell the User Account Control that it is okay to make changes to your computer.
- Then, just follow the steps to get to the next screen. then make sure to choose “Full scan of your computer.” Then click Next to move forward.
- The scan will take some time, so you will have to wait. After that, any spyware that is found will be taken care of.
- When you’re done with both of those things, you should open Windows Defender to see if your problem has been fixed.
Run the Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Some other users who were hit by this error were able to fix it by running Microsoft Defender Offline. This is something you should do if you think your computer might have secret malware, but it also helped people who were trying to Fix Windows Defender ‘Unexpected Error’ issue.
People who are having trouble with malware use Microsoft Defender Offline, which is a good offline scanning tool.
To run the Microsoft Defender Offline scan, go to the Windows Settings and find the Virus & threat protection area. There, you can choose the Microsoft Defender Offline check and get it going.
- The first thing you should do is open the Windows Defender. To do this, press the Windows key + R, put “ms-settings:windowsdefender” into the search bar, and then press Enter. The Windows Defender will open on your screen.
- Once you are in Windows Defender, you should go to the part called “Virus & protection.”
- Now that you’ve been taken to the Virus & threat defense page, the Scan options button is right next to Current threats. Just click it.
- After that, you should choose the Microsoft Defender Offline check. Once the scan is chosen, click the Scan now button.
- Wait until the process is done, and then restart your computer.
- After the computer starts up again, go to Windows Defender to see if the Unknown error is still there.
Disable any 3rd party antivirus
If you have this problem, you should try turning off any third-party antivirus software you are using. This can be helpful because the Unexpected mistake might be caused by the antivirus, which is not letting the
So, if you are using an antivirus program other than Windows Defender, you might want to try turning it off briefly to see if that is the problem. If the problem goes away after you turn off the third-party AV, you can also uninstall it to make sure it doesn’t come back.
- To start, you need to open the menu of secret icons. To do this, click the arrow on the right side of the taskbar. Then, the secret icons will show up on your screen.
- Once you see all the secret icons, you need to look for the antivirus program you are using. Right-click on it and make sure to turn off the AV when you find it.
- Now you can go to Windows Defender to see if the Unknown error still shows up.
- If you don’t see the error and can still use Windows Defender, you should uninstall the third-party antivirus fully from your PC so you don’t get the same error again.
- You’ll need to open the Programs and Features menu to do this. There are many ways to do this, but one of the best is to press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, then type “appwiz.cpl” in the search bar and press Enter.
- Now that you’re in the Programs and Features menu, look through the list of apps for the antivirus that was giving you trouble.
- When you find the AV, right-click on it and click “Uninstall” to start the process of removing the third-party antivirus.
- To finish removing, all you have to do is follow the instructions on the screen.
Enable the Windows Firewall
You could also try turning on the Windows Firewall to see if that Fix Windows Defender ‘Unexpected Error’ issue. Many people who were harmed have said that this method worked for them. The Windows Firewall could be turned off, which could be why the Windows Defender isn’t working right.
You should check the state of the Windows Firewall to see what’s going on. Just open the Control Panel and go to the System and Security area. From there, you can choose the Windows Firewall. There, you’ll need to make sure the Windows Firewall is turned on.
- The first thing you need to do is open the Control Panel. One of the fastest ways to get to it is to press the Windows key + R, then type “control” in the search bar and press Enter.
- Click on the System and Security area once you’re in the Control Panel.
- After that, you need to go to the Windows Defender Firewall area.
- When you are in the Windows Defender Firewall section, look at the menu on the left until you find the choice to turn on or off Windows Defender Firewall. Click on it when you see it.
- After that, make sure that both the public and private choices are turned on. When you are sure, click OK to save the changes and go back to the previous screen.
- If the Windows Defender Firewall was turned off before you turned it on, you now need to restart your computer. Only this way will the changes take effect.
- Open Windows Defender after the computer has started up again to see if the error is still happening.
How do I know if a Microsoft security alert is real?
It’s actually pretty easy and quick, as long as you know how to spot one. The way a security alert looks is often a good way to tell if it is real or not. The ones from Microsoft will be well-designed, have no typos, and give you the option to skip or close the prompt. The second most important thing is where the security signal shows up. Microsoft wouldn’t send you alerts while you are using a website or other third-party apps. Also, Microsoft wouldn’t give you an email address or phone number to call.