- Windows 11's antivirus is bugged as of the latest updates
- Microsoft Defender is telling users that it's turned off, when in fact it isn't — it's working just fine
- The warning keeps popping up, though, and that's proving to be frustrating, although Microsoft is now working on a fix
If you use Windows 11's built-in antivirus and you keep getting worrying messages warning that it's turned off and you're no longer protected, the good news is that this is a bug, and you've got nothing to be concerned about.
That said, this is still an annoying glitch, as it's one that's happening repeatedly to those using Microsoft Defender following its most recent updates. Windows Latest noticed the problem, which has been acknowledged by Microsoft on the Windows release health dashboard.
Microsoft tells us: "After installing the latest updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus, notifications might appear stating that 'Microsoft Defender Antivirus is turned off,' even though the antivirus is functioning correctly and all settings show it as active."
The software giant says you may see these warnings when Windows 11 first boots and "intermittently afterward", noting that they'll appear even if notification settings are switched off. This is also a problem for Windows 10 users.
Microsoft explains that it's working on a fix that will be provided in an update for Defender Antivirus, but we aren't given an ETA for its arrival.
Analysis: a persistent bug that's been hanging around
The bugged pop-up asks you to click to turn virus protection back on, but you obviously don't have to, as it hasn't actually been turned off. Confused users have likely been clicking to re-enable Microsoft Defender, though, and then wondering why they're repeatedly being asked to do this — possibly coming to the conclusion that the antivirus is broken.
Rest assured, it isn't, but this has proved to be a frustrating bug for some, as it sounds like it's appearing quite regularly. As one Redditor complains: "Turns out, yep, it's a bug with their latest update. Fortunately it's harmless but annoying."
Based on reports on Reddit, the issue has been around for over a week at least, and Windows Latest believes it goes back further than that, to early August — although Microsoft only recognized and flagged the problem on its health dashboard a few days ago. Given that the bug has been in play for a while now, hopefully it'll be resolved this week.
I'm surprised that Microsoft hasn't already issued an update to cure this glitch, frankly, but maybe it's a spanner that's pretty deep in the works of Defender Antivirus, so it's taking some time to extract.
It's worth noting that the first time you see this error, you may want to double check whether it's the bug, or a genuine problem elsewhere with Microsoft Defender. You can always ensure that the antivirus is still running by going to Windows Security (type that in the taskbar search box) and looking under 'Virus & threat protection' which will give you the current (correct) status of Defender, flagging any problems if they're present.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best laptops
1. Best overall:
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5
2. Best budget:
Apple MacBook Neo
3. Best Windows 11 laptop
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch
4. Best thin and light:
Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i
5. Best Ultrabook
Asus Zenbook S 16