If you notice that your Windows Defender is grayed out, here are some ways to fix it:

  1. Open the Start screen and type “cmd” and hit enter.
  2. Type “netstat -a” and hit enter.
  3. Type “netstat -p” and hit enter.
  4. Type “netstat -s” and hit enter.

How to Fix Windows Defender Greyed Out on Windows

Third Party Antivirus Software Should Be Uninstalled

Windows will detect any third-party antivirus software that is installed on the system and disable Defender if it finds it. Users should disable the third-party antivirus programme in order to fix the issue. Users should uninstall the software if the issue still exists. ..

Security Center Service Should Be Restarted

  1. Enable Windows Defender
  2. Launch the Windows Defender installer
  3. Follow the prompts to install the necessary services

SFC Scan Should Be Done

  1. Open the Start menu and type “system files check”.
  2. The system files check will open.
  3. In the System File Checker window, click on the “Scan” button.
  4. The scan will start and should take a few minutes to complete.
  5. When the scan is complete, click on the “Results” tab and then click on the “Clean” button.

Run DISM Scan

If you are experiencing issues with Windows Defender Real-Time Protection not turning on, please execute the following steps:

  1. Open the command prompt and type DISM scan.
  2. The DISM scan will start and will take a few minutes to complete.
  3. When the scan is complete, please open the Windows Defender Security Center and click on the “Update” button to update your protection settings.

Check And Install Latest Windows Update

  1. Update your Windows to the most recent version by visiting the Microsoft website and downloading the latest update.
  2. Reboot your computer and then update Windows by going to Start, type “update” and hit enter.
  3. After you have updated Windows, be sure to back up your data by running a backup program such as Carbon Copy Cloner or Time Machine.

Final Words

The problem with Windows Defender is that it’s not always working as it should. A recent update has caused the component to become completely greyed out, and customers are unable to re-enable it. This can be a serious issue, as malware attacks could potentially occur while the Windows Defender is down. To avoid this, we recommend that you install a pending update to Windows Defender. If you don’t have one installed yet, we suggest you go ahead and do so now.