6 Best Ways to Fix Virus & Threat Protection Engine Unavailable Error in Windows 11

Windows Security protects your computer from viruses, malware, and other security threats. However, when trying to access its Virus and threat protection feature, you may get an error Engine Unavailable. This error occurs when the computer is unable to download the Security Intelligence update for Windows Defender Antivirus.

Fortunately, like any other Windows Security application problem, it is also fixable. In this post, we will see how to fix the Windows Security Engine Unavailable error. So let’s get started.

1. Start the Security Center Service

Services are important Windows PC components that run in the background and play important roles in various tasks. One of these services is the Security Center service, which checks and reports the health of your computer. If this service is not running, you may experience Windows Defender tool unavailability issues.

The solution here is to start the Security Center service. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Windows key to open the Start Menu.

Step 2: Enter Service in the search bar and press Enter.

Services in Start Menu

Step 3: Right-click the Security Center service and select Start from the context menu.

Security Center service start options

Wait until the service starts. Then restart your computer and check for the problem.

2. Use the Windows Update Troubleshooter

As noted above, the tool unavailable error appears when Windows fails to download the Security Intelligence update. To fix this, you can run the Windows Update troubleshooter that will detect and remove the culprit causing the download failure.

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Follow the steps below to run the Window Update troubleshooter:

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Click System from the left sidebar, then select the Troubleshoot option.

Troubleshooting options in Settings

Step 3: Select More Troubleshooter.

More troubleshooting options in Settings

Step 4: Click the Run button next to Windows Update.

Run Options for Windows Troubleshooter

The troubleshooter window will appear and look for any available problems. It will automatically correct any errors without much user input if it finds any errors.

3. Restart Windows Defender

Another quick way to fix the problem is to restart Windows Defender. Doing this will be helpful if you get an error due to a temporary bug in the Windows Defender antivirus.

To restart Windows Defender antivirus, follow the instructions below:

Step 1: Click the Start button on the taskbar to open the Start Menu, type Command prompt, and select Run as administrator from the right pane.

Command Prompt in the Start Menu

Step 2: Paste the following command into the Common Prompt window and press Enter:

sc start Activate WinDefend

Enable Windows Defender command in CMD

4. Edit registry settings

Sometimes, some third-party software may quietly change the registry to work properly on your computer. That said, DisableAntiVirus and DisableAntiSpyware are two important items associated with Windows Defender Antivirus. If either of these are enabled, you will experience Windows Defender tool unavailability.

The solution in this case is to go to Registry Editor and disable these entries. This is the way:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run tool, type re-edit and press Enter.

Type regedit in the Run tool

Step 2: In Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender

Step 3: Right-click the DisableAntiSpyware key in the right pane and select Modify.

Modify options in Registry Editor

Step 4: Enter 0 under Value data and click OK.

Value Data option in key

Repeat the same steps for the DisableAntiVirus key, enter 0 in the Value data section and click OK to save the changes.

5. Remove third-party security apps

Windows Security is enough to protect your computer from online and offline threats. However, many users still have third-party apps installed on their devices.

If you use a third-party security program, disable it to troubleshoot engine not available. You can do that by right-clicking the application’s icon in the system tray and selecting Disable from the context menu.

After shutting down the application, check if the error is fixed. If so, you might consider uninstalling the app from your computer.

6. Reset Windows Security

Like any other built-in app, the Windows Security app can break for a variety of reasons. When that happens, you will be prone to various problems, including the one in question.

The best way to remove corruption from a Windows Security app is to reset it. You can do that by following these steps:

Step 1: Click the Start icon on the taskbar, type Windows PowerShell in the Start Menu search bar and select Run as administrator from the right pane.

_Windows PowerShell in the Start Menu

Step 2: Paste the following command into the PowerShell window and press Enter:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI -AllUsers | Reset-AppxPackage

Reset Windows Security command in PowerShell

After executing the command, restart your computer and check for the problem.

Keep your computer protected

Virus & threat protection is an important component of Windows Security apps. It’s where you can scan your entire system, manage protection settings, and more.

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However, you will not be able to access all these settings if you encounter the Windows Defender tool unavailable error. Fortunately, you can quickly get rid of the error using the methods above.

Categories: How to
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