Windows Security Not Opening? 7 Ways to Fix It

It’s frustrating when you want to run a virus scan on your PC, and the Windows Security app won’t launch. Various items can cause the app to behave this way. However, you can take a few troubleshooting steps to resolve the problem.

A few reasons your Windows Security app won’t launch are that the app’s configuration is faulty, your Windows version is outdated, Windows system files are corrupt, and more.

1. Close Other Antivirus Programs on Your PC

Windows Security doesn’t launch because you’re using another antivirus program on your PC. That tool may be interfering with Windows Security’s functionalities, causing the app not to launch.

In this case, you can close your other antivirus program and try to open the Windows Security app. Try force-closing your other program to ensure it’s fully closed.

1. Right-click your Start menu icon and select Task Manager.
2. Right-click your antivirus program on the list and choose End task.

3. Launch Windows Security.

If Windows Security launches after disabling your third-party antivirus tool, you can remove that tool from your PC to ensure you don’t face the same issue again. Here’s how to do that.

1. Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select Apps in the left sidebar and Apps & features on the right pane.
3. Find your antivirus program on the list, select the three dots next to the program, and choose Uninstall.

4. Select Uninstall in the prompt to confirm your action.
5. Restart your PC by opening the Start menu, selecting the Power icon, and choosing Restart.

2. Restart the Windows Security Center Service

Windows runs various services in the background to support your PC’s multiple functions. It’s possible a service related to Windows Security is not working correctly, preventing the app from launching.

In this case, you can restart the relevant background service to fix your issue.

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R.
2. Type the following in the box and press Enter:
   services.msc
3. Find and right-click Security Center on the services list and choose Restart.

4. Quit the Services window, then open your Windows Security app.

3. Repair the Windows Security App

Like many other apps, Windows Security can become problematic due to faulty configuration and other technical items. When this happens, you can use your PC’s built-in repair tool to try to repair the app.

1. Open your PC’s Settings app by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select Apps in the left sidebar and Apps & features on the right pane.
3. Find Windows Security on the app list, select the three dots next to the app, and choose Advanced options.

4. Select Repair on the following screen.

5. When you’ve repaired the app, launch the app.

4. Reset the Windows Security App

If repairing Windows Security didn’t fix the app’s launch problem, you can go a step further and reset the application. Doing so clears all the current settings of the app, resolving your app problem.

1. Open the Start menu, find PowerShell, and select Run as administrator.
2. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
3. Type the following command on the PowerShell window and press Enter:
   Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI -AllUsers | Reset-AppxPackage

4. Close the PowerShell window when the command has finished running.
5. Launch the Windows Security app.

5. Update Your Windows Version

Your Windows operating system version may be outdated, causing your system and installed apps to malfunction. So, you should always use the latest version of your system software.

You can resolve your issue by updating Windows to the most recent version on your PC.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select Windows Update in the left sidebar.
3. Choose Check for updates on the right pane.

4. Allow Windows to find available updates.
5. Download and install all the displayed updates.
6. Reboot your PC.

6. Fix Corrupt Windows Files

Windows system files can corrupt, causing your system functions, stock apps, and even third-party apps to malfunction. These files become corrupt for many reasons, including viruses and malicious apps.

Fortunately, Windows includes a built-in tool to help you fix corrupt system files on your computer. You can run a tool called SFC (System File Checker) from Command Prompt to find and fix all the problematic and missing core files on your PC.

1. Open the Start menu, locate Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
3. Enter the following command on the CMD window and press Enter. This command downloads the files required to fix your PC.
   DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

4. Run the following command to begin scanning for and fixing corrupt Windows files:
   sfc /scannow

5. Restart your PC when SFC has fixed the faulty files.

7. Reset Your Windows PC

If Windows Security doesn’t launch even after following all the above methods, your system’s core configuration might be corrupt. One way to deal with this situation is to reset your PC.

Resetting your PC deletes all your custom configurations and apps, fixing nearly all the issues on your computer. Note that you’ll lose your apps while resetting the PC, so ensure you’re okay with that.

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows + I.
2. Select System in the left sidebar and Recovery on the right pane.
3. Choose Reset PC next to Reset this PC.

4. Select Keep my files to ensure Windows doesn’t delete your files.

5. Choose Local reinstall to reset your PC locally.
6. Follow the on-screen reset instructions and finish bringing your PC back to the factory settings.
7. Launch Windows Security when you’ve reset your PC.

Resolve Windows Security’s Launch Issues Using Various Methods

If you can’t open Windows Security, that means you can’t run virus scans, enable or disable your antivirus protection or firewall, or perform other security-related tasks in the app. This problem makes your PC vulnerable to various threats.

Luckily, fixing the app’s launch issues isn’t too tricky. As outlined above, you can make a few changes on your PC to resolve your issue.