Windows 11 Security won't start, other issues

For weeks, if not months now, Windows Security has been misbehaving on my Npv '23 Surface Pro 9. Sometimes, usually shortly after startup, everything's fine, Security has its icon in the systray, and it's accessibe.

But very often, the Security icon stops responding after the system has been up for a while: I click it and nothing happens. If that is the case, I can start Security from the Start Menu, but then it loads as a blank window. More often than not, this problematic state is accompanied by a yellow warning triangle on the systray icon, with 'actions recommended'. But not always.

I've scoured the interwebs for solutions, and found many. I've gone the Repair/Reset route. Done SFC and DISM. Get-AppPackage as well. (Tried restarting the Security Center service, but restart isn't available.) All of those, and others, multiple times, in various orders and combinations. They often work, but only for a while, and always after a reboot. Which means I can't be sure they work at all, as the problem also often disappears after a reboot without any other actions.

When Security is accessible, I can run a scan, and no malware is found.

What's going on here, any ideas I haven't tried yet? Any thoughts on root cause? Any fellow sufferers?

All software up-to-date, plenty of RAM and SSD available.

my windows defender is also not working properly.

First, try this:

1.) Remove any installed programs dealing with protection. Remove any other antivirus or antimalware program. Restart the computer. Not shut down, restart

2.) Then try doing this:


3.) If this does not work, I suggest doing a repair install:

andrew129260 said:

1.) Remove any installed programs dealing with protection.

Click to expand...

There are none, I use only Windows Security.

andrew129260 said:

2.) Then try doing this:

Click to expand...

Been there, done that, multiple times.

andrew129260 said:

3.) If this does not work, I suggest doing a repair install:

Click to expand...

This is what I am trying to avoid. This is a new Surface (Nov 23) with a clean Windows 11 install. I've done nothing special with it since. If I do the repair install, what's the guarantee that I don't have the exact same problem again three months later?

Especially since I'm not confident dat the in-place upgrade won't cause a lot of extra work. The source you link to claims that all apps and settings will be retained. Other sources state that 'most' or 'some' apps and setting will be retained. I just went through app installation and configuration half a year back. I'd really hate to have to do it again.

This is why I am trying to find answers and more subtle solutions than a reinstall of Windows 11.

Because Win Defender was not working properly, I installed Bitdefender Total Security.

You can easily and quickly do a repair install through Settings > Recovery > Fix problems using Windows Update > Reinstall now. Apps, files and settings will be preserved. I just did this recently to correct a small but nagging issue and it worked like a charm, even on my cheapo turtle laptop with HDD.

Once you use it you'll likely admit as I did that MS has made fixing Windows almost stupid easy, even for the "ordinary", non-techie user.

florismk said:

This is what I am trying to avoid. This is a new Surface (Nov 23) with a clean Windows 11 install. I've done nothing special with it since. If I do the repair install, what's the guarantee that I don't have the exact same problem again three months later?

Especially since I'm not confident dat the in-place upgrade won't cause a lot of extra work. The source you link to claims that all apps and settings will be retained. Other sources state that 'most' or 'some' apps and setting will be retained. I just went through app installation and configuration half a year back. I'd really hate to have to do it again.

This is why I am trying to find answers and more subtle solutions than a reinstall of Windows 11.

Click to expand...

Windows Security won't open on Windows 11


Do other icons work properly ? Check the above link and heed @oldschool's advice above. Many find the only way to resolve WD issues is to do a Repair Install or Clean Install. Your new Surface may unfortunately need to lose its "viginity" to correct the issue.

florismk said:

There are none, I use only Windows Security.


Been there, done that, multiple times.


This is what I am trying to avoid. This is a new Surface (Nov 23) with a clean Windows 11 install. I've done nothing special with it since. If I do the repair install, what's the guarantee that I don't have the exact same problem again three months later?

Especially since I'm not confident dat the in-place upgrade won't cause a lot of extra work. The source you link to claims that all apps and settings will be retained. Other sources state that 'most' or 'some' apps and setting will be retained. I just went through app installation and configuration half a year back. I'd really hate to have to do it again.

This is why I am trying to find answers and more subtle solutions than a reinstall of Windows 11.

Click to expand...

Repair installs have been done many times here, you won't lose anything. As for needing to do this in the first place I am not sure what happened to cause this issue. You are correct that this should not have happened in the first place. I have worked on hundreds of windows 11 machines without any of them having an issue with windows security/defender. I myself own over 4 windows machines various models and manufacturers without any issues with windows security.

I would suggest using malwarebytes as a second scan to see if anything else is going on, or you can use a program like autoruns with virustotal enabled to see if anything is flagged as suspicious.

andrew129260 said:

Repair installs have been done many times here, you won't lose anything.

Click to expand...

Indeed I won't, and didn't. Wow. I've been on Windows since 95, and have known only hassle and wasted time reinstalling the OS on any machine since. This is... another world entirely.

Also, the issue seems to have disappeared, so far. And a different issue (getting signed out of Edge and Office all the time) hasn't happened yet either.

But it's early days, I did the reinstall just now. Let's wait and see if it's permanent.

Anyway, excellent to know that reinstalling 11 is such a painless process!!

oldschool said:

MS has made fixing Windows almost stupid easy

Click to expand...

Hear hear!

Glad its resolved.

Windows Defender not working properly is a serious issue best resolved by a repair install or recovery from the last working backup.