Allow access to scan for virus and threat protection

[poseban5n]

After rebooting Windows today, I noticed I needed to allow Virus and Threat Protection in Windows Security. However, when I attempted to scan, a small window appeared stating, Your IT administrator has limited access to some areas of this app... Contact IT helpdesk for more information. Could you please advise me on how to gain access to Virus and Threat Protection? Thank you.

 

[BenVasghen]

It sounds like your system is managed by an organization, and certain security settings are controlled by IT administrators. If you're on a work or school network, you'll need to contact your IT department to get the necessary permissions. If this is a personal device, try checking if there are any group policies applied that might restrict access. You can do this by running gpedit.msc and looking under Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Security -> Virus and threat protection.

 

[poseban5n]

No, it's my personal laptop.

 

[JAY BJay]

Do you have any other antivirus programs installed on your computer? If so, try disabling or uninstalling them to see if that resolves the issue. Additionally, make sure your Windows is up to date. A recent update might have changed some settings.

 

[DrPat_86]

I had a similar issue before, and it turned out to be due to a registry setting. If you're comfortable with it, you can try editing the registry. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender and check if there are any policies set that might be restricting access. Be sure to back up the registry before making any changes.

 

[Ballens]

Just a heads-up: if you recently removed any malware or unwanted software, it could have left some restrictions in place. Running a system file check might help. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run sfc /scannow to check and repair any corrupted files. This can sometimes restore default settings.

 

[poseban5n]

I went through the registry and didn't find any unusual entries under Windows Defender. I also ran sfc /scannow, but it didn't find any issues. Could there be something else I'm missing? Maybe a different part of the settings or another tool I should use?

 

[quickeststate]

Have you tried resetting Windows Security? Open the Settings app, go to Update & Security -> Windows Security -> Virus & Threat Protection. Scroll down to the "Virus & Threat Protection Settings" section and click on "Manage Settings." At the bottom, you should see an option to "Reset" Windows Security. This will reset all settings to their default values, which might remove any restrictions.