- Download and install the software.
- It will scan your computer for problems.
- The tool will then fix the issues that were found.
On a Windows 10 computer, the Defender Antivirus Security Center may display an error: “The threat service is stopped. Restart it now”. The easiest way to solve the problem is to click the “Restart now” button to start the threat service. However, in some cases this will not work and you will get a new error message “Unexpected error, sorry, we encountered it”. problem. Try again. “
This guide provides instructions on how to fix the following problem in the Windows 10 Virus and Threat Defender status: “Threat Service is stopped. Please restart it now “.
Table of Contents:
Remove third-party antivirus
First, make sure that no other third-party antivirus is installed on your computer. When you install a third-party antivirus on Windows 10, Windows Defender security is automatically disabled and the “threat service is stopped”. Reboot it now “The Windows Security Center error is just an informational message.
Make sure that the Windows Defender services are running
The Advanced Threat Protection service in Windows Defender protects against complex threats by monitoring and reporting security events that occur on your computer. You should make sure that this service and other required services are set to default values and are running.
Updated: April 2025
This tool is highly recommended to help you fix your error. Plus, this tool offers protection against file loss, malware, and hardware failures, and optimizes your device for maximum performance. If you already have a problem with your computer, this software can help you fix it and prevent other problems from recurring:
- Step 1 : Install the PC Repair and Optimizer Tool. (Windows 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista).
- Step 2 : Click Start Scan to determine what problems you are experiencing with your computer.
- Step 3 : Click Repair Allto resolve all problems.
Open Windows Service Manager, find the following services and make sure that the Startup Type is set to Default:
- Advanced Threat Protection Guide in Windows Defender
- Windows Defender Antivirus Network Inspection Guide
- Windows Defender Antivirus service guide
- The Windows Defender firewall service is automatic.
- You can right-click each item and select “Start” to start the service.
- To change the overload types, you must double-click the services and select the appropriate option from the Startup Type drop-down menu in the Properties area.
- Once detected, double-click each service, set its Startup Type to Automatic, and click Start if the services are not already running.
- Click Apply, then OK, and see if that helped.
Start your computer up clean
A clean boot is recommended to fix third-party applications that interfere with Windows Defender.
This is the most common problem that can lead to an unexpected error message.
To get started, do the following:
1: First, you need to open the msconfig window. To do this, you need to open the Run window (Windows key + R), type msconfig and press Enter to open the msconfig window.
2: After you have opened the system configuration window. Go to the “Services” tab and check the “Hide all Microsoft services” box. Then click the “Disable All” button.
3: Now you need to open the Task Manager. Click the “Start” tab and click “Open Task Manager”.
4: Once the Task Manager is open, go to the list of applications you want to run. Right-click the first entry in the list and choose “Disable” from the menu. Repeat this step for all running applications in the list.
5: Disable all running applications, close the Task Manager and return to the System Setup window.
6: Click Apply and OK to save your changes. Reboot your computer.
Hopefully, your Windows Defender is now working properly. All of the above solutions are fully tested and can fix all kinds of problems with Windows Defender.
Try using the solutions one by one to overcome Defender threat service halt error and fix unexpected Windows Defender errors.
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