Fixed: Windows 11 Virus and Threat Protection Page Not Available

When your computer is ravaged with viruses, there’s nothing worse than being unable to access Windows’ built-in threat protection. When the Windows 11 Virus and threat protection page not available error occurs, it doesn’t necessarily mean the tool is broken, and there are several ways to get around it and fix the problem.

I first faced this issue after upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, but it can occur for many different reasons. Here’s everything you need to know about why the problem occurs and how you can easily fix it.

What causes the Windows 11 virus and threat protection page not available error?

This error typically displays two errors that gives us insight into the cause of the problem.

Error 1: Page not available, your IT administrator has limited access to some areas of this app, and the item you tried to access is not available. Contact IT helpdesk for more information.

Error 2: Unexpected error. Sorry, we ran into a problem. Please try again.

On the face of it, this is a user permissions issue. However, this is often a generic message and can appear even if you are the main administrator. The second error suggests deeper system problems may be present.

Some of the most common reasons for the error include:

Broken Windows Registry – The registry entries associated with Virus & threat protection have become corrupted.

You are not the Admin – If you are at work or a not the administrator on a home network, you may be blocked from running certain tools.

The background service has failed – When Windows boots it loads tasks called services in the background. Corruption and other problems can prevent the service from starting.

Malware – Viruses and other malware target Windows Virus & threat protection to stop you from removing the threat.

Third-party conflicts – Using a third-party antivirus can sometimes interfere with Windows’ own antivirus utility.

Failed Windows Update or Upgrade – If a routine Windows update or version upgrade fails or is forcibly interrupted, it can cause system file corruption that affects Virus & threat protection.

How I fixed Windows 11 Virus and threat protection page not available errors

The fix that works for you will depend on the cause, but if you follow these steps, you can quickly regain access to Windows Virus & threat protection.

1. Temporarily disable your antivirus

If your third-party antivirus is conflicting with Windows try temporary disabling it or uninstalling it completely and check if you can now access Virus & threat protection. If not, move on to the following fixes.

2. Run a third-party antivirus

On the other hand, if malware is the culprit and you cannot access Windows’ own protection, running a reputable third-party antivirus is the best solution for ridding any malware blocking access.

It’s best to perform a full system scan to ensure everything is evaluated, not just the obvious locations malware like to infect.

3. Make sure you have admin permissions

Whether you are on a home or work network, you may need administrator permissions to run Virus & threat protection. If at home, first check you are using your main admin account. If not log off and sign back in as admin.

Alternatively, you may need to disconnect from a school or workplace account that may be interfering with your home network permissions.

1. Click start, go to the settings cog, and find the Accounts link.

2. On the left, click Access work or school.

3. If there is an account, click disconnect and reboot Windows.

4. Run Windows Update

If Windows updates fail, it can cause system corruption, including making Virus & threat protection unavailable. Check for updates and can resume or download the latest update.

1. Using the start menu search bar search for Windows Update and open it.

2. Click on the Check for updates button or resume a failed update.

3. Wait for the process to finish and your PC may restart.

4. Check if you can now access Virus & threat protection.

5. Restart Windows Apps

By using PowerShell, you can restart key Windows apps including Virus & threat protection.

1. Type powershell in the start menu search bar, highlight PowerShell and select Administrator on the right.

2. Copy and paste the following code and press Enter:

Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

3. PowerShell will now scan your system and register broken programs with the operating system. This process may take a few minutes to complete. Once the process is finished, you can close PowerShell.

6. Use Windows SFC and DISM

The System File Checker (SFC) tool and Deployment Imaging Service and Management (DISM) commands help detect and fix corrupted system files that may be blocking access.

1. Type CMD in the start menu search bar, highlight the Command Prompt and select run as Administrator on the right.

2. In the new window type sfc /scannow and press Enter to run the command.

3. Sit tight and wait for one of these messages: Windows found corrupt files and repaired them successfully or Windows did not find any integrity violations.

4. Open the Command Prompt again and enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth and press Enter to run the command.

5. Wait for the process to complete and your PC will restart.

6. Check if you can now access Virus & threat protection.

7. Use Fortect

If the above doesn’t work, Fortect combines many of the same utilities into one simple scan. The best feature is the ability to repair the Windows Registry automatically, bringing back the correct registry entries for Virus & threat protection.

1. Download and Install Fortect on your computer.

2. Launch the program and run a scan.

3. Once complete, Click Start Repair and it will replace missing system files and registry entries automatically from its up-to-date database of Windows components.

8. Run System Restore

When Windows errors pop up out of nowhere, restoring your system to a previous state from before the error can get things working correctly again. However, you must have already set a restore schedule to have any restore points to use.

1. Search restore in the start menu and click Create a restore point.

2. From the Recovery window, click Open System Restore.

3. Choose a restore point you want to use and click through to confirm and Finish.

4. Your PC will then restart to complete the process.

9. Manually edit the Registry

It’s advised not to manually edit the registry because it can cause more system problems, but you can reset the Virus & threat protection entries to regain access if you’re careful about it.

1. In the start menu search bar enter regedit and open the Registry Editor.

2. Browse the folder tree on the left to the following folder:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender

3. Right click and delete the folder.

4. Restart your PC and repeat the main steps 4 to 7.

Final word on the Windows 11 Virus and threat protection page not available error

While it can be alarming when you can’t access Virus & threat protection on Windows 11 to keep your system secure, a few simple steps can get things running smoothly again. If you’ve cleaned the system of malware and ruled out any admin permissions issues, repairing deeper system corruption is easier than it seems. Both Windows and tools like Fortect can fix things in just a few minutes.