Microsoft Defender Antivirus (Offline Scan) not working

Question

Microsoft Defender Antivirus (Offline Scan) not working

Arun Chand 0

Microsoft Defender offline scan is not working in my laptop. I am using Windows 11 25H2. My other scans are working fine but when I select offline scan my laptop shuts down and again turns on and shows the screen of offline scan but after 2 to 3 second it is automatically closing and giving option for input language and after choosing language it again gives 2 option first is for troubleshoot and second is to turn of pc. I don't know what is the problem, I have also checked my WinRE status which is enable. Can anyone help me what is going on.

Pauline Mbabu 1,840 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-03-06T16:02:46.6166667+00:00

Hello Arun Chand,

Thank you for reaching out. Try the following troubleshooting steps
Verify Microsoft Defender Antivirus Settings: Make sure that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is set as your primary antivirus software and not in passive mode. If you have third-party antivirus software installed, consider uninstalling it.

Update Microsoft Defender Antivirus: Ensure that you have the latest updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus. You can update it through the usual method you deploy updates to endpoints.

Run a Manual Scan: You can manually initiate an offline scan by going to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options and selecting Microsoft Defender Offline scan.

Check Event Viewer: Look for logs in the Event Viewer to see if there are any entries related to Microsoft Defender Offline. Navigate to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender > Operational and check for relevant events.

Restart Your Device: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve issues with the scan not starting.

Further troubleshooting steps:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/troubleshoot-mdav-scan-issues

Your answer

Pauline Mbabu 1,840 Reputation points Microsoft Employee

2026-03-06T16:02:46.6166667+00:00

Hello Arun Chand,

Thank you for reaching out. Try the following troubleshooting steps
Verify Microsoft Defender Antivirus Settings: Make sure that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is set as your primary antivirus software and not in passive mode. If you have third-party antivirus software installed, consider uninstalling it.

Update Microsoft Defender Antivirus: Ensure that you have the latest updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus. You can update it through the usual method you deploy updates to endpoints.

Run a Manual Scan: You can manually initiate an offline scan by going to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options and selecting Microsoft Defender Offline scan.

Check Event Viewer: Look for logs in the Event Viewer to see if there are any entries related to Microsoft Defender Offline. Navigate to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender > Operational and check for relevant events.

Restart Your Device: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve issues with the scan not starting.

Further troubleshooting steps:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/troubleshoot-mdav-scan-issues