Defender Anti-Malware installer doesn't recognize it's turned on

Question

Defender Anti-Malware installer doesn't recognize it's turned on

Jay Townsend 0

Just installed Defender on macOS 26.5.1 and even though Defender is turned on in the Privacy and Security settings panel, I continue to be told in the Defender app that the Anti-Malware tool set-up is not complete and it continues to send me to the Privacy and Security settings panel to turn on Microsoft Defender -- which is already turned on. The set-up wizard has no "next" option and so I'm just stuck in this loop where it doesn't recognize that it's already active and won't proceed. Yes, I've rebooted. Yes, I've turned the switches off, rebooted and tried starting the Anti-Malware tool set-up from scratch. Same result every time. Once the toggles to turn on Defender have been turned on as shown, the Defender app set-up wizard won't allow me to move forward with the installation. Oh, and yes, I've run the Microsoft updater and it says I'm already running the current version: 101.26032.0016. Screenshot 2026-06-21 at 5.03.39 PM

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Answer 1

Jay Townsend 0

The settings and permissions suggested were already in place. And yes, I triple-checked all of them again, following along with your instructions in case I had missed something on my own prior to submitting my original request for support. The version of Defender at the link provided (and which is where I originally downloaded it from) is for version 101.26022.0020, which is NOT the latest version (101.26032.0016). That means attempting to reinstall the old version over the newer one fails (as shown in the screen capture). And Defender keeps insisting that the Anti-Malware tool hasn't been activated and will not let me past Step 1 because it doesn't recognize that all the permissions and security settings it requires are already in place, so the set-up wizard never advances. As noted in my original request, turning all those settings off, rebooting, and then re-enabling them during the set-up wizard does not resolve anything. The set-up wizard still does not seem to recognize that the Defender settings and permissions have been enabled and never advances. Rebooting again does not change anything. The Anti-Malware tool (see second screen capture) is still stuck at the "Get Started" stage and does not progress to Step 2 after turning all the required toggle switches on and enabling all the other settings. The rest of the Defender app seems to be OK. It's only the Anti-Malware tool that seems to be stuck.

Screenshot 2026-06-22 at 7.09.27 AM

Screenshot 2026-06-22 at 7.04.43 AM

Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-23T08:13:40.61+00:00

Hi Jay

Thanks for the detailed update. Since the required Privacy & Security permissions are already enabled, the issue may be deeper than just a permission setting.

Please remove Defender and reinstall the latest Mac version 101.26032.0016 then go through the Mac setup prompts again.

Also, do you have any other antivirus, anti-malware, endpoint protection, VPN/security suite, web-filtering tool, or device-management security app installed on this Mac? I’m not referring to macOS built-in protections like XProtect or Gatekeeper, but third-party security tools. These can sometimes interfere with Defender’s anti-malware or security extension components.

Let me know how it goes!
Jay Townsend 0 Reputation points

2026-06-23T10:36:27.4566667+00:00

Removing and reinstalling changes nothing. I do have multiple VPNs and limited endpoint tools installed (required for me to access certain customer-managed systems), but my computer is self-managed (it's not running Jamf or Intune or Kandji or anything like that). It's my understanding that those customer-required tools (which are proprietary to those customers) are only "active" when I'm remotely accessing those specific systems and I've never had any prior issues with those tools conflicting with each other. And while I wasn't connected to any of those systems while trying to configure Defender, I assume it's still possible that something from those tools may be the culprit. Since removing those customer-required tools isn't an option if I want to continue to work for those customers, I'm just going to abandon trying to use Defender.
Norah-L 10,660 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-24T06:10:26.68+00:00
Jay, thank you for the detailed follow-up.

I understand that those customer-required tools are important for your work, so I wouldn’t suggest changing or removing them if they are needed for your workflow. Given that, it’s also understandable if you decide not to keep troubleshooting Defender this way or choose not to continue using it.

However, if you’d still like this reviewed by Microsoft, a good next step would be to contact Microsoft Support and share the screenshots, macOS version, Defender version, and the detail that only the Anti-Malware setup is stuck.

This may need to be checked from the product/support side rather than through more basic user-side troubleshooting. Since this is a user‑to‑user community forum, we can only share suggestions based on our findings and personal experiences.

Here's how to reach out to the Support Team (live chat):

Go to: https://support.microsoft.com/home/contact

In the search box, enter a short description of your issue, for example: Defender Anti-Malware setup stuck on Mac

Hit "Get Help"

Scroll down and select Sign in to contact support for further assistance (please sign in using a personal Microsoft account). Then follow the on-screen prompts to reach Support Team.

Tip: Support chat availability may vary by country/region, product, and support hours. If you can't get in touch with a chat agent right away, trying again later or at a different time may help.

Hopefully your issue will soon be reviewed. Thank you so much for your patience!

Best regards.

Answer 2

Hello Jay Townsend

From your description, Microsoft Defender is already enabled in macOS Privacy & Security, but the Defender setup still says the anti-malware setup is incomplete and keeps sending you back to the same settings page.

First, please check the Defender file access permission. Microsoft Defender needs permission to access files because it scans apps and files for threats. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access, then make sure Microsoft Defender is enabled. If you also see Microsoft Defender Extension or Microsoft Defender Endpoint Security Extension, enable that as well.

Optional: If you installed the app using Microsoft’s downloaded package, also check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Security and make sure Allow applications from is set to App Store & Known Developers, not App Store only. The “App Store only” setting may prevent macOS from properly allowing the app or its components.

Once those are enabled, reopen Defender and check whether any Allow, Details, or system extension approval prompt appears. If it still loops after all permissions are allowed, reinstalling Defender from Microsoft’s official Mac download page following the provided the Mac setup instructions.

Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps, and I'll be glad to continue looking into it with you.

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