Defender just has spinning circle

Hi, @Elen Hunt

If you are using Windows 11 or Windows 10, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is already built into Windows, so you normally do not need to install it separately.

Please restart the PC first, then open Windows Security from the Start menu and check whether Virus & threat protection opens normally.

If you are referring to the separate Microsoft Defender app included with Microsoft 365 and it only shows a spinning circle, try signing out of the app, restarting the PC, then signing back in.

If the issue still persists, to help narrow down the issue:

1. Are you using Windows 10 or Windows 11?
2. Is the spinning circle in the Microsoft Defender app or Windows Security?
3. Do you have another antivirus installed, such as Norton, McAfee, Avast, or AVG?

Click "Add comment" to let me know.

Thanks!

Dear @Elen Hunt

The first thing I would check is whether Windows and Microsoft Defender are fully up to date. Please go to Settings > Windows Update and install all available updates. After installing the updates, restart the computer and try opening Microsoft Defender again.

Best regards,

Bence