How to Check Your PC’s Security Status in Windows Security Dashboard

Open the Windows Security dashboard

You can open Windows Security (the built-in app that includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Windows Firewall and device protection) in several ways. Use whichever is closest.

From the Start menu

1. Select Start, or press the Win.
2. Type Windows Security.

   

3. Select Windows Security in the results. The app opens on the Home page, titled Security at a glance.

From Settings

1. Open Settings by pressing Win+I.

   

2. Select Privacy & security.

   

3. Select Windows Security. This page lists the protection areas with their names.

   

4. Select Open Windows Security. The dashboard opens in its own window.

From the taskbar

1. Select the up arrow at the right of the taskbar 🖥️ to show hidden icons.
2. Select the Windows Security shield icon. The dashboard opens.

   

Check the shield icon itself. A small yellow warning or red X on it means the dashboard has an item that needs attention, even before you open the app. If the shield is missing, see the section on missing or greyed-out areas below.

Read the Security at a glance page

The Home page shows one tile for each protection area. The same areas appear in the left sidebar. Each tile carries a status icon, and that icon tells you whether you need to do anything.

• Green check mark: the area is working and has no recommended actions.
• Yellow warning triangle: Windows recommends an action. Protection is usually still on, but something is out of date or switched off.
• Red X: an area needs your attention now. Protection is off, or something is blocking it.

The tiles you see are:

• Virus & threat protection
• Account protection
• Firewall & network protection
• App & browser control
• Device security
• Device performance & health
• Family options

The sidebar also has Protection history and a Settings entry at the bottom. If a tile shows a warning, select it. The page that opens names the problem and usually offers a button to fix it.

Check each protection area

Work through the areas in this order. The first two — Virus & threat protection and Account protection — matter most for everyday safety. The hardware items further down apply mainly to newer PCs.

Virus & threat protection

This area shows whether Microsoft Defender Antivirus is active, when it last scanned, and whether it has found anything.

1. Select Virus & threat protection in the sidebar.
2. Read the Current threats section. It shows No current threats and the time of the last scan when everything is clear. If it lists a threat, select Start actions and follow the prompts.
3. Select Quick scan to run a scan now. The page shows a progress bar and an estimate of the time left. When the scan finishes, the page shows the result and the number of files scanned.
4. Scroll to Virus & threat protection settings and select Manage settings. The settings page opens.
5. Check that Real-time protection (scanning files as they open or download) is On.
6. Check that Cloud-delivered protection is On. This lets Defender check unfamiliar files against Microsoft's online data.
7. Check that Tamper Protection (a setting that stops apps and scripts from changing Defender's settings) is On.
8. Select the back arrow, then scroll to Virus & threat protection updates and select Protection updates. Select Check for updates. The page then shows when the security intelligence (Defender's list of known threats) was last updated.

It offers Full scan, Custom scan and Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan). The offline scan restarts your PC and scans before Windows even starts up, so save any open work first.

To see what Defender has done, select Protection history in the sidebar. It lists detected threats and the action taken on each.

Account protection

This area shows how you sign in and whether your sign-in methods are set up.

1. Select Account protection in the sidebar.
2. Read the Microsoft account section if it appears. It shows whether you are signed in with a Microsoft account.
3. Read the Windows Hello section. Windows Hello is the PIN, fingerprint or face sign-in. A warning here means you have no Windows Hello method set up, or it needs repair. Select Set up if the button appears.
4. Read the Dynamic lock section. Dynamic lock automatically locks your PC when a paired phone moves out of range. Since it's optional, a warning here doesn't mean your PC is at risk.

Firewall & network protection

This area shows whether Windows Firewall is blocking unwanted connections on each type of network you use.

1. Select Firewall & network protection in the sidebar.
2. Look for the three network types: Domain network, Private network and Public network. The one marked (active) is the network you are using now.
3. Select the active network. The next page shows Microsoft Defender Firewall with a switch. It should be On.

Most home PCs show Private network or Public network as active. Treat a Public network label on your home Wi-Fi as a prompt to check the network profile in Settings. Public is the stricter profile, so it does no harm, but some local device sharing may not work.

App & browser control

This area controls SmartScreen (a Microsoft reputation check that warns you before you run unknown apps or open risky sites).

1. Select App & browser control in the sidebar.
2. Select Reputation-based protection settings.
3. Check that Check apps and files is On.
4. Check that SmartScreen for Microsoft Edge is On.
5. Check that Potentially unwanted app blocking is On. This blocks adware and bloatware — software bundled with other programs that isn't technically malware.
6. Check that SmartScreen for Microsoft Store apps is On.

On some Windows 11 installations, this page also shows Smart App Control. If you see it, the status may read On, Evaluation or Off. The option does not appear on every PC, so a missing entry is not a fault.

Device security

This area reports on hardware-based protection. It matters most on newer PCs. Many older machines lack the hardware and show a notice instead.

1. Select Device security in the sidebar.
2. Read the top of the page. A green check and the words Your device meets the requirements for standard hardware security mean the hardware supports the main features. If you see Standard hardware security not supported, the PC lacks hardware that Windows needs for those features. Software changes cannot fix this.
3. Select Core isolation details. Core isolation is a security feature that keeps critical Windows processes isolated, so malware or buggy drivers can't interfere with them.
4. Check Memory integrity. It blocks unsafe drivers from running in the most protected part of Windows. If it is Off, select the switch to turn it on. This step requires administrator privileges.
5. Restart your PC when Windows asks. Memory integrity does not take effect until you restart.

Select it to see which drivers are the problem. Update or remove the software that installed them, then try again. The cause is usually an old driver, such as one for older hardware or virtual-machine tools.

Back on the Device security page, also look at Security processor and Secure boot if they appear. The security processor is the TPM — a chip that stores encryption keys. Secure boot prevents unauthorized or malicious code from running when your PC starts up. These show status only. Changing them means changing firmware settings, which is a separate task.

Device performance & health

This area reports general health rather than threats.

1. Select Device performance & health in the sidebar.
2. Read the report. It covers areas such as storage capacity, battery life, apps and software, and the Windows Time service. A warning on any of these names what is wrong.

Windows Update status is the other health check you need. Open Settings, select Windows Update, and select Check for updates. Security fixes arrive there, and an out-of-date PC is exposed however good the dashboard looks.

Family options

Select Family options to see links to Microsoft Family Safety. This is for parental controls and shows no security warnings about your own PC. You can skip it if you do not manage children's accounts.

Fix a warning the dashboard shows

Most warnings clear with one button. Select the tile with the yellow or red icon and look for a button such as Turn on, Restart now or Dismiss.

1. Select the tile that shows the warning.
2. Read the message under the heading. It says what is off or out of date.
3. Select the button offered. For switches such as Real-time protection or Microsoft Defender Firewall, select the switch to set it to On. This step requires administrator privileges. If you use a standard account, Windows asks for an administrator's password.
4. Return to Home. The tile icon changes to a green check once the problem is fixed.

Turning protection off is easy to do and easy to forget. If you switch off Real-time protection to install something, Windows turns it back on after a short time, but do not rely on that. Turn it back on yourself as soon as you finish.

Turn security notifications on or off

The dashboard sends alerts about scans, threats and warnings. To review which ones you get:

1. Select Settings (the gear icon) at the bottom of the sidebar.
2. Select Manage notifications.
3. Switch the notification categories on or off as you prefer.

Leave the threat notifications on. They are the way Windows tells you something needs action without you opening the app.

If an area is missing, greyed out or says it is managed

The dashboard does not always look the same on every PC. These are the usual reasons.

Another antivirus is installed

When you install a third-party antivirus program, Windows hands over antivirus duties. Virus & threat protection then names the other product, and the Microsoft Defender Antivirus switches become unavailable. This is expected. Check the status inside the other product's own window instead. If you uninstall the other product, Defender normally takes over again after a restart.

Your organisation manages the settings

On a work or school PC, an administrator can control or hide parts of Windows Security. You then see Some settings are managed by your organization, or an entire tile is missing. Switches stay greyed out and you cannot change them. This is by design. Ask your IT department to change it. On a personal PC, this message sometimes comes from leftover management settings from an old work account, so check Settings › Accounts › Access work or school for accounts you no longer use.

Windows Security opens blank or will not start

If the app opens empty, closes at once or the shield icon is gone, repair the app. This step requires administrator privileges on some PCs.

1. Open Settings and select Apps.
2. Select Installed apps.
3. Find Windows Security, select the three-dot menu beside it, and select Advanced options.
4. Select Repair. Windows repairs the app without removing its data. Open Windows Security again to test it.
5. If it still fails, return to the same page and select Reset. Reset clears the app's own data, and you may need to adjust the notification options again afterwards.

Features differ between 🪟 Windows 11 Home and Pro

Windows 11 Home and Pro both include the Windows Security app and the tiles above. The difference is in management. Pro can be managed through policy tools, so work PCs are more likely to show locked or hidden settings. A Home PC rarely does unless it has been joined to a work or school account.

The status is wrong or seems stuck

A tile sometimes keeps showing an old warning after you fix the problem. Close Windows Security, wait a few seconds and open it again. If the warning persists, restart the PC. The dashboard reads its status from background services, and a restart reloads them.

What to do next

Check your security dashboard once a month to make sure every tile still shows a green check. Major Windows updates can reset or change your security settings, so it's worth reviewing the dashboard again after any big update. If the dashboard is clean and you still suspect a problem, run a Full scan or the offline scan from Scan options. For the next layer of protection, review your Windows Firewall rules and your Windows Hello sign-in setup.