By Rebecca Albert 
When your computer is plagued by viruses, there’s nothing worse than not being able to access Windows’ built-in threat protection. When you encounter the Windows 11 Virus and threat protection page not available error, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the tool is broken. There are several ways to get around it and fix the problem.
I first started running into this issue after upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11, but it can happen for a variety of reasons. Here’s everything you need to know about why the issue occurs and how to easily fix it.
What causes the Virus & threat protection page unavailable error in Windows 11?
This error message usually displays two error messages, which give us insight into the cause of the problem.
Error 1: Page not available, your IT administrator has restricted access to some parts of this app and the item you tried to access is not available. Please contact your IT helpdesk for more information.
Error 2: Unexpected error. Sorry, a problem has occurred. Please try again.
At first glance, 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 that there may be deeper system issues present.
Some of the most common reasons for the error are:
Broken Windows Registry – The registry entries related to virus and threat protection are damaged.
You are not the administrator – If you are at work or not an administrator of a home network, you may not be able to run certain tools.
The background service failed – When Windows starts, 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 prevent you from removing the threat.
Conflicts with third parties – Using a third-party antivirus program can sometimes interfere with the operation of Windows antivirus program.
Failed Windows update or upgrade – If a routine Windows update or version upgrade fails or is forcibly interrupted, it may lead to system file corruption, affecting protection against viruses and threats.
How I fixed the ‘Virus & threat protection’ error on Windows 11 page not available
The solution that works for you depends on the cause. If you follow these steps, you can quickly get back to using Windows virus and threat protection.
1. Temporarily disable your antivirus program
If your third-party antivirus conflicts with Windows, try disabling it temporarily or removing it completely and check if you can now access Virus & threat protection. If not, proceed with the following solutions.
2. Run a third-party antivirus program
If malware is the culprit and you can’t access Windows security, running a reliable third-party antivirus program is the best solution to remove the malware that is blocking access.
It’s best to run a full system scan to make sure everything is evaluated, and not just the obvious locations that malware likes to infect.
3. Make sure you have administrator rights
Whether you are on a home or work network, you may need administrator privileges to run Virus & threat protection. If you are at home, first check that you are using your main administrator account. If not, log out and log back in as an administrator.
You may also need to disconnect a school or workplace account, as this will disrupt permissions for your home network.
1. Click Start, go to the Settings gear and find the Bills link.
2. Click on the left Access to work or school.
3. If there is an account, click on disconnect and restart Windows.
4. Run Windows Update
If Windows updates fail, it can lead to system corruption, including making Virus & threat protection unavailable. Check for updates and resume or download the latest update.
1. Use the start menu search bar to 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 complete and Your PC may restart.
4. Check if you now have access to virus and threat protection.
5. Restart Windows apps
PowerShell lets you restart important Windows apps, including virus and threat protection.
1. Type power shell in the search bar of the start menu, highlight PowerShell and select Administrator 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. Once the process is complete, you can close PowerShell.
6. Use Windows SFC and DISM
The System File Checker (SFC) tool and the Deployment Imaging Service and Management (DISM) commands can detect and repair damaged system files that are blocking access.
1. Type CMD in the search bar of the start menu, highlight the Command Prompt and select run as administrator right.
2. In the new window, type sfc /scannow And press enter to carry out the assignment.
3. Please wait patiently for one of these messages: Windows found and successfully repaired corrupt files or Windows found no integrity violations.
4. Open the Command Prompt again and go inside DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restore Health And press enter to carry out the assignment.
5. Wait for the process to complete and your PC will reboot.
6. Check if you now have access to virus and threat protection.
7. Use Fortect
If the above doesn’t work, Fortect combines many of the same tools into one simple scan. Its best feature is its ability to automatically repair the Windows registry, bringing back the correct registry entries for virus and threat protection.
1. Download and install Fortect on your computer.
2. Start the program and perform a scan.
3. Once it is completed, Click on Start Repair and it automatically replaces missing system files and registry entries from the up-to-date database of Windows components.
8. Perform System Restore
When Windows errors pop up out of nowhere, restoring your system to a previous state before the error can get everything working properly again. However, you must already have a restore plan set up in order to use restore points.
1. Search restore in the start menu and click on Create a restore point.
2. Of the Recovery window, click Open System Restore.
3. Select 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. Edit the registry manually
It is not advisable to edit the registry manually, as this can lead to more system problems. However, you can reset the entries in Virus & Threat Protection to regain access, if you are careful about it.
1. In the search bar of the start menu, enter the following: regedit and open the Registry Editor.
2. Browse through the folder tree on the left to the following folder:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
3. Right click And to delete the folder.
4. Restart your PC And Repeat main steps 4 through 7.
Final Word on ‘Windows 11 Virus & Threat Protection’ Page Unavailable Error
While it can be alarming if you can’t access Virus & threat protection on Windows 11 to keep your system safe, there are a few simple steps you can take to get things running smoothly again. Once you’ve cleaned your system of malware and ruled out any issues with administrative privileges, fixing deeper system corruption is easier than it seems. Both Windows and tools like Fortect can fix things in just a few minutes.