How to Resolve the Missing Protection History Issue in Windows?

When users attempt to access the Protection History in Windows Security, they may encounter an issue where the protection history is missing. This problem often arises due to corrupt detection history files, which prevents Windows Security from recording and displaying detection events in the Protection History.

Other contributing factors may include improperly configured Windows security settings, software bugs, and outdated Windows versions. The following guide provides various solutions to resolve this issue.

1. Update Windows

Installing the latest Windows updates, which often contain fixes for bugs and issues, may resolve this problem.

1. Click on the Start Button, then click on the Settings icon.
2. Click on Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates to initiate an automatic search and installation of the latest Windows updates.
   

2. Deleting Detection History Files

Removing problematic detection history files allows Windows to create new files and potentially resolves the issue.

1. Click on the Start button, type “CMD” in the search box, then right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as Administrator.”
   
2. In the Command Prompt window, enter the following commands sequentially:

   del "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\mpcache*" /s > NUL 2>&1

3. Enter the next command, type ‘Y’, and press Enter to execute.

   del "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\History\Service\DetectionHistory\*"

4. Now, input the following command. If an error appears, stating “The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process,” you may need to disable Microsoft Defender temporarily. Please refer to our guide on how to turn Windows Defender on or off before retrying these steps.

   del "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\mpenginedb.db"

   

5. Restart your computer, re-enable Microsoft Defender following the guide mentioned above, and check if the issue has been resolved.

3. Reset Window Security

Resetting the Windows Security app can restore its default settings and potentially fix the problem.

1. Click on the Start Button, type “Apps: Windows Security” in the search box, right-click on it, and select “App settings.”
   
2. Within the app settings, find and click on the “Terminate” button, then click the “Reset” button just below it.
   

4. Use Defender UI Overlay

Defender UI is an overlay application for Microsoft Defender with a feature named “clear and repair protection” that can address the missing protection history issue.

1. Download the application from the Defender UI website.
   
2. Execute the downloaded file of Defender UI and adhere to the installation prompts.
3. Open the app, then select the ‘Recommended’ security profile on the welcome screen.
   
4. Click on the ‘Clear and Repair Protection History’ button in the utilities section and confirm the restart when prompted.
   
5. After your computer restarts, check if the issue has been resolved. You may uninstall the Defender UI overlay if desired.