Antivirus software in Windows is really helpful in protecting your system from any virus or malicious program. This antivirus not only protects your PC but also keeps personal data safe in case your operating system gets infected.
Therefore, it is suggested to install a strong antivirus program in your Windows operating system and keep them update. But here comes the problem, many Windows 10 users are unable to install antivirus in Windows 10.
Usually, this happens when your system is not compatible with the antivirus or you have installed another antivirus. Don’t worry you can easily install antivirus for Windows 10 with the below-given solutions that will help you out and you can install antivirus in your system.
Continue reading this article and install antivirus for your Windows to keep it safe from malicious programs.
How to Fix “Windows 10 Prevents You from Installing Antivirus Software” Issue
If you don’t want Windows 10 to prevent you from installing antivirus software or you are unable to install antivirus in Windows 10 then apply the fixes stated below and install an antivirus to protect your PC.
Table of Contents
Fix 1 – Uninstall Other Security and Antivirus
If you can’t install antivirus on Windows 10, then it is because that you have any other security tool installed on your Windows 10 system.
Two antivirus applications don’t function fine mutually, so you should uninstall the other antivirus app before you try to install the new one. Follow the steps to uninstall the other antivirus:
- Click on Windows icon
- Type control panel and hit the enter key
- Click on Programs and Features
- Select the antivirus, right-click on it and hit the uninstall button
This will uninstall the antivirus from your computer and now you can install your desired antivirus again.
Fix 2 – Turn Off the Windows Defender
Windows Defender is a famous computer security app, it is Microsoft’s built-in security tool that defends your Windows 10 if your system doesn’t have any other antivirus installed.
This software shouldn’t generate any issues with the third-party antivirus, but there is a chance that some functions of the antivirus may conflict with Windows Defender. So, try to turn off Windows Defender, apply the below-given steps to do so:
- Press the Windows key
- Go to settings
- Select Update & Security section
- Click on Windows security and then click on Open Windows Defender Security Center
- Select Virus & threat protection settings option
- Now, turn off the Real-time protection
After doing the above steps Windows Defender is turned off, try to install antivirus for Windows 10 and see if you are able to install it or not.
Fix 3 – Assure the Antivirus program that you want to install is compatible with Windows 10
Windows 10 is the latest operating system so there are lots of antivirus programs that are not compatible with this OS. So it is suggested to make sure that your antivirus program is compatible with Windows 10 or not. Visit the official site of your antivirus software and see the compatibility section.
Fix 4 – Run SFC Command
Another reason that you can’t install antivirus on Windows 10 is due to missing or corrupted system files.
Therefore, it is suggested to run the SFC command in your system and then try to install antivirus and see if it help in solving the issue or not. Follow the steps to perform the scan:
- Press the Windows key
- Type cmd, right-click on command prompt and select run as administrator
- In the command prompt window, type the below command and hit the enter key
sfc/scannow
The scanning process will take some time so you have to be patient and let the scanning be done.
After the completion of the process, restart your Windows and try to install antivirus software in your system and see if it is getting installed or not.
Fix 5 – Try Performing Clean Boot
Any third-party apps or programs can affect your antivirus and you are unable to install antivirus in Windows 10. Performing a clean boot can help you get rid of this issue.
Here are the steps to perform a clean boot:
- Press the Windows + R key
- Type msconfig and click on OK
- Under the system configuration window, click on the services tab
- Check the hide all Microsoft services and click on Disable all
- Now, click on the startup tab and open task manager
- A list of startup apps will appear, click on them one after the other and select Disable option
- Close the task manager, click on Apply, and then OK
Now, try to install antivirus software to see whether you are able to install it or not.
Fix 6 – Remove Temporary Files
Cannot install antivirus on Windows 10 issue is faced by many users and one of the reason is that there are lots of temporary files in your system that needs to be removed.
Removing temporary files will free up hard drive space for antivirus to install in your Windows OS. Therefore, to remove temporary files from your PC try CCleaner.
This will remove all the temporary files, junk files, and browsing history easily.
Get CCleaner to Remove Temporary Files
Fix 7 – Scan For Viruses
Here is another reason for unable to install antivirus in Windows 10. If your system is infected from viruses, malware, or any other malicious programs then it might block the antivirus installation.
Therefore, to install an antivirus in your Windows you must first remove viruses from your system, for that you can try Spyhunter.
This will scan your system and remove the virus or any kind of malicious programs and make your Windows virus-free.
Get Spyhunter to Remove Virus or Malware
Recommended Solution – Fix Various PC Errors and Issues
If your Windows is running slow or encountering errors that are not solved manually then try the PC Repair Tool. This is a highly advanced repair tool that will scan your system and get rid of all the issues automatically.
Errors such as DLL, registry, update, application, BSOD, game and many others. It also repairs damaged or inaccessible system files, prevents malware from PC, improves the performance and much more.
You just have to download this tool that will detect all the Windows PC issues and remove them from your system without any hassle for smooth and better performance.
Get PC Repair Tool to Fix Various Errors and Issues.
Conclusion
After performing the above-mentioned fixes it is expected that you are able to install an antivirus software in your Windows OS without any further issue.
If you are still unable to install antivirus for Windows 10 then go with the easy solution provided that will surely help you in solving the problem.
I hope this article turns out to be useful in resolving your issue related to Windows 10 Prevents You from Installing Antivirus Software. If you have any further query then write to us on our Facebook page.
Always up to help others with their PC-related issues, Jack loves to write on subjects such as Windows 10, Xbox, and numerous technical things. In his free time, he loves to play with his dog “Bruno” and hang out with his friends.