Clear Windows Defender Protection History

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NOTE: The solutions in this article no longer work. Microsoft locked down and protected the “Scans” folder and I haven’t discovered a way around it yet.

For me, the Protection History page isn’t really helpful and can be confusing since I have to manually expand each issue to see just what the was done or needs to be done. There is no bulk action feature or clear history button. I like clearing the Windows Security Protection History in the event of an issue so I can quickly see any new issues when I rescan my drives.

In this post, I will show you how to manually clear your Protection History in Windows Defender on Windows 11 as well as how to manually clear your Protection History in Windows Defender on Windows 10.

 

Delete Windows Security Protection History on Windows 11

To manually clear your Windows Defender Protection History you simply need to delete the “Service” folder under the Windows Defender directory on your PC.

  • Press Windows key + R to open the Run window.
  • In the Run window, copy and paste the path below in the Open input field then press the Enter key or click “OK“. Note, you may have to manually traverse into that directory and you may be prompted for folder permissions. Simply click “Continue” to gain access.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\History

  • Right-click on the Service folder, select Delete.

Restart Windows Security Protection

You need to either restart your PC or simply restart Windows Defender. Either way will officially clear the Windows Security Protection History from your Windows 11 PC. Follow the directions below to restart Windows Defender and clear the Protection History without restarting your PC.

  • Right-click on the Start button (Windows logo) down at the bottom left of your screen and select “Settings” from the pop-up menu.
  • Click on “Privacy & security” from the vertical menu on the left then click on “Windows Security” at the top right.
  • Click on “Virus & threat protection“, under “Protection areas“.
  • Under “Virus & threat protection settings” click the “Manage settings” link.
  • Toggle the Real-time protection button Off then back On which will restart Windows Defender.

 

Delete Windows Security Protection History on Windows 10

To manually clear your Windows Defender Protection History you simply need to delete the “Service” folder under the Windows Defender directory on your PC.

  • Press Windows key + R to open the Run window.
  • In the Run window, copy and paste the path below in the Open input field then press the Enter key or click “OK“. Note, you may have to manually traverse into that directory and you may be prompted for folder permissions. Simply click “Continue” to gain access.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\History

  • Right-click on the Service folder, select Delete.

Restart Windows Security Protection

You need to either restart your PC or simply restart Windows Defender. Either way will officially clear the Windows Security Protection History from your Windows 10 PC. Follow the directions below to restart Windows Defender and clear the Protection History without restarting your PC.

  • Right-click on the Start button (Windows logo) down at the bottom left of your screen and select “Settings” from the pop-up menu.
  • Click on “Update & Security” then click on “Windows Security” from the vertical menu on the left.
  • Click on “Virus & threat protection“, under “Protection areas“.
  • Under “Virus & threat protection settings” click the “Manage settings” link.
  • Toggle the Real-time protection button Off then back On which will restart Windows Defender.

 

Conclusion

As always, I welcome your thoughts, questions or suggestions on my article on clearing the Windows Security Protection History from Windows Defender on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

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Let me know if you found any errors within my article or if I may further assist you by answering any additional questions you may have.