Microsoft has resolved a bug causing Windows Security to incorrectly report that Microsoft Defender Antivirus was turned off, affecting supported versions of Windows and Windows Server. The issue, first acknowledged on August 28, prompted false alerts that appeared upon booting and at random intervals, even with notifications disabled. Microsoft released a platform update – 4.18.26080.4 – on September 17 to address the problem, and the fix will automatically deploy unless users have blocked mandatory security updates. Windows Insider users had been reporting similar warnings as early as June.
According to Windows Latest, the update arrives without requiring manual action. Clicking the false alert only directed users to the Windows Security home tab, where active status was displayed. While Microsoft confirmed the bug nearly three weeks before releasing the fix, it did not specify which update initially caused the issue, as Defender updates are deployed daily, preventing a simple rollback. TechPowerUp initially covered the alert when it surfaced, and staff members at the outlet also experienced the bug.
Notably, almost three weeks passed between Microsoft’s confirmation of the problem and the release of the fix, which some observers have noted as a slow response time for a highly visible bug.
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