Windows Security showing a yellow triangle
Jun 30, 2025 pm 03:59 PMA yellow triangle appears in the Windows Security Center. Usually, the security function is not enabled or there is a warning. The solution is as follows: 1. Check the status of each module of the Windows Security Center to see if there are warnings for virus protection, firewall, etc. and repair it as prompts; 2. Manually update the virus definition library to ensure that Defender uses the latest data; 3. Check whether the installation of third-party antivirus software causes conflicts. You can try uninstalling to restore the normal operation of Defender; 4. Check whether there are ignored security prompts and re-enable relevant functions.
You turn on the computer and notice that the Windows Security icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar shows a yellow triangle, with an exclamation mark next to it. This situation usually means that there are certain problems with the system's security status, but it is not particularly urgent. So what should I do? In fact, in most cases, it can be quickly investigated and solved.

1. Check the status of the Windows Security Center
A yellow triangle usually indicates that a security feature is not enabled properly or there is a warning message. You can click the icon to enter "Windows Security Center" to see which part is wrong.

- Open: Start Menu → Settings → Privacy and Security → Windows Security Center or click the yellow icon directly in the taskbar notification area
After entering, you will see several main modules: virus protection, firewall, device security, account protection, etc. If an item has a warning sign, it means that you need to check or operate manually.
Common situations include:

- Real-time protection is turned off
- Virus definition not updated
- Third-party antivirus software conflict (if you have installed other antivirus software)
- Firewall disabled
At this time, you only need to click on the corresponding module and turn it on or repair it as prompted.
2. Update the virus definition database
Windows Defender is an antivirus tool that comes with the system, but it relies on the latest virus definition library to identify threats. If you are not connected to the Internet for a long time, or if the automatic update fails, a yellow warning may appear.
The steps for manual update are as follows:
- Open Windows Security Center → Virus Protection
- Check the update status next to "Virus Definition"
- If the prompt "Unable to update", you can try to check for updates manually:
- Settings → Update & Security → Advanced Options → Check for updates now
Sometimes system updates will contain patches for security components, so it is also important to keep the system up-to-date.
3. Check whether third-party antivirus software is installed
Many people like to install third-party antivirus software such as Kaspersky, Bitdefender, Avast, etc. Once these software are installed, Windows Defender will be automatically shut down. However, due to compatibility issues, Windows Security can sometimes cause yellow warnings to be displayed.
If you are indeed using third-party antivirus software, it is recommended:
- Go to "Windows Security Center" → Virus Protection to confirm whether Defender is turned off
- If it is closed and the third-party software is running normally, there will generally be no major problems
- If you are not sure, you can temporarily uninstall third-party software and let Windows Defender return to management after restarting
Note: Multiple antivirus software running simultaneously may cause conflict or even slow down the system.
4. Ignoring settings may also cause yellow marks
Sometimes, users accidentally ignore certain security prompts in previous operations, such as "enable real-time protection" or "allow network inspection", which will cause the yellow triangle to exist all the time.
In this case, try:
- Check each module one by one in the Windows Security Center for any missing items
- Click "Restore Default Settings" or "Re-enable"
- If a pop-up prompt has been blocked, you can also restart it from there.
Basically, these common reasons and solutions are all about them. Although the yellow triangle appears in Windows Security, it looks a bit scary, but most of the time it is just a reminder to check the security status, which is not a serious problem like system crashes. Just take a few minutes to see where something went wrong, and it can basically be solved easily.
The above is the detailed content of Windows Security showing a yellow triangle. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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