Error: Protection Disabled (Trend Micro Security for Windows)

You receive the following error message when opening the main console of your Trend Micro Security program:

"Protection Disabled"

This issue occurs due to the following scenarios:

• The computer affected has been removed from your subscription license.
• There are conflicting software installed on your computer.
• There are Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA) and/or malware on your computer.
• The program failed to download and install updates.

To resolve the issue, do the following:

Reactivate your Trend Micro Security program

To reactivate your Trend Micro Security, do the following:

1. On the Trend Micro main console, click the Activate Now button.

   If you do not see an Activate Now button, proceed to STEP 2: Disable the Trend Micro Security program.

2. Provide a computer name, then click Next.
3. Click Finish.

   If you receive a “Too Many Installations” error message, refer to this Knowledge Base article: “Too Many Installations” error message appears when activating your Trend Micro Security software.

If you still encounter the error message, proceed to STEP 2: Disable the Trend Micro Security program.

Disable the Trend Micro Security program

To disable the Trend Micro Security program, follow the steps below:

1. Right-click the Trend Micro icon    in the System Tray (near the clock at the bottom right part of the screen). 
   If you do not see the System Tray icon, click the arrow button to show the rest of the icons.

2. Select  Exit.

   

3. Wait for Trend Micro's System Tray icon    (near the clock at the bottom right part of the screen) to disappear.
   Once the icon disappears, Trend Micro is now disabled.

Enable the Trend Micro Security program

To enable the Trend Micro Security program, choose your operating system and follow the steps below:

Windows 10

To open your Trend Micro Security, double-click the Trend Micro  icon on your desktop.

Windows 8.1

To open your Trend Micro Security, click the Trend Micro  icon on the Windows Start screen.

Windows 7

To open the main console of your Trend Micro program, do any of the following:

• Double-click the Trend Micro  icon on your desktop.

  

• Click Start > Programs or All Programs > Trend Micro then choose either:
  • Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security
  • Trend Micro Internet Security
  • Trend Micro Maximum Security

 

If you still encounter the error message, proceed to STEP 4: Check if your Trend Micro Security has the latest program update

Check if your Trend Micro Security has the latest program update

To check if your Trend Micro Security is updated, do the following:

1. At the bottom right-hand corner of your desktop, right-click on the Trend Micro system tray icon.

   

2. Select Check for Program Updates.

   

   
   The About Your Software window will appear and will automatically check for available updates.

   

3. Click Close once the download is complete or if there are no new available updates.

   

If you still encounter the error message, proceed to STEP 5: Uninstall Conflicting Software.

Uninstall Conflicting Software

To check and remove conflicting programs, refer to this Knowledge Base article for instructions:
Programs to remove before installing Trend Micro Security.

Remove Potential Unwanted Applications(PUA)

To check and remove potential unwanted applications, refer to this Knowledge Base article for instructions:
Uninstalling Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA).

Reinstall your Trend Micro Security program

To reinstall your Trend Micro Security, refer to this Knowledge Base article for instructions:
Reinstalling the latest version of Trend Micro Security program using the Reinstall Tool.