I just got my laptop back from repair and they reset it. I noticed Norton was pre-installed, so I went ahead and deleted it. Now, Windows Defender is completely missing and I really want to get it back. Is there any way to restore it without doing a full factory reset again?
5 Answers
You really should consider if there's any risk of remote access or something malicious left behind. If the shop made changes without your consent, the safest way is to reinstall Windows entirely.
Make sure you properly uninstalled Norton, not just deleted it. If you haven't, check out the Norton support page for the complete removal steps you need to take. Sometimes just deleting it can leave behind files that could block Defender.
Try heading to the Microsoft Store and looking for Microsoft Defender there. It might be available for reinstallation directly from the store.
Depending on your version of Windows, you might be able to repair your current installation instead of doing a full reinstall. If you have a bootable drive, try running the repair option first.
In my opinion, if you've had issues like this, starting fresh with a clean installation of Windows might be the best route. Usually, when a shop modifies installations, things can get really messy.
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