What to Do If Your Antivirus Stops Working

pcmag.com:

In theory, once you’ve installed an antivirus utility on all your computers, your security is golden. The antivirus regularly checks for updates and automatically renews when your subscription gets low. In a perfect world, you’re all set. However, software—security software—included, isn’t perfect. Your antivirus might miss a zero-day attack using unfamiliar exploit techniques. It might be paused, awaiting your interaction. Or you might’ve forgotten to pay the bill.

There are various scenarios in which ransomware, spyware, or other malicious program could weasel its way onto a computer despite your antivirus protection. If this happens to you, don't panic! Keep a clear head and follow the suggestions below to recover from the attack.

Typically, the only time you notice an antivirus utility is when it pops up a notification patting itself on the back for detecting and eliminating a malware attack. Sure, some of them notify you when they've updated, others display a monthly report on just what they've done for you. But much of the time, your security protection should just hum along in the background.

That's why it's a good idea to check that your antivirus is working from time to time. Find its icon in the notification area at the bottom right of the screen. If you don't see it, click the icon to show hidden items. In Windows 10 and Windows 11, that icon looks like an oversized caret ^. Right-click the antivirus icon and click the menu choice that opens it.

Just about every antivirus displays a green icon, banner, or image on its main window when all the settings are fine. If you see red, or yellow, something's not right. Typically, the antivirus tells you what's wrong, and often there's a button or link to fix things.