Protection History shows "No recent actions"

When I go to Settings --> Update & Security --> Windows Security --> Virus & Threat Protection and then either to Current threats --> Protection History or Ransomware Protection --> Manage ransomware protection --> Block History I get "No recent actions". Then the pointer changes to an hourglass figure for two to three seconds and the window closes.

Until a few days ago I used to be able to see the Protection History or Block History after entering an administrator password. I'm using a standard user account. However, even if I do the above using an administrator account I get the same result.

About one time in ten I may actually get a result showing the Protection History or Block History. Something must have happened in the last few days, but I cannot really understand what it might be.

I'm on Windows 10 Pro v.2004 OS Build 19041.546 on a Dell Inspiron 5482 2-in-1.

Ransomware protection, that is Windows Controlled Folders, has been on for just over a month. I didn't do any test with Windows Defender, but I assume that it does automatic scans from time to time. There are two points here: Protection history under Virus & Threat Protection and Block history in the Ransomware protection section.

Does the 30 days limit apply to both?

Why do I see the Block history at very rare, random times when I make repeated attempts to show it?

I did a fresh installation of Windows v.2004 at the beginning of August. This included not only Windows, but also all my other programs. This time I didn't install Dell Update, but I installed Dell's Support Assist.

Fortitude said:

When I go to Settings --> Update & Security --> Windows Security --> Virus & Threat Protection and then either to Current threats --> Protection History or Ransomware Protection --> Manage ransomware protection --> Block History I get "No recent actions". Then the pointer changes to an hourglass figure for two to three seconds and the window closes.

The normal behaviour is to initially open with the "No recent actions" heading then, after no more than a second (presumably while it scans its records) that changes to a list of previous actions. The window should not close on its own. That, and the hourglass when its should be reading its records, suggest that its record of past actions is corrupted.


In older versions of Defender there was a button to clear the history, but that was removed some time ago. You could try this method of cleaning out your protection history and see if it starts working again. You should probably also run a Chkdsk on your drive in case there is other corruption. SFC /Scannow wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Greythorne II said:

Virtik said:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...2-f64ff897ebdd

Delete folder Service C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\History\Service .
After deleting the folder Service, off and turn on (OFF>ON) Real-Time protection and Cloud protection.

It definitely works.

This is the procedure that does indeed work.
I previously had tried deleting the folder before with no success but turning off, then on said protections is what apparently allows this to work. Thank you and the OP "LiNer2" from windows forum for this.

To anyone who wishes to try this and you don't happen to have any current protection history...
you can utilize the "EICAR Anti-Malware Testfile" to check the solution.

Clear Windows Security Center (Defender) Protection History - post #8

Thank you for the assistance. I deleted the Service folder and turned off and on the two settings. I then downloaded eicar.com and got Windows Defender to scan it. I pressed the Take actions button and the "virus" was removed.

I then checked Protection History and all the history came up, including that for the "virus". I repeated the checking of the Protection history and then it reverted back to the No actions result, the hourglass and closing of the window.

I repeated the exercise and the results were the same. On the third attempt I only get the No actions result and the closing of the window.

EDIT: Worth noting that I deleted the Service directory again and when I checked Protection history results were shown, but not the "virus" that had been removed three times. To be clear, when I repeat accessing Protection history I still get the No actions result. Weird, inexplicable and not yet solved.

EDIT 2: I forgot to mention that sfc /scannow did not bring up any problem.