When it comes to the security of the Windows 10, there is Windows Defender that comes in-built with the Operating System to protect it from viruses and malware. But, like all the other software, sometimes this also faces some glitches. And one of those annoying errors that bother users very often is Windows Defender error code 0x80073AFC. As one cannot simply reinstall Defender on the computer device it is quite confusing. If you are also facing this kind of problem, then you don’t need to worry anymore as we are here with some easy and effective ways to fix the error.
Effective Methods to Resolve the Windows Defender Error Code 0x80073AFC
Here, in this part of the article, we are going to describe some of the easiest solutions that will help you to get rid of this error in minutes. Go through the following methods and check what is going to work for you.
Method 1: Use System Restore
Because of the installation of some suspicious programs or due to some changes in settings, this annoying error code 0x80073AFC can occur on your computer. That is why using System Restore can resolve the problem. In order to do this follow the next instructions and go through the steps one by one carefully:
- To start the task, first of all, you have to open the System Restore feature on your device.
- And to do so, go to Search. From there, look for System Restore in your computer. Once you are there, you have to hit the option ‘Create a Restore Point’.
- After that, you will get to see a System Properties window containing the required settings. Here, you have to open Protection Settings inside the window, and then, you have to ensure that the protection is enabled on your Local Disk C, that means the System Drive.
- And if you find that it is disabled, then to enable protection permanently, you have to select that disk and hit the Configure button. For system protection, you have to allocate the maximum disk space. You have to set the size is at least a couple of gigabytes. Once you are done, hit the option Apply, and then, to change the settings click on OK.
- From now on whenever an alteration happens inside the Windows, the system will automatically create a restore point.
Second Part
After enabling the protection successfully, go forward to complete the changes to your PC. Now, you should make sure to back up the important documents on your PC. In many cases, the System Restore can alter or delete them.
- Now, what you have to do is to use the Search button next to the Start menu to look for System Restore and then you should hit the option Create a Restore Point.
- Here, at this stage, you have to click on System Restore that you will find inside System Protection window.
- Now, to continue the process, choose the option named ‘Choose a different restore point’ that you will find inside the System Restore window. After doing so, click on Next button and move forward.
- After that, to initialize the restoration process you should select a particular restore point you saved before manually. Or you can even choose any restore point available in the list. Now, you will be able to revert to the state you saved before, after completing the process neatly.
Now, check whether the Windows Defender error code 0x80073AFC is still there on your device or it has resolved. Till now, if you find yourself in the same situation, then head over the next method.
Method 2: Update Windows Completely
You can also fix the error code 0x80073AFC by updating the OS of your computer as it has proved itself useful for many users. As this error can also happen because of improper or incomplete installation, this process can help you to resolve the issue smoothly. So, let’s start the process and fix the error code 0x80073AFC within moments:
- To do so, first of all, open the special context menu by pressing the Windows Key + X key simultaneously. You can even open the special context menu by right-clicking on the Start menu. And then, you have to select the ‘Windows Powershell’ (Admin) and continue the process.
- Once you reach the Powershell console, there, you have to type the command ‘cmd’.
- And then, you have to, type in the command ‘wuauclt.exe /updatenow’ excluding the inverted commas in the ‘cmd’ console and continue by hitting Enter.
- After that, wait for at least an hour and let the process work. And then, again check the effect and see if you can find any updates or installation without any hassle.
Alternative Process:
You can also even do update the Windows in this process. To do that, follow the steps stated below one by one:
- First of all, to open Settings on your Windows PC, you can press the Windows Key + I key simultaneously or you can search for ‘Settings’ by using the search bar that you will find exactly next to the Start menu.
- In the Settings app, you have to open the section named ‘Update and Security’ after locating it.
- Now, hit the ‘Check for Updates’ option that you can find under the Update Status section, in the Windows Update tab. In this way, you can check if there is a new version of Windows available online.
- Windows will proceed with the download process automatically if there is one available online.
Method 3: Reset Windows
It is the last as well as the most efficient resort that we have to resolve Windows Defender error code 0x80073AFC. To execute the process of Resetting Windows 10 without using any other tool or media, follow the next steps carefully.
Step1:
To Reset the Windows 10, first of all, what you have to do is go to the Settings option. Go there by hitting the gear icon that you can find on the Start menu. Here, in the Settings, you have to locate and select the ‘Update & Security’ option. And then, you should click Recovery to open the Recovery tab that you will find the left pane.
Step 2:
Here, mainly, you will get three options to choose from and they are: Go back to an earlier build, Reset this PC, and Advanced startup. Among these options ‘Go to an earlier build’ is there for Windows Insiders who want to roll back to a previous version of the Operating System without any hiccups. And the Advanced startup is there for booting off a recovery USB drive or disk without any hassle.
Step 3:
Here, you have to select the option ‘Get Started’ that you will find under ‘Reset this PC’. Now, you should click on the option ‘Remove Everything,’ and with that, the settings will return to their defaults and apps will be uninstalled. You can also click on the option ‘Keep my files’ if you are interested in keeping your data files intact.
Step 4:
If you have chosen the option ‘Remove Everything’ in the previous step, then in this step you have to choose ‘Remove files and clean the drive’ or ‘Just remove my files’. You can choose ‘Just remove my files’ if you are going to keep your device always with you. And if you are going to sell the device to anyone, then you should go for ‘Remove files and clean the drive’ option. And this option will take a longer time to get into action.
Step 5:
Now, simply select the option Next when Windows will inform you that you won’t be able to roll back to a prior version of the Operating System and warn you about the fact. And then, when you are asked to do is simply hit Reset option.
Step 6:
And then, it will take time to reset the Windows after the automatic restart. After that, hit the option Continue. Once you are done, go and check whether the error code 0x80073AFC is resolved.
While using Windows 10, you might face many error codes including Windows Defender error code 0x80073AFC. But the good news is we are always here to help you in every way. And from us, you can get more such articles in order to resolve these kinds of problems. To get more articles like this, stay connected to our website. And even if you want you can comment down about your view on this article.
