I have a Mac. I can't download the antimalware.

Question

I have a Mac. I can't download the antimalware.

8816Sarah Cohen 0

Hi, a month or so ago, I deleted Webroot and installed Microsoft Defender. However, the system tells me to download antimalware, but I can't get beyond the first stage. I checked for remnants of Webroot and found none. I still can't download antimalware. I have two extensions toggled to on. Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Defender Endpoint Security Extension. When I try to download the antimalware, I can't get beyond Step 1. I've been trying for weeks. What do I do?

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Answer 1

Hello 8816Sarah Cohen,

Besides Microsoft Defender, do you currently have any other antivirus, antimalware, VPN or security suite, web-filtering tool, endpoint protection, or device-management security app installed on your Mac?

Even if Webroot is no longer listed, another security tool or an old management profile could prevent Defender from recognizing that its extensions are enabled and moving past Step 1. If you find another security app, temporarily disable or uninstall it, restart the Mac, and try the Defender setup again. If this is a work or school-managed Mac, please check with your IT administrator before removing anything.

If Defender is the only security app installed, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and make sure Microsoft Defender is enabled there as well. Then restart the Mac and try Step 1 again.

Please also let me know which macOS version you are using and whether this is a personal or managed Mac.