Windows Security Icon Missing? How to Get It Back

Corrupt system files may prompt this issue on your PC

Fix

4 min. read

Updated on October 4, 2023

by Vladimir Popescu

updated on October 4, 2023

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Key notes

Windows Security notification may be mistakenly disabled and as such, lead to it being missing.
Tampering with the Registries may invariably have adverse effect on the PC configurations, leading to this issue.
Enabling the Windows Security notification in the Settings or Group Policy Editor are some of the ways troubleshoot.

Some of our readers have recently reported the Windows Security icon missing on their PC either on the System tray or task manager start-up.

In case you are experiencing similar issues and you don’t seem to know why it is happening or how to get your Windows Security icon back, don’t worry. This post is for you.

Why is the Windows security icon missing?

There are several reasons why the Windows Security icon may be missing from your computer’s taskbar or system tray. Below are five possible causes:

Windows Security is disabled – The major reason behind the Windows Security icon missing error is that the feature is disabled. To fix this issue, you can turn on Windows Security by using the Windows Settings app.
Outdated Windows version – If you’re running an outdated version of Windows, it is possible that the Windows Security icon is missing due to compatibility issues. To fix this, you can update your operating system to the latest version.
Conflicting third-party antivirus software – If you’re using third-party antivirus software, it is possible that it is conflicting with the Windows Security icon. You can try disabling the third-party antivirus temporarily and check if the problem is fixed.
Group Policy settings – If your computer is managed by a system administrator, it is possible that Group Policy settings have disabled the Windows Security icon.

Now that you know some of the potential reasons behind the Windows Security icon missing error, the next section will provide you with simplified steps on how to get it back on your Windows taskbar.

What can I do if the Windows Security icon is missing?

Before trying any of the advanced solutions provided in this article, you should consider performing the following preliminary checks;

Restart your PC and check if the Windows Security icon is back.
Run the Windows app troubleshooter to know the root cause of the problem.

Having confirmed the above checks, if the problem persists, you can explore the advanced solutions provided below to get the Windows Security icon back.

1. Show the Windows Security icon on Taskbar

Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings app.
On the left pane, click on Personalization and click on Taskbar on the right pane.
In the Taskbar settings, locate the Other system tray icons option and expand it.
From the list of apps under the option, toggle On the button for the Windows Security notification icon to make it appear on Taskbar.
Close the Settings app and restart your PC.

Now, check whether the issue of the Windows Security icon missing is fixed or not. If not, try the next fix.

2. Enable the Windows Security icon at Startup

Press the Windows + I keys to open the Settings app.
On the left pane, click on Apps and then click on Startup on the right pane.
Now, turn On the Windows Security notification icon to make it appear on Startup.
Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If you try enabling the Windows Security notification icon on your Taskbar but it’s not showing, you can set it to appear on Startup. If this doesn’t work, try the next fix.

3. Use the Windows Registry

Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. Type Command Prompt in the Windows search bar and click on Run as administrator on the right pane.
Type the following command in the dialog box and press Enter: reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" /v SecurityHealth /d "%windir%\system32\SecurityHealthSystray.exe" /t REG_SZ /f
Wait for the process to complete and restart your computer.

The Windows Security notification icon should launch automatically whenever you log in to your account.

4. Enable the Windows Security icon in Local Group Policy Editor

Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Security\Systray
On the right pane of Systray in the Local Group Policy Editor, double-click on the Hide Windows Security Systray policy to edit it.
Select Enabled and click OK.
Close the Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.

The Local Group Policy Editor is another option to use to fix the Windows Security icon missing issue. It is however important to create a system restore point before making any Windows Policy changes.

And that’s it on how to get the Windows Security icon missing back if it is missing. If you have further questions or suggestions on this guide, kindly drop them in the comments section.

Vladimir Popescu

Being an artist his entire life while also playing handball at a professional level, Vladimir has also developed a passion for all things computer-related. With an innate fascination for research and analysis, and realizing many other people share his passion for this subject, he delved into writing Windows-related articles, so other people can also benefit from the acquired information. When not writing kick-ass articles, Vladimir likes to spend his time doing Crossfit and creating art.