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If you cannot download or install any antivirus software or the Microsoft Safety Scanner, it is quite possible that your Windows 10/8/7 computer might be infected with malware, which is blocking the download of any security software.
Cannot download antivirus software
A virus can prevent the download or installation of antivirus software to avoid being detected or removed from your system. It can even incapacitate your existing antivirus installation. If you face this issue, here are a few things you could try:
- Run a scan using an on-demand antivirus from a USB
- Try to download the security software in Clean Boot State or Safe Mode.
Let us see this in detail.
1] Run a scan using an on-demand antivirus from a USB
Download a standalone on-demand antivirus software to another PC and scan your PC from the USB or removable media.
- On an uninfected computer, download the antivirus software.
- Save the file to a USB flash drive or removable media.
- After the file download completes, remove the USB.
- Connect the USB to the infected system.
- Double-click the downloaded file on the removable media.
- If you are prompted to run the file as an administrator, click Yes.
- Read the license agreement and accept the terms.
- Click Next, and then follow the onscreen instructions to run the scan.
If the tool finds any infections, it will identify that malware that it has found and then remove that malware from your computer.
- After the tool has finished running, restart your PC.
- Update your existing dedicated installed security software, and then run a full scan using it.
2] Download the security software in Clean Boot State or Safe Mode
If you do not have any other computer around, then boot into Safe Mode with Networking or Clean Boot State and then see if you can download the antivirus software. Once done, use it, preferably, to run a boot-time full scan.
Cannot install antivirus software
If you can download antivirus but cannot install it, then maybe there are remnants of your earlier antivirus software' installation on your computer.
Use an antivirus removal tool for your earlier security software to uninstall it completely.
Read next: How to check or test if Antivirus is working properly or not.
