How to Clear Windows Security's Protection History in Windows 11 If you’ve ever worked with Windows Security, you know its Protection History can fill up fast. Those entries are useful for auditing and troubleshooting, but sometimes, you may want to clear them out to protect privacy or reduce clutter. In this video, we’ll show you three reliable ways to clear Windows Security’s Protection History in Windows 11, including how to handle Tamper Protection when it gets in the way. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. How to Clear Security Protection History in Windows 11 Method 1: Manually Delete Protection History This one’s perfect for individual users or IT pros who just need a one-time cleanup. However, you’ll need to boot into Safe Mode first, since Windows Defender actively locks these files during normal operation. Once Safe Mode is open, run these steps: Press Win + E to open File Explorer. Paste this path into the address bar... Right-click the Service folder. Choose Delete, then restart your computer. When Windows comes back up, an empty Service folder is automatically recreated, ready to store future protection history. Method 2: Use PowerShell for Automated Cleanup This method gives you control and consistency, especially across enterprise environments. Before pushing this through Intune, SCCM, or Group Policy, always test the script on a local device. Here’s the basic workflow: Run PowerShell as Administrator. Use a script to remove the contents of the Protection History folder. Optionally start, stop, or restart the Windows Defender service as needed. For example, one command you’ll often see is.. This removes the protection history entries without deleting the Service folder itself, making it safe for repeat use. Method 3: Temporarily Disable Tamper Protection Sometimes, Windows Security will block your attempts to clear the history. If the first two methods don’t work, you may need to temporarily disable Tamper Protection, which prevents unauthorized security changes. Here’s the basic workflow: Press the Windows key, type Security, and open Windows Security. Go to Virus & threat protection, then Manage settings. Toggle Tamper Protection to Off. Once you’ve cleared the protection history, make sure to immediately turn Tamper Protection back on to avoid leaving the system vulnerable. Additional Notes A few extra points worth remembering: Event Viewer logs aren’t affected when you clear protection history. You’ll need to clear those separately if needed. If you rely on Defender history for incident response or investigation, back it up first by copying the Service folder before deletion. Unfortunately, there’s no graphical interface to clear Protection History. You’ll need to use either manual or scripted methods. Clearing Windows Security’s Protection History can help with system hygiene, privacy protection, and malware testing consistency. The key is to understand how Defender locks its files and how Tamper Protection enforces policy. For more information, check out our official blog post on clear Window’s security protection history in Windows 11, linked in the description below.