Resetting Windows Security to Clear Memory Integrity Warnings
I ran into that irritating “Memory Integrity is off” message on my Windows PC and was pretty sure I had it turned on. Turns out, sometimes the error isn’t about hardware — more often, it’s a glitch in the Windows Security app itself. This app manages some of the hardware protection features, and if it gets corrupted or misconfigured, it can throw up a false warning even if everything’s fine hardware-wise. These bugs tend to pop up after updates or system changes, making troubleshooting a bit of a headache.
Here’s what finally did the trick for me. I started by tinkering within Windows Security itself because I found that resetting or repairing that app can clear up strange integrity warnings. It made sense — if the app’s acting up, restarting or resetting it might fix the issue. Just a quick heads-up: resetting Windows Security can sometimes reset preferences, and changing security settings might temporarily lower your protection, so proceed cautiously.
How to Access the List of Installed Apps
To get started, I opened the Settings app — press Windows key + I for quick access. Nothing fancy, but note that layout can vary a bit, especially after certain updates. In Settings, I clicked on Apps, then went to Apps & Features to see all installed programs. The goal was to find “Windows Security” (sometimes called Windows Defender or Microsoft Defender Security Center depending on your Windows version). On my older ASUS, it was tucked away quite a bit, so I had to scroll down or check under “Optional Features”—just keep digging.
Resetting the App
Next, I clicked the three-dot menu next to Windows Security (or a gear icon if it shows up that way). From the options, I selected Advanced options. This might sound intimidating — like, what does advanced mean here? But it’s just a more detailed interface for managing app settings. If you don’t see this option, you can also run commands in PowerShell, but I wanted to try the GUI first.
Within that menu, I found options for Repair or Reset. The Repair option is usually safer — it attempts to fix the app without deleting your data. If Repair isn’t available, then Reset is the fallback. Resetting clears the app’s cache and settings, essentially reinstalling it from scratch. Before this, I also ran DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth from an Admin PowerShell prompt to ensure my system image wasn’t corrupted — better safe than sorry.
After clicking Repair (or Reset), Windows took a moment and prompted me to restart. I did, sometimes twice, because the first reboot didn’t fully clear things up. Once back in, I opened PowerShell as Administrator (search for PowerShell, right-click, then select Run as administrator) and ran Get-AppxPackage *WindowsSecurity* | Reset-AppxPackage to double-check the app was properly reset. It’s a bit of a workaround, but it helped fix lingering glitches.
Checking if the Issue Is Resolved
Afterward, I checked if the warning was gone. I reopened Windows Security, or used msinfo32 and the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool (press Windows key + R, type mdsched.exe, and hit Enter). The memory diagnostic can spot hardware issues, but often, just resetting the app clears out the false alarms. When I ran the diagnostic, it prompted me to restart and run a scan — definitely worth trying if you suspect memory problems beyond the software warning.
Sometimes, even after all this, the error sticks around. If that happens, I recommend checking your BIOS to ensure virtualization and memory remapping are enabled. Sometimes toggling Secure Boot or Intel VT-d / AMD equivalents helps, as firmware bugs can cause Windows security features to get confused. On my machine, I needed to go into BIOS, find these options, turn them on, and update the firmware if possible.
Additionally, I ran sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth in Command Prompt to verify Windows system files were intact. Outdated or incompatible drivers — especially graphics, chipset, or RAM controllers — can also trigger these false errors. Make sure those are up to date. Sometimes, updating or rolling back drivers clears the issue.
Wrapping Up
Honestly, resolving this error was a bit of a slog, mainly because of all the hidden menus, vague labels, and the fact that resetting security app setups isn’t always straightforward. But after resetting Windows Security, enabling and disabling virtualization in BIOS, and updating drivers, the warning finally disappeared. Just keep in mind — this process can involve risks like resetting security apps and tinkering with BIOS, so back up your data and ensure your recovery options are current.
Hopefully, this saves someone else some aggravation — I wasted quite a bit of time trying to figure out whether it was hardware, firmware, or just some random app glitch. Now I can rest easy knowing my Memory Integrity setting is actually turned on, and Windows isn’t freaking out for no reason.
Next time, remember: double-check BIOS virtualization and Secure Boot, run sfc/dism scans, reset or repair Windows Security, and keep your drivers up to date. If everything else fails, a clean Windows reinstall or rolling back updates sometimes does the trick. Good luck — it took me way too long to sort this out. Hope this helps you avoid the same hassle!