Startup error + cannot open Windows Security

Question

Hi!

Ever since updating to windows 11 (or maybe since I had a RAM related crash I'm not quite sure) I have been getting a pop-up on startup relating to security health. I have been able to ignore this up until recently where I needed to access my windows security settings and was unable to do so. Whenever I click Windows Security in the settings panel it freezes and I am unable to access its contents.

I have tried to find a solution on google and have ran

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

and

sfc /scannow

Additionally I have tried to repair and reset my windows security.

Some faults were found and fixed through these steps but the problem still persists.

Help would be much appreciated!

Error message (translated):

SecurityHealthSystray: SecurityHealthSystray.exe - Invalid installa... PC:\Windows\System32\SecurityHealth\10.0.29510.1001-0\SecurityHealthSSO.dll is not compatible with Windows or contains an error. Try reinstalling the program using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or software vendor for support. Error status Oxc000012f.

Original error message:

Answer 1

I need some information in order to provide instructions to resolve this.

Please open Windows Powershell.

Copy and paste in each of the following commands then click enter.

gci 'C:\Windows\System32\SecurityHealth'-recurse -file -Include '*.dll', '*.exe', '*.appx'  | Get-AuthenticodeSignature | ft -auto Path, Status

gsv SecurityHealthService, WdBoot, WdFilter, WdNisDrv, WinDefend, wscsvc | ft -auto Name, DisplayName, StartType, Status

Post a screenshot of the output.

Answer 2

Hi robert, welcome in community

Since your Windows Security settings panel is completely freezing, the AppX package for the Security Center UI will likely need to be re-initialized after the file swap to clear out the hang.

Open an elevated PowerShell prompt and run:

Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.SecHealthUI -AllUsers | Reset-AppxPackage

If the interface still freezes when you try to open it, force a fresh registration with this command:

Add-AppxPackage -Register -DisableDevelopmentMode "C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.SecHealthUI_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppXManifest.xml"

If not solved, you can usually force Windows to rebuild the directory structure natively:

• ​Delete the corrupted versioned folder completely (this usually requires Safe Mode as well).
• ​Look in the root of C:\Windows\System32\SecurityHealth\ for an executable named SecurityHealthSetup.exe.
• ​Run it as an administrator. It is designed to unpack a fresh copy of the versioned directory and re-register the necessary DLLs.

Let me know how it goes

Elvis

Answer 3

The error indicates corrupted or incompatible Windows system files (SecurityHealthSSO.dll) that DISM and SFC did not fully repair. Use the advanced repair steps for Windows system files and, if needed, a repair of Windows itself.

Follow these steps in order:

1. Repair Windows image and system files again
   1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
   2. Run:

            DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
      

      Wait for it to complete and confirm it reports that the operation completed successfully.
   3. Then run:

            sfc /scannow
      

      Wait until verification reaches 100%.
   4. Restart the PC and test Windows Security again.
2. Perform a clean restart and test
   1. Perform a clean restart of Windows so only minimal drivers and startup programs load. This helps rule out conflicts that might interfere with Windows Security. (See How to perform a clean boot in Windows.)
   2. After the clean restart, try opening Windows Security from Start > Settings > Windows Update and confirm whether it opens without freezing.
3. Repair hard drive errors Corruption on disk can cause system files (including SecurityHealthSSO.dll) to be damaged.
   1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
   2. Run:

            chkdsk /f C:
      

   3. Approve running it at next restart if prompted, then restart and let the check complete.
4. If issues persist, repair Windows via update or clean installation If Windows Security still cannot open or the startup error persists after the above repairs, the remaining option is to repair Windows itself:
   • First, ensure Windows Update is working and install all pending updates. This can replace corrupted components.
   • If Windows Update cannot fix the issue, perform a clean installation of Windows 11 using the Windows 11 installation tool from the software download page. Back up important data first, as a clean install reinstalls Windows and removes apps and settings.

These steps target corrupted system components and disk errors that can cause the SecurityHealthSystray.exe / SecurityHealthSSO.dll error and Windows Security freezing.

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References:

• Troubleshoot problems updating Windows
• Get help with Windows upgrade and installation errors
• Automatically fix Windows security issues