How to manually Scan with Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 11

Why Scan Manually?

Microsoft Defender Antivirus usually scans your Windows 11 PC automatically in the background. However, you might want to scan for malware Windows 11 manually if you’ve downloaded a suspicious file or just want extra peace of mind. A manual scan lets you check specific items or do a thorough check whenever you feel it’s necessary.

Option 1The Fastest Way – Right-Click Scan

The quickest way to scan for malware Windows 11 is often by using the right-click option directly on a file, folder, or drive. This method is super handy if you’ve got a specific item you’re worried about. Just find what you want to check in 📁 File Explorer, right-click it, and choose the scan option from the menu.

• Find what you want to scan. Go to your Desktop or open 📁 File Explorer. You can press the Windows key + E to open it quickly. Find the file, folder, or drive you want to check.
• 🖱️ Right-click on it. A menu will pop up. If you’re using Windows 11, you might need to click “Show more options” to see the full menu.
• Select “Scan with Microsoft Defender”. This option will show up in the menu. Click it!
• See the results. Windows Security will open automatically and show you how the scan is going. If Defender finds anything suspicious, it will tell you and give you choices on what to do. You can often click “See details” to learn more about any problems found.

Good tip: This is perfect for checking files you just downloaded or suspicious email attachments before you open them. Just remember to right-click and scan!

Option 2Using the Windows Security App

Using the Windows Security app is a great way to scan for malware Windows 11 and choose exactly what kind of scan you want. Open the app by searching for ‘Windows Security’ in the ⊞ Start menu. Then, go to ‘Virus & threat protection’ and you’ll see options to start a quick scan or a more detailed one.

• Open Windows Security. You can usually find this by typing “Windows Security” in the ⊞ Start menu search and clicking the app.
• Go to “Virus & threat protection”. Look for this option in the menu on the left side or on the main screen of Windows Security.
• Find the “Scan options”. Under the “Current threats” area, you should see a link that says “Scan options”. Click it.
• Choose your scan type. You have a few choices:
  • Quick scan: This checks the most common places where bad software hides. It’s fast and usually a good first step.
  • Full scan: This checks every file and program running on your computer. It can take a long time, so it’s best to do it when you don’t need your computer for a while.
  • Custom scan: This lets you pick specific files, folders, or drives to scan.
  • Microsoft Defender Offline scan: This is a strong scan that runs after your computer restarts, before Windows completely starts up. It’s good for finding hidden problems.
• Click the “Scan now” button.

For Custom Scans:

• Select what to check. If you chose Custom scan, a new window will open. Look through your folders and drives to pick exactly what you want Defender to check, then click “Select Folder”.

Deal with any problems. Similar to the right-click method, if Defender finds anything, it will show you the results and let you take action. You can click “See details” for more information.

Option 3Using the Command Prompt (For Those Who Like Typing Commands!)

For those comfortable with typing commands, you can scan for malware Windows 11 using the Command Prompt. You’ll need to open Windows Terminal as an administrator first. This gives you the power to use specific commands, like one that starts a full scan or checks a particular location on your PC.

Open Windows Terminal as an administrator. Search for “Windows Terminal” in your ⊞ Start menu. 🖱️ Right-click on it and choose “Run as administrator”. This gives the command prompt the needed permissions. This step requires administrator rights.

Choose your command. Here are some common commands you can use. Copy and paste them into the terminal window, then press Enter.

• To update definitions and run a Quick Scan:
  
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  "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate & "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -Scan -ScanType 1

• To run just a Quick Scan:
  
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  "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -Scan -ScanType 1

• To run a Full Scan:
  
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  "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -Scan -ScanType 2

• To run a Custom Scan on a specific file or folder: You need to replace "Full Path" with the actual path to what you want to scan. For example, to scan your Downloads folder, you’d type:
  
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  "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -Scan -ScanType 3 -File "C:\Users\YourUsername\Downloads"

  
  Important: Make sure to replace "YourUsername" with your actual Windows username.
  

Check for notifications. If Defender finds any problems, you’ll usually get a notification from Windows Security. You can click on it to see the details and take action.

Pay attention: Typing commands can be tricky! Make sure you copy and paste them exactly as shown, paying close attention to quotation marks and spaces. A small mistake can stop the command from working.

Option 4Using PowerShell (Another Command-Line Option)

You can also scan for malware Windows 11 using PowerShell, another powerful tool for command-line users. Open Windows Terminal and make sure you’re in the PowerShell tab. From there, you can type specific commands to tell Microsoft Defender to start a scan, similar to how you would with the Command Prompt.

Open Windows Terminal with PowerShell. Search for “Windows Terminal” in your ⊞ Start menu. When it opens, make sure you are in the PowerShell tab. If not, click the arrow pointing down next to the plus sign and select “Windows PowerShell”.

Enter your PowerShell command. Similar to the Command Prompt, you’ll copy and paste commands here. Here are some examples:

• To update definitions and run a Quick Scan:
  
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  Update-MpSignature; Start-MpScan -ScanType QuickScan

• To run just a Quick Scan:
  
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  Start-MpScan -ScanType QuickScan

• To run a Full Scan:
  
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  Start-MpScan -ScanType FullScan

• To run a Custom Scan: You’ll need to replace "Full Path" with the exact location you want to scan. For instance, to scan your Documents folder:
  
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  Start-MpScan -ScanType CustomScan -ScanPath "C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents"

  
  Remember to swap out "YourUsername" with your actual username.
  

Watch for problems. Any problems found will usually trigger a notification from Windows Security, guiding you on what to do next.

Summary

Performing a manual malware scan on Windows 11 is a smart way to boost your PC’s security. Whether you use the quick right-click method, the detailed options in Windows Security, or the powerful command-line tools like Command Prompt and PowerShell, you have control. These manual scans add an extra layer of protection on top of automatic background checks.