How to scan for Malware with Microsoft Defender in Windows 10

|

|

The post provides a tutorial on using Microsoft Defender Antivirus to protect computers from malware and viruses. It explains how to run different types of scans, including quick, advanced, and scheduled scans, and how to specify the settings for each scan type. It also describes how to scan specific files or folders and the conditions…

This brief tutorial shows students and new users how to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender (previously Windows Defender)

Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans your computer regularly to protect your device from viruses and malware. The Scan takes place while your computer is not being used or idle so as not to interfere with your work.

Learning how to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender in Windows 10 is important as it helps to protect your computer from potential threats and malicious software that can harm your files, software, and operating system.

Microsoft Defender is a built-in antivirus program with Windows 10, and it’s designed to protect your computer from viruses, malware, and other threats. By learning how to scan for malware with Microsoft Defender, you can ensure that your computer is protected from any potential threats and that your files and data are safe.

Additionally, regularly scanning your computer for malware can help keep your computer running smoothly and prevent any performance issues that may arise due to malware or viruses.

Run Microsoft Defender on demand.

When concerned about risks to a specific file or folder, you can right-click the file or folder in File Explorer and then select Scan with Microsoft Defender.

This is much faster than running a full scan on all your files and folders.

Run a quick scan.

If you suspect malware or viruses on your computer, you can run a quick scan using Microsoft Defender. This is much faster than running a full scan on all your files and folders.

To do that, follow the steps below:

  • Select Start  > Settings  > Update & Security  > Windows Security and then Virus & Threat Protection.
  • Under Current Threats, select Quick Scan (or in previous versions of Windows 10, under Threat history, select Scan now)

Run an advanced scan

You can run an advanced scan on your computer if you suspect it is infected. To do that, follow the steps below:

  1. Select Start  > Settings > Update & Security  > Windows Security and then Virus & threat protection.
  2. Under Current threats, select Scan options (or in previous versions of Windows 10, under Threat history, select Run a new advanced scan).
  3. Select one of the scan options:
    • Full Scan (check files and programs currently running on your device)
    • Custom scan (scan specific files or folders)
    • Microsoft Defender Offline scan (run this Scan if your device has been, or could potentially be, infected by a virus or malware).
  4. Select Scan Now.

Schedule a scan

To schedule the Microsoft Defender Antivirus program to scan your computer only at the time and frequency you choose, click Start => then search for Schedule tasks.

Select Schedule tasks from the results listed on the menu.

When Schedule Tasks opens, in the left pane, expand Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows, and then scroll down and double-click (or press) the Windows Defender folder.

Double-click (or press twice) Microsoft Defender Scheduled Scan in the top center pane.

This should open the task properties. In the Microsoft Defender Scheduled Scan Properties (Local Computer) window, select the Triggers tab, go to the bottom of the window, and then tap or click New.

On the task setting pane, specify how often you want the scans to run and when you’d like them to start. This should always run at the exact time you define here. But your computer must be powered on and running for this to work.

If your computer is shutdown, this task will fail to run

The trigger above runs daily at midnight and stops the task if it runs for more than 2 hours. You can configure more advanced settings, such as repeating every 1, 4, or 8 hours. You can also delay the task randomly. But the basic settings should work fine.

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to use Microsoft Defender to perform a scan on your computer. If you find any error above, please use the form below to report.

Like this:



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.