This post shows students and new users steps to enable or disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus Periodic scanning when another antivirus solution is used in Windows 11. Windows comes with a free and robust antivirus program, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which helps protect one’s computer from threats and online malware.
This protection is built into Windows and works with Microsoft Defender Endpoint to provide protection on your device and in the cloud. Additionally, protection such as Controlled folder access, Real-time protection, Tamper protection, and Ransomware protection is included with Microsoft Security.
If you install a commercial antivirus solution, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will automatically disable itself and allow the other antivirus solution to protect your PC. Once you remove the third-party solution, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will automatically turn itself on to protect your machine.
With commercial antivirus software installed, you want to add another layer of protection by enabling Microsoft Defender Antivirus Periodic scanning – since no one solution can guarantee a hundred-percent security.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus Periodic scanning periodically scans for threats that your current antivirus solution may not be able to detect.
How to enable or disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus Periodic Scanning in Windows 11
As mentioned above, if you install a trusted commercial antivirus solution, Microsoft Defender will automatically disable itself and allow the other antivirus solution to protect your PC.
When Microsoft Defender is disabled and periodic scanning enabled, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will periodically scan for threats that your current solution may not be able to detect.
Below is how to turn on or off periodic scanning with Microsoft Defender.
Turn on Periodic scanning:
In the search box on the taskbar, type Windows Security and select Windows Security in the results list.
In Windows Security, select the Virus & threat protection tile as highlighted in the image below.
On the Virus & threat protection settings page, under Ransomware protection, click on Microsoft Defender Antivirus options to expand it.
Then change the Periodic scanning setting to On or Off.
Once periodic scanning is enabled, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will use Windows’ Automatic Maintenance feature scan at optimal times without impacting the performance of your Windows device.
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to turn on or off Microsoft Defender Periodic scanning when using another antivirus solution on Windows 11. Please use the comment form below if you find any errors above or have something to add.
I am currently user of Windows 11. Recently, when a Virus scanner linked to Windows 11 Microsoft Defender Antivirus asked me to renew it’s license, I preferred not to do so. So, I decided to uninstalled the virus scanner linked to Windows 11.
Now, my problem is, I could not open the Virus & threat protection settings whenever I want to use the Real-time protection for Quick scan, Full scan, and Customize scan.
What should I do? Please help me.
Thank you.