How To Set Your Own Scan Schedule For Windows Defender Antivirus
Not just for control freaks and geeks
Windows Defender,which is one part of the Windows Security suite of tools, is anantivirus Windows 10 Appthat comes pre-installed on Windows 10 computers. Its purpose is to keep your system secure from spyware, malware, and viruses.
Running in the background, Windows Defender monitors your computer in real-time and takes cleanup actions when it finds security issues. It updates virus definitions regularly to safeguard your computer.
For those who want more control over updates, Windows Defender enables users to customize options if they want to temporarily disable real-time protection or add processes, files, or folders.
You can also choose to run an on-demand scan for individual endpoints. Once you define the parameters for the scan, such as location or type, it will run immediately.
If you click on a suspicious link or want to be sure you didn’t expose your computer to anything malicious, you can run an on-demand scan rather than wait for a scheduled one.
Run Windows Defender Antivirus on your own schedule or on-demand at any time. In this article, we will discuss:
Full Scan vs Quick Scans
Windows Defender runs two types of scans. Whether you set it up on a schedule or on-demand, you can choose to run a quick or full scan in the settings.
A quick scan looks for malicious threats in the areas that are most likely to be the subject of attacks such as memory and common locations.
A full scan is more thorough and checks every file, folder, task, and process on your computer. The more you have on your computer, the longer the scan will take.
You can use your computer while a full scan is running, but it will take the scan longer and could slow down your system.
Run full scans at night when you are not using the computer to avoid interference.
Quick Scans
Most of the scans you will need to do will be quick scans. Windows will check the memory and common locations where viruses are most likely to infect. It will also let you know when the scan is complete and identify anything that looks suspicious. You can then delete or quarantine the malicious content.
Or you can act on any of the other recommendations to remove or lock the threats so that they can’t hurt your computer. If you haven’t updated yourVirus & threat protection settingsin a while, you should.
Windows Defender detects threats to your computer by files calleddefinitions. When Microsoft finds new viruses,malware, or spyware, they add it to a list. Click onCheck for updatesunderVirus and Threat Protection Updates.
Having the most up-to-date list will help keep your computer safe from malicious files that can wreak havoc on your machine.
Full Scans
Periodically it is a good idea to run a full scan, ideally overnight when you are not using the computer. Full scans take much longer because they check every process, folder, task, and file.
Follow the steps outlined above to go to theVirus and threat protectionscreen and then click onScan options.
The larger your hard drive, the more memory you have installed, the number of applications and amount of data you have on your computer, the longer this scan will take.
ChooseFull scanto check all the files and processes on your hard drive, and then click onScan now.
Custom Scans
If you suspect a specific file or folder has been compromised, follow the steps above to get to theAdvanced scanscreen.
Offline Scans
Sometimes computers can get infected with malware that is difficult to remove. You will need to boot an antivirus in a safe environment before the operating system is loaded.
Windows Defender’s offline is the antivirus solution to perform malware scans from outside of Windows. Use theOffline methodif your browser was hijacked or a threat has compromised your Internet connection.
Add Or Remove Exclusions
To exclude any file or folder from a scan, clickManage settingsfrom the Virus & threat protection settings screen and then scroll down to click onAdd or remove exclusions.
If there is already an exclusion, you can delete it by clickingRemove an exclusion.
If a file, process or folder was falsely identified as a virus, click the + symbol and select the file or folder to exclude it from scans.
Schedule Updates With Task Scheduler
Set Triggers
Click onTriggersand thenNewto open a new trigger. The options available to customize are:
Choose which trigger you want to use to start your scan from the options above.
The next step is to decide how often you want to run the scan from the following options:
For theDailyoption, you will be prompted to select the start date and time. If you want toSynchronize across all time zones, tick off the box.
UnderAdvanced settings, you can choose to:
Use these Advanced settings to customize exactly when and under what circumstances your scans run. ClickOKto save your settings.
The new task will now show up underTrigger. You can edit or delete it any time. If you find that scans slow down your computer while working, set them to run at night when you are not.
How to Find Scan Results
The results are recorded when you run a Windows Defender scan. To view them, open the Windows Security app by searching forDefenderfrom the Start menu.
Windows Defender scans your device regularly to keep it safe from malicious threats with its real-time protection.
As explained above, users can also choose to run on-demand scans and customize a schedule based on the time and frequency that works best for them.
David has a background in small business and lives in Australia. He is a WordPress and Ubuntu Developer who enjoys design, CSS and tech tool integration.Read David’s Full Bio
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