1. To configure Windows Defender, you need to launch the Windows Defender Security Center by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard and searching for “Windows Defender Security Center” in the search box.
2. In the Windows Defender Security Center window, select the “Settings” option from the menu on the left side of the window.
3. You will be presented with multiple settings for Windows Defender. At the top, you will see an option for turning Windows Defender on or off. Make sure this is set to “On”.
4. Below that, there is an option to change the scan frequency. This determines how often Windows Defender will run a scan for potential infections. The default setting for this is “Weekly” but you can choose to run it daily, hourly or monthly.
5. Below the scan frequency settings are options for the types of scans that Windows Defender will perform. You can choose to perform a full scan, quick scan or custom scan. A full scan will scan all of your system’s files and settings while a quick scan will only scan the most commonly infected areas. A custom scan allows you to pick and choose which files and folders you want Windows Defender to scan.
6. Further down in the Settings window, there is an option to enable real-time protection. This means that Windows Defender will scan your system as you use it and notify you if it finds any suspicious activity. It is recommended to leave this setting enabled for maximum protection.
7. At the bottom of the Settings window, you will see some additional settings related to Windows Defender’s behavior. You can choose to enable or disable scanning for removable drives such as USB sticks and external hard drives, as well as configure what happens when a threat is found.
8. Once you have configured Windows Defender to your satisfaction, click the “Save” button to apply your changes. Windows Defender will now be protecting your system according to your specified settings.