Windows Defender is Microsoft’s built-in antivirus and antimalware software available on Windows 10, 8.1 and 7. It will run automatic scans weekly to check for potential threats, however you may also want to manually start a scan. Manual scanning allows you to perform a deeper scan or customize which parts of your system are checked, allowing you to make sure no threats have been missed.
To manually run a scan with Windows Defender, first open the Windows Defender Security Center. On Windows 10, select the small shield icon in your taskbar. On Windows 8.1 and 7, type “Windows Defender” into the Start menu and select “Windows Defender Security Center” from the list of results.
In the Windows Defender Security Center window, click “Virus & threat protection”. This will take you to a page showing the current security status of your computer and giving you access to more detailed settings.
On the left side of the window, select “Scan options”. Here you can choose the type of scan you’d like to run. Your options are:
• Quick Scan: Scans the areas of your computer that are most likely to contain threats.
• Full Scan: Scans your entire hard drive in order to detect more deeply-hidden threats.
• Custom Scan: Allows you to specify which areas of your computer to scan.
Once you’ve selected the type of scan you’d like to run, you’ll see a “Scan now” button at the bottom of the page. Click this to start the scan.
While the scan is running, the Windows Defender Security Center will show a progress window and provide updates on the progress of the scan. Make sure not to close this window before the scan has finished.
When the scan is complete, the results will be displayed. Detailed information about any threats discovered during the scan will be shown. You can then decide how to deal with them, such as removing, quarantining or ignoring the threats.
Manually running a scan with Windows Defender is a good way to ensure that your computer is secure. It helps to regularly check your computer for potential threats, even if the automatic, scheduled scans have not detected any. Doing so can help you avoid serious damage to your system, data and reputation.