Worry not your weary head over the prospect of nasty programs descending from the Internet and infecting your Windows 10 laptop. That’s because Windows comes with an antivirus program called Windows Defender. It protects against malware and spyware. It should be active and ready to work on your laptop.
Feb 12, 2019 Windows Defender Offline is a powerful offline scanning tool that runs from a trusted environment, without starting your operating system. This topic describes how to use Windows Defender Offline in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. May 10, 2017 How to Perform a Windows Defender Offline Scan in Windows 10 Windows Defender Offline is now a built-in feature starting in Windows 10 build 14271. Windows Defender Offline is an antimalware scanning tool that lets you boot and run a scan.
Setting up Windows Defender
To confirm that Windows Defender is working, look for the Windows Defender notification icon on the taskbar. If you see that icon, Windows Defender is active and protecting your laptop. If you don’t see that icon, Windows Defender may still be active, so don’t freak out.
To confirm that Windows Defender is active, or to start it when it isn’t active, follow these steps:
The Windows Defender notification icon appears on the taskbar. It may change its appearance as it goes about its duties, but if the icon is there, your laptop is protected.
Using Windows Defender
Like most antivirus software, Windows Defender has two modes of operation:
In Windows Defender, Active mode is referred to by the verb Scan. Passive mode is called Real-Time Protection. You can confirm both settings by viewing the program window. Follow these steps:
On your laptop, confirm that real-time protection is active by looking for the word On next to Real-Time Protection.
Scanning your laptop for malware
Though Windows Defender works all the time, you will want to occasionally perform an active scan to check for signs of infection. Follow these steps when you suspect something is amiss, or just to confirm that the laptop is all peachy-keen:
You don’t need to run an active scan on your laptop frequently. You can do a quick scan maybe every few months or so. If you suspect a problem, choose the Full option (refer to Step 2), which takes more time, but it’s more thorough.
Dealing with a quarantined file
When Windows Defender locates a suspect file, it places it into quarantine. This placement doesn’t delete the file, but it does prevent the malware from doing its nasty deed. It also allows you to rescue falsely accused files from imminent peril.
To review quarantined files, follow these steps:
It’s okay to keep the files in the list; they will do no further harm.
To rescue an incorrectly identified file, click to select it from the list, and then click the Restore button. Please be extra certain the file isn’t infected! Do an Internet search on the filename coupled with the words Windows Defender to see what others have discovered.
To remove actual infected files, select them in the list and then click the Remove All or Remove button. The infected files are obliterated and shall never harm your laptop.
Windows Defender helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.
What do you need to know about free software?
Explore Further
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Windows Defender helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.
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