Download Article
Download Article
This wikiHow article will show you how to run an offline malware scan in Windows Defender for Windows 10. The Windows 10 Anniversary Update introduced the offline scan feature. Rather than attempting a scan while Windows is running as well as an undetected virus running in the background, your computer is restarted and a scan is performed outside of the Windows Desktop to ensure all malware is detected.
Steps
Download Article
-
Open Windows Defender Security Center. Click the ^ button in the taskbar notification area, right-click on the white shield icon, and then click Open . You may not need to click the ^ button if it is already shown.
- Alternatively, you can click the Start button, type windows defender security center and click the matching result.
- You can also click the start button, click on settings. Click Update and Security . Select Windows Security > Open Windows security.
-
2Click "Virus & threat protection" from the main screen.
- It resembles a colored shield icon.
Advertisement -
Click "Protection updates".
- In the new Feature update to Windows 10, version 1803, the option Protection updates is turned to Virus and threat protection updates .
-
Click Check for Updates . Wait until the checking (and updating if needed) process has finished. This ensures Windows Defender's malware definition files (used to detect malware) are up to date so that you get the most out of your scan.
-
Click the ← button at the top-left. Doing so will return you to the previous page and allow you to continue the process of beginning the scan.
-
Click the "Advanced scan" link. It's underneath the Quick scan button.
- In the new Feature update to Windows 10, version 1803, the option "Advanced scan" is turned to "Run a new advanced scan".
-
Click the radio button next to "Windows Defender Offline scan".
-
Initiate the scan. Click the Scan now button.
-
Confirm the scan. Click Scan to begin the scan. Ensure you save any of your work in other apps before continuing.
-
Confirm the User Account Control window, if prompted. Select Yes from the popup window.
- You might need to enter the password to an admin account.
-
Allow your computer to restart and scan. Your PC will restart and the offline scan will begin. When the scan begins, you will see a window with progress bar. Wait until the scan is finished and for your computer to automatically start.
-
Finished. If any malware files are found and removed, you will be informed via a notification the next time you sign in.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search
-
QuestionThe offline scan is a quick scan. How do you run an offline full scan?The coding catCommunity AnswerYou cannot run a full offline scan using Windows defender. Try Avast Antivirus, which is capable of doing that.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Tips
- You can run Disk Cleanup to delete temporary files, first, if you'd like. This will speed up the process of running the scan.Thanks
- Try to scan your computer at least once a week to check for viruses and malware regularly.Thanks
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about fixing computer issues, check out our in-depth interview with Luigi Oppido .
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 30,268 times.
Advertisement
