3 ways to scan Windows 10 system-wide viruses with Microsoft Defender
However, sometimes you still need to do a manual full system virus scan to make sure everything is safe. In this article, we will guide you on how to scan the entire Windows 10 system for viruses using Microsoft Defender.
1. Use Windows Security
To perform a virus scan of the entire Windows 10 system with Microsoft Defender via Windows Security, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows button to open the Start menu
- Enter Windows security and click on the first search result
- Click Virus & threat protection
- Under Current threats , click Scan Options
- Select Full scan to check the entire system
- Click the Scan now button
After that, Microsoft Defender will scan your device for viruses or malware . If it detects these security software threats, it will automatically remove or put them in isolation.
Scanning time depends on the amount of data on your computer. If you have a lot of data, you should start scanning when you're done and let your computer do an overnight scan.
2. Use Command Prompt
To scan the entire system for viruses with Command Prompt, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows button to open the Start menu
- Type command prompt , right-click on the first search result and select Run as administrator
- Enter the following command line into the Command Prompt and press Enter to access the latest Microsoft Defender software:
cd c:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindows DefenderPlatform4*
- Enter the following command and press Enter to conduct the scan:
mpcmdrun -scan -scantype 2
After you complete this step, the anti-virus software will start scanning for viruses. You should see Start scanning status in the command prompt and when the scan is finished you will receive the Scan finished message .
3. Use PowerShell
You can also use PowerShell to enable full virus scanning of Windows 10 system.
- Press the Windows button to open the Start menu
- Type powershell and right-click on the first search result, then select Run as administrator
- Type the following command into PowerShell and press Enter :
start-mpscan -scantype fullscan
After you complete this step, Microsoft Defender will conduct a full virus scan of Windows 10 system to remove all viruses and malware it detects.
Good luck.
You should read it
- How to use Windows Defender to scan programs that do not want PUP?
- Add the 'Scan with Windows Defender' command to the right-click menu in Windows 8
- Hackers take advantage of Microsoft Defender's 8-year-old weakness to bypass the virus detection system
- How to change the default scan type in Microsoft Defender
- How to schedule automatic scans for Windows Defender on Windows 8
- How to schedule a scan in Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows 10
- How to Run Windows Defender Offline
- 3 types of virus scans and the right time to use
- How to add exceptions in Windows Defender on Windows 10
- Instructions for using Windows Defender
- How to turn off real-time protection in Microsoft Defender on Windows 10
- How to scan mapped network drives with Windows Defender
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