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

3 ways to scan Windows 10 system-wide viruses with Microsoft Defender Picture 3

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

3 ways to scan Windows 10 system-wide viruses with Microsoft Defender Picture 4

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.

Micah Soto

Update 09 January 2021

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