How to scan mapped network drives with Windows Defender

If you have set a mapped network drive on Windows 10, Windows Defender will not scan for viruses or malware by default, during scheduled scans. Here's how to make sure the network drives are scanned.

Enable scanning of network drives through the Registry

If you have Windows 10 Home, you'll have to edit the Windows Registry, or use PowerShell to make this change. You can also do it this way, if you have Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, and feel more comfortable working in the Registry than the Group Policy Editor. (However, if you have Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, you should use the Group Policy Editor.)

Warning :

Registry Editor is a powerful tool and its abuse can make the system unstable or even unable to function. This is a fairly simple procedure, so as long as you follow the instructions, there will be no problems.

If you've never worked with Registry Editor before, read how to use Registry Editor before you begin. And, be sure to back up the Registry (as well as your computer) before making changes.

You should also create a system restore point before continuing. Windows will probably do this automatically when you install an update, but doing it manually won't hurt, and if there's a problem, you can always go back to the beginning.

When ready, open Registry Editor.

Navigate to the following key in the left sidebar:

 ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows DefenderScan 

If the Scan key (folder) is not visible, under the Windows Defender folder, right-click the Windows Defender folder and select New> Key . Name it Scan.

Right-click Scan ( left) key on the left and select New> DWORD (32-bit) Value .

Name the value as DisableScanningMappedNetworkDrivesForFullScan. Double click it and set Value data to 0 .

You can now close Registry Editor and restart the computer to apply the settings to Windows Defender.

Enable network drive scanning via PowerShell

If you're uncomfortable editing keys in the Windows Registry, you can enable the option to scan network drives with PowerShell. There is less risk in using PowerShell and you don't have to worry about messing with important system settings. Just copy / paste the cmdlets available in this tutorial.

Start by opening PowerShell with admin rights.

Click Yes right in the prompt that appears to allow access to the computer.

In the PowerShell window, enter the following cmdlet:

 Set-MpPreference -DisableScanningMappedNetworkDrivesForFullScan 0 

Hit Enter to run the command. The PowerShell control panel will not confirm that the option has been set, but you can check for yourself. Enter the following command, find the value DisableScanningMappedNetworkDrivesForFullScan and make sure it is set to False.

 Get-MpPreference 

If you want to disable mapped network drive scanning, retype the command but set the value to 1 instead of 0 before pressing the Enter key.

You can now close PowerShell securely.

Enable network drive scanning via Group Policy

If you use Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, the easiest way to enable mapped network drive scanning is to use the Local Group Policy Editor. It's a pretty powerful tool, so if you've never used it before, it's worth taking the time to learn. Also, if you are on a corporate network, check with your administrator first. If your working computer is part of a domain, then it is also likely a part of Domain Group Policy that replaces Local Group Policy.

You should also create a system restore point before continuing. Windows will probably do this automatically when you install Anniversary Update. However, doing it manually is unharmed.

First, launch the Group Policy Editor by pressing Windows + R , typing gpedit.msc and pressing the Enter key.

Navigate to Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Windows Components> Windows Defender Antivirus> Scan .

Locate Run full scan on mapped network drives on the right and double click it.

Set Run full scan on mapped network drives to Enabled and click OK.

All changes have been saved and will take effect immediately. You can now close the Group Policy Editor and do not need to restart the PC.

To disable the mapped network drive scan, come back here, double-click the Run full scan on mapped network drives setting and change it to Not configured or Disabled.