How to See Which Windows Defender Has Found Malware on a PC

This guide explains how to see Which Windows Defender Has Found Malware on a PC, with clear steps, practical tips, and important checks before you begin.

See the Windows Defender malware found

Step 1:

First, open the Start menu and enter Windows Security . Select the Windows Security application that appears.

( Note : Windows Defender is now called Windows Security ).

Open the Start menu and enter Windows Security

Step 2:

Using the sidebar in Windows Security, select Virus & Threat Protection . Then click Protection History . (On older versions of Windows 10, this option will be called Threat History instead.)

Select Virus & Threat Protection

Step 3:

On the Protection History screen, you will see a full list of threats that Windows Defender has identified on your PC.

A list of threats appears on the Protection History page

Exploit information on the Protection History page

If the Protection History page is blank, don't worry. That is probably good news. But if you have threats and want to see more information about a specific malware, click the down arrow next to that item. A detailed view will appear.

You can see the details of the threat

If you have a large list of identified threats, it may be helpful to use the Filters button to narrow down the group of threats you want to see. For example, you can choose Quarantined to see only threats that have been quarantined or filtered by the severity of the threat.

Can use filters to find out threats you are interested in

Even if your Protection History page is full of threats, you can be a little more reassured knowing that Windows Defender is actively working. For even better protection, consider adding Defender with a second anti-malware program.