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- If you’ve recently bought a Windows 10 machine or upgraded your PC to Windows 10, you might be wondering how secure the operating system is. Luckily, by default, Windows 10 is more secure than Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. It has a lot of new security features that help block viruses and malware infections.
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- Overview
- Windows Security vs. Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- How to navigate Windows Security
- How to scan computer for malware using Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- Quick virus scan
- Full virus scan
- Custom virus scan
- Offline virus scan
- How to view protection history using Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- How to temporarily disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus
How-to
This is how you get started with Windows Security to keep your computer and files secure against malware and hackers.
Windows Security is a built-in app available on Windows 10 that provides a user-friendly interface and tools to manage common security features. For example, the experience includes the Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which offers real-time protection for your computer and data against viruses and many other kinds of malware.
Also, you can manage the Microsoft Defender Firewall to block intruders from sneaking in. You can monitor the device's performance and health as well as your identity with the account protection settings, and even more advanced features to keep everything a little more secure.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to get started and perform everyday tasks with the Windows Security app to keep your system and data safe.
•Windows Security vs. Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Before you dive into this guide, you need to understand the difference between "Microsoft Defender Antivirus" and "Windows Security."
Windows Security is the application that provides a unified experience to view status and manages security features, such as antivirus, firewall, performance, and other security features.
On the other hand, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the default anti-malware engine that offers real-time protection against may forms of malware, including viruses, spyware, ransomware, and hackers.
Installing a third-party antivirus will disable the Microsoft Defender Antivirus automatically, but it'll not affect the functionality of Windows Security. In the same way, disabling Microsoft Defender Antivirus or Microsoft Defender Firewall won't disable Windows Security.
Windows Security is a straightforward application. You can open it from the Start menu or double-clicking the shield icon from the notification area in the taskbar.
In the Home page, you can view the security status of the different protection features available by default on Windows 10. You can also see alerts of any action that needs to be taken to keep your computer secure.
The shield icon in the notification area can also alert you when an action needs to be taken. If there is more than one alert, only the most severe warning will appear. Also, if you right-click the app icon, you'll have access to actions, such as quick scan, download updates, adjust notifications, and access the dashboard.
Windows Security includes seven areas of protection that you can manage and monitor:
•Virus & threat protection – houses the Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings. It allows you to monitor the malware protection, scan the device for threats, launch an offline scan, and set up the advanced anti-ransomware feature.
•Account protection – allows you to see how to protect your identity on Windows 10.
Windows 10 automatically updates and scans the device for malware regularly, but you can perform different scans manually.
A quick scan happens fast, and it only scans the parts of the system where malware is known to hide.
To start a virus scan with Microsoft Defender, use these steps:
•Open Windows Security.
•Click on Virus & threat protection.
•Click the Quick scan button.
Once you complete the steps, under the Current threats section, you'll see any detected threats, as well as the time it took to complete the scan and the number of scanned files.
A full virus scan takes longer, but it makes sure to check every file, folder, and application.
To start a full virus scan with Microsoft Defender, use these steps:
•Open Windows Security.
•Click on Virus & threat protection.
•Under the "Current threats" section, click the Scan options link.
•Select the Full scan option.
If you only want to scan a particular folder or location, the Windows 10 antivirus includes an option to complete a custom scan.
To perform a custom virus scan, use these steps:
•Open Windows Security.
•Click on Virus & threat protection.
•Under the "Current threats" section, click the Scan options link.
•Select the Custom scan option.
Sometimes if you're dealing with a tough virus or another type of malware, the antivirus may not be able to remove it while Windows 10 is running. If this is the case, you can use Microsoft Defender to perform an offline scan. When using this feature, the computer will restart automatically in the recovery environment, and it'll perform a full scan before Windows 10 starts.
To start an offline virus scan, use these steps:
•Open Windows Security.
•Click on Virus & threat protection.
•Under the "Current threats" section, click the Scan options link.
•Select the Microsoft Defender Offline scan option.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus also includes an area that you can view the latest protection actions and recommendations.
To view protection history, use these steps:
•Open Windows Security.
•Click on Virus & threat protection.
•Click the Protection history option.
•Click the "Filters" drop-down menu and select the history you want to review, including:
It's not recommended to use a device without malware protection, but sometimes the antivirus can be the reason you can't install an app or software update. If this is the case, you can disable the antivirus temporarily to complete the software installation.
To disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus, use these steps:
•Open Windows Security.
•Click on Virus & threat protection.
•Under the "Virus & threat protection settings" section, click the Manage settings option.
•Turn off the Real-time protection toggle switch.
May 10, 2021 · You can quickly enable some of the basic security features of the operating system -- and disable some of the more annoying ones -- without compromising your device, all within a few minutes....
Mar 4, 2022 · There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to computer security, and locking down and securing your computer might feel like an impossible task, but that doesn’t have to be the case. There...
