Windows Defender Quick Start Guide

 

Windows Defender is an antivirus program provided by Microsoft to help protect computers from spyware and malware.

 

The application can be launched by clicking on the shield icon found on the taskbar:

 

 

or by searching for Defender and launching the Windows Defender Security Centre app:

 

 

When the application is launched you see the following screen (the layout of icons might vary depending on your version of Windows):

 

 

Clicking on Virus & threat protection will show you the following Defender options:

 

 

Defender has been pre-configured to run a quick daily scan on your computer and a full scan once a week. To initiate an additional full scan, click on Scan options which will give:

 

 

Clicking on the Custom scan option allows you to select a specific folder or a USB drive to be scanned.

The Windows Defender Offline scan option can be particularly helpful with infections that are difficult to remove. This will cause your computer to reboot and scan without being connected to the network; this means you will not be able to use the PC until the scan has completed and your PC has rebooted again.

 

Defender is also pre-configured for its virus definitions to be updated every 4 hours; however, if you want to ensure you have the most up-to-date definitions, you should navigate to the Virus and threat protection screen and click on Check for updates in the Virus and threat protection updates section:

 

 

On the next screen you will see information about the current threat definition version, as well as the date of the last time Defender was updated.

 

Click on Check for updates to initiate a manual check.

 

 

Note that the Defender program will occasionally be updated automatically and you might see the following warning notifications:

 

         

 

 

You will mostly likely see these notifications flash on your screen as Symantec Endpoint protection is uninstalled and Windows Defender is enabled on your PC, it is OK to dismiss these notifications.

 

 

 

 

If Defender detects a suspicious file or program on your computer, you will see a notification like this:

 

 

Clicking on the notification will give more information about the file:

 

 

Defender is pre-configured to block and quarantine any potential threats; however, if you believe the application or file it has detected is not malicious you can send the full file path to ServiceLine to request it is added onto an exception whitelist, depending on risk assessment and approval.