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Important
Welcome to Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, the new name for Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection. Read more about this and other updates here. We'll be updating names in products and in the docs in the near future.
Applies to:
In Windows 10, version 1703 and later, the Windows Defender app is part of the Windows Security.
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Settings that were previously part of the Windows Defender client and main Windows Settings have been combined and moved to the new app, which is installed by default as part of Windows 10, version 1703.
Sep 03, 2020. Windows defender antivirus free download - Shadow Defender, Windows Defender Offline (64-bit), Microsoft Windows Defender, and many more programs. Sep 08, 2020.
Important
Disabling the Windows Security Center service will not disable Microsoft Defender AV or Windows Defender Firewall. These are disabled automatically when a third-party antivirus or firewall product is installed and kept up to date.
If you do disable the Windows Security Center service, or configure its associated Group Policy settings to prevent it from starting or running, the Windows Security app may display stale or inaccurate information about any antivirus or firewall products you have installed on the device.
It may also prevent Microsoft Defender AV from enabling itself if you have an old or outdated third-party antivirus, or if you uninstall any third-party antivirus products you may have previously installed.
This will significantly lower the protection of your device and could lead to malware infection.
See the Windows Security article for more information on other Windows security features that can be monitored in the app.
The Windows Security app is a client interface on Windows 10, version 1703 and later. It is not the Microsoft Defender Security Center web portal that is used to review and manage Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection.
Review virus and threat protection settings in the Windows Security app
Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Comparison of settings and functions of the old app and the new app
All of the previous functions and settings from the Windows Defender app (in versions of Windows 10 before version 1703) are now found in the new Windows Security app. Settings that were previously located in Windows Settings under Update & security > Windows Defender are also now in the new app.
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The following diagrams compare the location of settings and functions between the old and new apps:
| Item | Windows 10, before version 1703 | Windows 10, version 1703 and later | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Update tab | Protection updates | Update the protection (Security intelligence) |
| 2 | History tab | Scan history | Review threats that were quarantined, removed, or allowed |
| 3 | Settings (links to Windows Settings) | Virus & threat protection settings | Enable various features, including Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, Advanced notifications, and Automatic ample submission |
| 4 | Scan options | Advanced scan | Run a full scan, custom scan, or a Microsoft Defender Offline scan |
| 5 | Run a scan (based on the option chosen under Scan options | Quick scan | In Windows 10, version 1703 and later, you can run custom and full scans under the Advanced scan option |
Common tasks
This section describes how to perform some of the most common tasks when reviewing or interacting with the threat protection provided by Microsoft Defender Antivirus in the Windows Security app.
Note
If these settings are configured and deployed using Group Policy, the settings described in this section will be greyed-out and unavailable for use on individual endpoints. Changes made through a Group Policy Object must first be deployed to individual endpoints before the setting will be updated in Windows Settings. The Configure end-user interaction with Microsoft Defender Antivirus topic describes how local policy override settings can be configured.
Run a scan with the Windows Security app
Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Click Scan now.
Click Run a new advanced scan to specify different types of scans, such as a full scan.
Review the security intelligence update version and download the latest updates in the Windows Security app
Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Click Virus & threat protection updates. The currently installed version is displayed along with some information about when it was downloaded. You can check this against the latest version available for manual download, or review the change log for that version.
Click Check for updates to download new protection updates (if there are any).
Ensure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is enabled in the Windows Security app
Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Click Virus & threat protection settings.
Toggle the Real-time protection switch to On.
Note
If you switch Real-time protection off, it will automatically turn back on after a short delay. This is to ensure you are protected from malware and threats.
If you install another antivirus product, Microsoft Defender AV will automatically disable itself and will indicate this in the Windows Security app. A setting will appear that will allow you to enable limited periodic scanning.
Add exclusions for Microsoft Defender Antivirus in the Windows Security app
Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Click Virus & threat protection settings.
Under the Exclusions setting, click Add or remove exclusions.
Click the plus icon to choose the type and set the options for each exclusion.
The following table summarizes exclusion types and what happens:
| Exclusion type | Defined by | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| File | Location Example: c:samplesample.test | The specific file is skipped by Microsoft Defender Antivirus. |
| Folder | Location Example: c:testsample | All items in the specified folder are skipped by Microsoft Defender Antivirus. |
| File type | File extension Example: .test | All files with the .test extension anywhere on your device are skipped by Microsoft Defender Antivirus. |
| Process | Executable file path Example: c:testprocess.exe | The specific process and any files that are opened by that process are skipped by Microsoft Defender Antivirus. |
To learn more, see:
Review threat detection history in the Windows Defender Security Center app
Open the Windows Defender Security Center app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Click Threat history
Click See full history under each of the categories (Current threats, Quarantined threats, Allowed threats).
Set ransomware protection and recovery options
Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
Click Ransomware protection.
To change Controlled folder access settings, see Protect important folders with Controlled folder access.
To set up ransomware recovery options, click Set up under Ransomware data recovery and follow the instructions for linking or setting up your OneDrive account so you can easily recover from a ransomware attack.
Related articles
Microsoft Defender Offline is a powerful offline scanning tool that runs from a trusted environment, without starting your operating system. This topic describes how to use Microsoft Defender Offline in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7.
When should I use Microsoft Defender Offline?
Run Microsoft Defender Offline if:
Windows Security (named Windows Defender Security Center in previous versions of Windows) detects rootkits or other highly persistent malware on your PC and alerts you to use Microsoft Defender Offline. You might see a message stating that malware was found on your device, or receive a message in Windows Security notifying you that additional cleaning is required.
You suspect your PC might have malware that's hiding on it, but your security software doesn’t detect anything. In this situation, you can start a Microsoft Defender Offline scan from Windows Security settings. Here's how:
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Select Start , and then select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection .
On the Virus & threat protection screen, do one of the following:
In an up-to-date version of Windows 10: Under Current threats, select Scan options.
In previous versions of Windows: Under Threat history, select Run a new advanced scan.
Select Microsoft Defender Offline scan, and then select Scan now.
You'll be prompted that you're about to be signed out of Windows. After you are, your PC should restart. Microsoft Defender Offline will load and perform a quick scan of your PC in the recovery environment. When the scan has finished (usually takes about 15 minutes), your PC will automatically restart.
Notes:
Before you use Microsoft Defender Offline, make sure you save any open files and close all apps and programs.
You typically need administrator rights on the PC on which you plan to run Microsoft Defender Offline.
If you experience a Stop error on a blue screen when you run the offline scan, force a restart and try running a Microsoft Defender Offline scan again. If the blue-screen error happens again, contact Microsoft Support.
Where can I find scan results?
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To see the Microsoft Defender Offline scan results:
Select Start , and then select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection .
On the Virus & threat protection screen in Windows 10, under Current threats, select Scan options, and then select Protection history (In previous versions of Windows it may say Threat history).
Using Windows Defender Offline on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1
Note: On older versions of Windows, Microsoft Defender Offline is still called by its old name: Windows Defender Offline
If you're running Windows Defender Offline on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, follow these four basic steps:
Download Windows Defender Offline and install it to a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive.
Restart your PC using the Windows Defender Offline media. This means having the CD, DVD, or flash drive you created in step 1 inserted in the PC when you restart it. Follow the prompts to boot from the drive containing this media.
Scan your PC for viruses and other malware.
Remove any malware that's found from your PC.
Windows Defender Offline will walk you through these four steps when you're using the tool. If you've been prompted in Microsoft Security Essentials or Windows Defender Security Center to download and run Windows Defender Offline, it's important to do so. Doing this helps make sure that your data and PC aren't compromised.
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To get started, find a blank CD, DVD, or USB flash drive with at least 250 MB of free space, and then download and run the tool. You'll be guided through the steps to create the removable media.
Note: We recommend that you download Windows Defender Offline and create the CD, DVD, or USB flash drive on a PC that isn't infected with malware—the malware can interfere with the media creation.
If you're not sure which version to download, see Is my PC running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows?