Windows Defender has become an integral part of the Windows Security toolkit. With it, you can proactively protect your computer from online and offline threats, and set it to automatically scan at certain times. However, you cannot enable this feature through the Windows Security application. Don’t worry, though! This article will show you two quick ways to schedule a Windows Defender virus scan.
You have many options when it comes to scanning your computer with Windows Defender. And by scheduling Windows Defender, you can not only take advantage of the program, but also protect your files and folders on a daily, weekly or monthly basis without interfering with the settings. That said, let’s jump right into the methods.
How to schedule Microsoft Defender virus scans
When you’re not working or putting your computer to sleep, simply allow Windows Defender to scan the device. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Press the Windows Key on your keyboard, type Task Scheduler and click ‘Run as administrator.’
Step 2: In the left panel, double click on ‘Task Scheduler Library’ and double click on Microsoft.
Step 3: Select Windows and double click on it. Now, scroll down and double click on Windows Defender.
Step 4: In the middle pane, right click on the ‘Windows Defender Scheduled Scan’ task and select Properties.
Step 5: Go to the Activation tab.
Step 6: Click New at the bottom to create a new trigger.
Step 7: Select ‘Scheduled’ in the ‘Start Task’ drop-down menu.
Step 8: Now, choose the scan frequency from the Settings option.
Note: You can choose to run the scan once or several times a day, week, or month.
Step 9: Choose your preferred time to run the Windows Defender scan in Start.
Tip: You can play with Advanced Settings to adjust the functions.
Step 10: Finally, check the Enabled option and click OK.
Now, if your PC is running on low battery or has switched from AC to battery power, you can also set the condition to disable Windows Defender scan schedule.
Step 11: Now, select the Conditions tab.
Step 12: Check the option Stop if the computer switching to battery power and click OK.
That’s it! From now on, your PC will automatically run Windows Defender at the set time. Sometimes, the task or Windows Defender that you set to automatically scan your PC doesn’t work properly. Also, there are cases where you may get a 0x2 error. To avoid this, you can schedule a custom scan.
Schedule a custom scan of Windows Defender Antivirus
You can set up a custom scan to run Windows Defender automatically without any hassle. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows Key on your keyboard, type Task Scheduler and click ‘Run as administrator.’
Step 2: In the left panel of Task Scheduler, right click on ‘Task Scheduler Library’ and select New Folder from the context menu.
Step 3: Enter a custom name and click OK.
Example: Custom Scan
Step 4: Double click ‘Task Scheduler Library’ and open the created task folder.
Step 5: Go to the Actions tab and select Create Task.
Step 6: In the Name field, give the task a descriptive name.
Step 7: Select the user account for the scheduled task.
This is optional. If you are using an Admin account, you can leave it as is.
Step 8: Tick the ‘Run with highest privileges’ box, click OK and confirm again.
Step 9: In the Actions tab, click New.
Step 10: Select ‘Start Program’ in the Actions drop-down menu.
Step 11: Enter the path below into Program/script.
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe
Step 12: In the Add Arguments field, enter any command from below and press OK.
- For full scan: -Scan -ScanType 2
- For quick scanning: -Scan -ScanType 1
- To scan a specific directory or location: -Scan -ScanType 3 -File PATH/TO/FILE/OR/FOLDER
Note: Replace ‘PATH/TO/FILE/OR/FOLDER’ with the location of the file or directory.
Step 13: Now click New under Triggers.
Step 14: Same as before:
- Select ‘Scheduled’ from the drop-down next to ‘Start Task’.
- Select the option under Settings and set the time.
- Check Enabled and press OK.
Step 15: Select the Conditions tab to stop the scheduled scan if your laptop’s battery is low.
Step 16: Check the option Stop if the computer switching to battery power and click OK.
That’s it! Now validate your account credentials and let Windows Defender do its job.
Windows Defender Scan Scheduler FAQ
1. Why is Task Scheduler not working?
Task Scheduler may not work for a number of different reasons, such as corrupted registry entries, corrupted programs, disabled Task Scheduler service, no admin rights, cache broken tree, etc.
2. Why is it important to schedule virus scans?
Active scanning helps your Windows PC find and remove malware and other threats as soon as they enter. And this manual scheduling makes the whole process routine and efficient, ensuring active protection.
Schedule it and forget it
Windows Defender has the ability to proactively scan your Windows PC; however, you should perform a full or partial scan of your system manually every week. This weekly scan will block viruses, malware, and Trojans that come with software and files you download online. Planning is a one-time task, once done, you don’t need to revisit it.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
