How to Add or Remove "Scan with Microsoft Defender" Context Menu in Windows 10
Starting with Windows 10 version 2004, Windows Defender Antivirus as been renamed to Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus helps protect your PC against malware (malicious software) like viruses, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software. Malware can infect your PC without your knowledge: it might install itself from an email message, when you connect to the Internet, or when you install certain apps using a USB flash drive, CD, DVD, or other removable media. Some malware can also be programmed to run at unexpected times, not only when it's installed.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus is included with Windows and helps keep malware from infecting your PC in two ways:
- Providing real-time protection. Microsoft Defender Antivirus notifies you when malware tries to install itself or run on your PC. It also notifies you when apps try to change important settings.
- Providing anytime scanning options. Microsoft Defender Antivirus automatically scans your PC for installed malware on a regular basis, but you can also start a scan whenever you want. Microsoft Defender Antivirus automatically removes (or temporarily quarantines) anything that's detected during a scan.
This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Scan with Microsoft Defender context menu for all users to scan one or more files, folders, or drives on demand with Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10.
While you must be signed in as and administrator to be able to add or remove the "Scan with Microsoft Defender" context menu, all users will be able to use the context menu.
If you have a 3rd party AV program installed, the Scan with Microsoft Defender context menu will be disabled by default until the 3rd party AV program is uninstalled.
EXAMPLE: "Scan with Microsoft Defender" context menu and scan results in Microsoft Security
Here's How:
1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Add_Scan_with_Microsoft_Defender_context_menu.reg
Download
(Contents of .reg file for reference)
Code:Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\EPP] @="{09A47860-11B0-4DA5-AFA5-26D86198A780}" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{09A47860-11B0-4DA5-AFA5-26D86198A780}\InprocServer32] @="C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\shellext.dll" "ThreadingModel"="Apartment" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{09A47860-11B0-4DA5-AFA5-26D86198A780}\Version] @="10.0.20257.1" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\EPP] @="{09A47860-11B0-4DA5-AFA5-26D86198A780}" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\EPP] @="{09A47860-11B0-4DA5-AFA5-26D86198A780}"
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Remove_Scan_with_Microsoft_Defender_context_menu.reg
Download
(Contents of .reg file for reference)
Code:Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\EPP] [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{09A47860-11B0-4DA5-AFA5-26D86198A780}] [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\EPP] [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\EPP]
4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
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Add or Remove Scan with Microsoft Defender Context Menu in Windows 10
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New #1
Thanks. I had an .exe in a folder. After doing the above, if I scanned the folder, no threats found is reported. If I scanned the .exe in the folder, it is reported that the .exe was skipped. Why?
It makes me doubt the clean report on the folder.
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New #2
Hello, :)
Please go ahead and post screenshots showing what it has in the command prompt for this to see if anything stands out.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1...en-forums.html
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New #3
Here are two snips.
Darn it, the snips did not attach ... working on it. lol
The first one is against the folder and the second is against the file, in the folder.
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New #4
Interesting. I must admit that I'm not sure why it skipped scanning the file when you scanned the folder.
As long as it's clear when you scan the file, it's fine though.
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New #5
Look again at the second snip. That was against the .exe file...which it skipped. So, if it reports that it skipped scanning the .exe, then doesn't that mean that it did NOT scan the .exe?
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New #6
Correct. Skipped means that it didn't scan the file for whatever reason when you scanned the folder.
The first screenshot where you did scan the file showed no threats though.
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New #7
I have tried scanning all sorts of files and get the 'skipped' message each time. By your comment, you think that because scanning the folder a file is in results in no threat found, that it has scanned the file inside. To be 100% sure, one would need to put a known 'nasty' .exe in a folder and 1) scan the folder and 2) scan the exe. If the folder scan was fine and the exe is skipped, then there is a problem. I don't have a 'nasty' exe to test it against. Perhaps you, or someone else, are able to the test?
I have not run my .exe as I did not download it from where I normally do. It is better to be safe than sorry :)
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New #8
I tested the scanner using a .txt file I created using this below for a safe AV test file. It's meant to trigger a threat, but is safe since it's only a false positive. WD instantly detected it, and I had to be fast to run the context menu scanner on the folder before WD deleted the file. The context menu scanner found the file as a threat.
Intended use ° EICAR - European Expert Group for IT-Security
If you like, upload your .exe file in a .zip file, and I'll test to see if it does the same for me.
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New #9
I created a new folder with the same name, and move the file to the same location as in your screenshot. Afterwards, I scanned the folder without the file getting skipped.
As a test, move the folder to your desktop to see if you have the same issue there.
Add or Remove Scan with Microsoft Defender Context Menu in Windows 10
Published by Shawn BrinkCategory: Security System01 Nov 2022
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