How to Schedule a Scan in Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10

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 manually start a scan whenever you want. Microsoft Defender Antivrius automatically removes (or temporarily quarantines) anything that's detected during a scan.

Windows Defender Antivirus regularly scans your device to help keep it safe. Windows tries to do this while you are not using your device so it doesn’t interfere with your work. You can also schedule Windows Defender Antivirus to scan at a time and frequency that you choose.

See also:

• Schedule a scan in Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Microsoft Support
• Configure scheduled quick or full Microsoft Defender Antivirus scans | Microsoft Docs
• Configure Microsoft Defender Antivirus scanning options | Microsoft Docs

This tutorial will show you how to schedule a scan in Microsoft Defender Antivirus for when you want in Windows 10.



Here's How:

1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type taskschd.msc into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Task Scheduler.

2 Expand open the Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows folders in the left pane of Task Scheduler, and click/tap on the Windows Defender folder. (see screenshot below step 3)

3 Double click/tap on the Windows Defender Scheduled Scan task in the center pane of Task Scheduler. (see screenshot below)

4 Click/tap on the Triggers tab, and click/tap on the New button. (see screenshot below)

5 Perform the following actions below to create a new trigger: (see screenshots below)

A) Select On a schedule in the Begin the task drop menu.

B) Select (dot) One time, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly for how often you want scans to run.

C) Select when you want scans to start.

D) Click/tap on OK when finished.

6 You will now see your new scheduled task listed. (see screenshots below)

If you should ever want to delete a scheduled task, you would select the task you want to delete, and click/tap on the Delete button.

7 Click/tap on the Conditions tab, check or uncheck the Power settings below for what you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

• Start the task only if the computer is on AC power
  
  • Stop if the computer switches to battery power
  
  
• Wake the computer to run this task

8 You can now close Task Scheduler if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink

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