In the past, as soon as we installed Windows, we had to immediately choose a good antivirus before we could surf the Internet, so as to minimize the risk of infections. This need is no longer urgent, given that Windows 10 has a good antivirus inside, more than enough to protect your computer against viruses and malware: Windows Defender . Windows Defender is a complete antivirus solution, with real-time protection features, which updates regularly, can protect against advanced infections and is so well integrated into the operating system that it has very little impact on performance. For this reason we decided to make a guide to Windows Defender, the antivirus of Windows 10, so that we can learn to use it and drastically reduce the risk of infections.
Article Index
- How to activate Windows Defender
- How to check for updates
- How to scan your computer
- How to schedule automatic scanning
- How to activate advanced protection (anti-ransomware, sandbox etc.)
- How to exclude files from scanning
- How to disable Windows Defender
- Conclusions
How to activate Windows Defender
The Windows Defender real-time scan module is active by default on every installation of Windows 10, we will not have to activate any item to get its protection.We want to check if all the protection modules are active ">
To get maximum protection from antivirus, make sure that the buttons under the sections Real-time protection, Protection provided by the cloud and Automatic sending of sample files are active.
In any case, the antivirus will show notifications if problems are detected, virus detections or modules disabled, plus it will change the Windows Security icon in the lower right corner (the white shield will have a red X instead of the classic green tick ).
How to check for updates
As far as updates are concerned, Windows Defender downloads the new virus definitions and the updates of the scan modules together with the system updates, therefore t the Windows Update service, which we remember works completely automatically on Windows 10.
If we notice that the antivirus does not update automatically, we can check if the automatic Windows update has been disabled (by mistake or by choice), going to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Update, clicking on Advanced Options and checking that the button under the Pause updates item is not active.
If we want to proceed with a manual update, go back to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Update and click on Check for updates .
Alternatively, we can also right-click on the Windows Security icon at the bottom right and select the item Check for security updates in order to immediately update our Defender.
To restore automatic updates on each version of Windows, please read our guide on how to troubleshoot problems and update errors in Windows Update .
How to scan your computer
To scan a file or any folder on your computer, let's go to the path where there is the element to be scanned (from File Explorer ), right click on it then select the item Analyze with Windows Defender .
If instead we want to start a quick scan of the computer with Windows Defender, we right click on the Windows Security icon at the bottom right (it could be a hidden icon, in this case just click on the arrowhead present) and select Run l fast analysis .
This type of scan will immediately analyze all the most critical areas, where it is highly probable that a virus can hide itself ( registry, system startup, Windows folder, Program folder).
If instead we want to start a complete scan of the computer (slower, since all personal files and any disks connected to the PC are also scanned) go to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Security -> Virus and threat protection, click on the Analysis options item, select Complete analysis then click on Start analysis at the bottom.
Alternatively, we can also start a custom scan and choose the areas to be scanned (with the Custom analysis item) or an offline scan, to be used when we are disconnected from the Internet (with the Windows Defender Offline Analysis item).
How to schedule automatic scanning
Windows Defender analyzes your computer regularly to keep it safe. To avoid slowing down the PC too much, the analysis is performed when we are not using the computer : to see it at work therefore, it is sufficient to leave the PC on but without activity (i.e. without moving the mouse) for at least 30 minutes, enough time to start the automatic optimization of Windows 10 (which also includes a quick scan with Windows Defender). At the end of the scan a warning window will appear, stored in the Notification Center even if we were away from the PC, with the summary of the scan and any viruses found.
If we want to start an automatic scan at a specific time of day or on a specific day of the week, we can program it by opening the Start menu at the bottom left, looking for and starting the Scheduler program.
From the window that will open, click on the Scheduler Library at the top left, go to the path (with the various subfolders) Microsoft> Windows, click on the Windows Defender folder and then on Windows Defender Scheduled Scan .
In the new window that we will see, click on the Activation tab and press New on the bottom.
We now choose how often the scan should be performed, choosing the time and day.
PLEASE NOTE : for added security, we recommend that you perform at least one quick scan every week and one full scan every month.
How to activate advanced protection (anti-ransomware, sandbox etc.)
If we fear that the antivirus integrated in Windows 10 is not enough to protect our computer (perhaps because it is shared with other less experienced users), we can activate some additional protections, which can guarantee very high security (at the expense of performance and system usability).
To protect ourselves from ransomware (ie viruses that block the PC and "take hostage" user files, asking for money for the ransom), we can choose which folders must be protected from unauthorized changes by going to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Security -> Virus and Threat Protection and scrolling down the page until you find the Manage ransomware protection item.
Activate the button under the Controlled folder access section, then click on the Protected folders item. In the window that will appear we choose which folders to protect from ransomware (we recommend immediately inserting the Documents folder and any other folder with personal files).
From now on, if the app is certified by Microsoft, it will be able to access protected folders without problems, while if it is not certified, it will only be able to read the files, without being able to make changes. If a legitimate uncertified app needs access to protected folders, we can authorize it using the item Allow app through controlled folder access -> Add allowed app .
We can also configure an online backup (on OneDrive) useful to restore the finished files under ransomware attack, by clicking on the Configure OneDrive item.
To activate the Microsoft Edge sandbox (the default browser of Windows 10), go to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Security -> App and browser control, scroll down the page then click on the item Install Windows Defender Application Guard .
To protect ourselves from the most advanced exploits and trojans, go to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Security -> App and browser control, scroll down the page and click on Exploit protection settings ; in the screen that will appear, make sure that all items have Use default settings .
Finally, to protect ourselves from hacker attacks, let's go to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Security -> Device security, click on Core isolation details, then activate the button under the Memory integrity section.
Note : this functionality may not be available with older processors.
How to exclude files from scanning
Even though Windows Defender is a very light program, it still needs resources during scans. To reduce this and also the duration of the analyzes, it is possible to exclude certain files, file types or processes from antivirus scans.For example, it is useless to scan your photo collection if you are sure that it has no viruses so you can exclude the whole folder.
To be able to perform the exclusion, simply go to Settings -> Update and security -> Windows Security -> Virus and threat protection, click Manage settings and finally click Add or remove exclusions .
To deepen the discussion we advise you to read our guide on how to exclude paths and folders from control and protection .
How to disable Windows Defender
We need to temporarily disable Windows Defender "> Disable or remove Windows Defender in Windows 10.NOTE : if we choose to use another antivirus instead of Windows Defender, just restart the PC at the end of the installation to deactivate the integrated antivirus and use only the chosen third-party antivirus.
Conclusions
Windows Defender is an excellent antivirus for Windows 10, light, easy and safe. Given its characteristics, it is superfluous to install another antivirus on a computer with Windows 10, since Defender defends the computer very well.
However, if you want to install another type of security program, we recommend choosing the new antivirus among those recommended in our guide to the best free antivirus for PC .
If you want to learn more about the other security tools built into Windows 10, we recommend you read our Guide to Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 10 .
