Learn how to remove malware from your PC. Use Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 or Windows 11 to scan your PC for malware, viruses, or other threats.

Each release of the tool helps detect and remove current, prevalent malicious software. This malicious software includes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Microsoft uses several metrics to determine the prevalence of a malicious software family and the damage that can be associated with it.

Use this tool to find and remove specific prevalent threats and reverse the changes that they made (see the "Covered malware families" list in the "Release information" section of KB 890830 ). For comprehensive malware detection and removal, consider using Windows Defender Offline or Microsoft Safety Scanner.

If some Windows functions aren't working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan Windows and restore your files. Though the steps below might look complicated at first glance, just follow them in order, step-by-step, and we’ll try to get you back on track.

Use the steps below to verify this. Manually resize your partition by 250 MB. Open a Command Prompt window ( cmd) as admin. To check the WinRE status, run reagentc /info. If the WinRE is installed, there should be a “Windows RE location” with a path to the WinRE directory.

If you can't find an app or program, try the tips in See all your apps in Windows 10 and Program is not listed in add/remove programs after installation. If you get an error message when you're uninstalling, try the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter.

The Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter helps you automatically repair issues when you're blocked from installing or removing programs. It also fixes corrupted registry keys. First, you'll need to download the troubleshooter. Download troubleshooter.

Discusses how to remove viruses, spyware, rogue software, or malware using Microsoft Security Essentials, Microsoft Safety Scanner and Microsoft Defender Offline.

PC Health Check app brings you up to date info on your Windows device health, helping you take action to improve your device performance and troubleshoot performance problems. It is periodically updated based on customer feedback to help you make the most of your Windows PC.

Free up drive space in Windows. If your PC is running low on free space, you might not be able to install important Windows updates, and your PC’s performance may be affected. Here are some ways to free up space so you can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly.