Microsoft Defender Antivirus is a powerful tool that finds and removes malware from your PC. Here's how to use it in Windows 10 or 11 to scan your PC. Important: Before you use Microsoft Defender Offline, make sure to save any open files and close apps and programs. Open your Windows Security settings.

The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) helps remove malicious software from computers that are running any of the following operating systems: Windows 10. Windows Server 2019. Windows Server 2016. Windows 8.1. Windows Server 2012 R2. Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows 7. Windows Server 2008.

Windows 11 Windows 10. Uninstall from the Start menu. Select Start > All apps and search for the app in the list shown. Press and hold (or right-click) on the app, then select Uninstall. Uninstall in Settings. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features . Find the app you want to remove, select More > Uninstall.

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.

Select Device details. Select Manage in Windows Security. Select Quick scan. Tips: If you want a deeper scan, instead of selecting Quick scan in step 3, select Scan options and choose the type of scan you want. For the most complete scan, run Microsoft Defender Offline. For more about that see Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline.

In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and select Disk Cleanup from the list of results. Select the drive you want to clean up, and then select OK. Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of the file type, select it. Select OK.

Windows 11 Windows 10. Select Start , then open Settings . Under Privacy & security , select Virus & threat protection. Under Virus & threat protection settings, select Manage settings, and then under Exclusions, select Add or remove exclusions. Select Add an exclusion, and then select from files, folders, file types, or process.

Microsoft Defender has powerful built-in features that can help protect your device against malware. Note: Microsoft Defender currently offers anti-malware only on Windows, Mac, and Android. When you first set-up Microsoft Defender on your device we'll run an initial scan to make sure you're starting off clean. Using anti-malware on your device.

Windows 11 Windows 10. 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. How to open PC Health Check.

Download Microsoft Defender on your devices either by: Scanning the following QR code. Searching for Microsoft Defender in your app store. Sharing with your devices, the following link: Copy link. We encourage you to install Microsoft Defender on at least five devices per person. Important: This article is about the Microsoft Defender app that ...