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.

Press and hold (or right-click) on the app, then select Uninstall. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features . Find the app you want to remove, select More > Uninstall. : Some apps can't be uninstalled from the Settings app right now. For help uninstalling these apps, follow the instructions to uninstall from Control Panel.

Use this tool to find and remove specific prevalent threats and reverse the changes that they made (see Covered malware families). 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. To do this, follow these steps: Open an elevated command prompt.

Block you from uninstalling a program through Add or Remove Programs (or Programs and Features) in Control Panel. If you're trying to remove malware, you can use Windows Security (or another antivirus tool), or you can use the Windows Malicious Software Removal tool.

Learn how to protect yourself and how Microsoft Defender is helping to prevent fraud. See: National Public Data breach: What you need to know. You can start a scan for malware any time you like. Note: Microsoft Defender currently offers anti-malware on Windows, Android, and macOS. From the Microsoft Defender dashboard.

Follow these steps to automatically diagnose and repair Windows security problems by turning on UAC, DEP protection, Windows Firewall, and other Windows security options and features. Select the Download button on this page. In the File Download dialog box, click Run or Open, and then follow the steps in the Windows Security Troubleshooter.

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.

Potentially unwanted applications (PUA) are a category of software that can cause your machine to run slowly, display unexpected ads, or at worst, install other software which may be more harmful or annoying. Windows Security has reputation-based protection that can help protect your PC from potentially unwanted applications.

Fix-it tools aren’t used in Windows 10. Instead, use a troubleshooter to help solve problems with your PC.