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.

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.

To reset the Hosts file back to the default, follow these steps according to your operating system: Windows 11. Windows 10. Windows 8.1. Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows. More Information. Support for Windows XP has ended. Microsoft ended support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014.

To repair the corrupted files manually, view details of the System File Checker process to find the corrupted file, and then manually replace the corrupted file with a known good copy of the file. Windows 8.1 or Windows 8. Windows 10, Windows 7, or Windows Vista. More Information.

Windows 10. There are different ways to remove apps and programs, so if you can't find the one you're looking for, you can try another location. Note that some apps and programs are built into Windows and can't be uninstalled. You can try to repair a program first, if it's just not running correctly. Windows 11 Windows 10.

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.

When you get a new device and start up Windows 10 for the first time, the antivirus protection that comes installed with the device is your default security app.

More help. If you can't see the desktop and instead see a blue, black, or blank screen, see Troubleshoot blue screen errors or Troubleshoot black or blank screen errors. Check for Windows updates. Learn how to update drivers in Windows using Device Manager to update or reinstall a driver.

Windows 11 Windows 10. 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.

Windows 11 Windows 10. Use Remote Desktop on your Windows, Android, or iOS device to connect to a Windows 10 PC from afar. Here's how to set up your PC to allow remote connections and then connect to the PC you set up.