Learn how to install a scanner and then use it to scan pictures and documents in Windows.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus requires disk space to remove and quarantine malware files. It might be prevented from completely removing a threat if there isn't enough available space on your PC, particularly on your system drive (usually drive C). See the following to help free up space:

Provides links to the uninstall tools and directions for many security programs.

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.

When critical Windows system files are missing or corrupted, your operating system may begin to malfunction. Common symptoms include Windows features not working properly, system errors, or Windows becoming unresponsive or freezing.

Windows Defender and Microsoft Security Essentials are powerful scanning tools that find and remove malware from your PC. Here's how to use Windows Defender in Windows 8.1 or Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 7 to scan your PC.

This article describes an issue that occurs when you try to close a scanning application in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. A hotfix is available to resolve this issue. The hotfix has prerequisites.

Installing the latest printer driver can help fix printing issues, improve performance, and add new features. Microsoft recommends downloading and installing the latest printer driver for a printer. The recommended method to download, install, and update printer drivers is using Windows Update.

When you start your computer successfully, the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe) creates a backup of system files and registry configuration information (including user account information, protocol bindings, software program settings, and user preferences) once daily.

To scan specific files or folders, right-click a file or folder, select Show more options, and then select Scan with Microsoft Defender. When the scan is complete, you'll see the Scan options page letting you know the results of the scan.