02-13-2018 , 12:18 AM
http://news.softpedia.com/news/how-to-co...9758.shtml How to Configure Windows Defender to Scan the PC at Windows Boot
The built-in Windows 10 antivirus can automatically check your computer for malware after every boot
Feb 12, 2018 13:11 GMT · By Bogdan Popa · Share:
Windows Defender has evolved a lot in Windows 10, just like the rest of the operating system, and the release of the Fall Creators Update in October 2017 brought another important overhaul.
The security product has become Windows Defender Security Center, thus turning into the home not only of the anti-malware engine, but of every little security feature in Windows 10, including parental controls, device performance and health, firewall and network protection, and browser tools.
But even though it has improved a lot with every Windows 10 release, Windows Defender is still lacking some basic functionality, such as the ability to schedule scans at certain user-defined times or at computer boot.
Fortunately, there’s actually a way to configure these scheduled scans, though it’s worth knowing from the very beginning that novice users might find it a little bit too difficult despite everything coming down to just a few steps.
Before anything, please note that an administrator account is needed because it involves setting up scheduled tasks with the Task Scheduler. Also, depending on your system specifications, note that performance could be more or less impacted by scheduled scans.
Setting up automated scans in Windows 10
Step #1: Launching Task Scheduler – this one is really easy because all you have to do is click the Start menu and type Task Scheduler. Alternatively, you can click the Start menu, scroll down to Administrative Tools and launch the Task Scheduler.
Step #2: Reaching the Windows Defender options – as part of this step, you need to locate the Windows Defender settings in the Task Scheduler. To do this, navigate to the following path:
Library (left side of the screen) > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender
Once you reach the destination, Task Scheduler should display at least four different options, one of which is called Windows Defender Scheduler Scan.
Step #3: Opening the scheduler interface – what you need to do here is double-click the Windows Defender Scheduled Scan entry and head over to the following path:
Triggers (tab) > New
Setting up automated scans in Windows 10
Step #4: Setting up the schedule – once you’re ready to create a new trigger, just select the At startup entry in the Begin the task section. Click OK at the bottom of the window and you’re good to go. There are additional options that you can configure for your scheduled scan, such as a delay, repeat task, set activation or expiring dates.
Step #4.1: Configuring scheduled scans – instead of automated scans at system boot, you can also configure Windows Defender to automatically scan your computer at a certain time of the day. This implies having the system running at the configured time, and this option comes in handy especially in the case of office workers who want to have their computers scanned during lunch break, for instance.
To do this, in the Begin the task section you have to select the option that reads On a schedule. Choose between the available schedule options, namely One time, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly, and configure the Start time for the schedule. Remember at the configured time, your computer must be running.
Setting up automated scans in Windows 10
BONUS TIP: If you no longer want to run the automated scans, you can simply uncheck the option that reads Enabled at the bottom of the screen. This means you don’t have to delete the rule, just in case you want to use it at a later time.
Most likely, Microsoft will update Windows Defender with more options in a future Windows update, and this means that turning to the Task Scheduler to set up scheduled or automated scans at system boot might no longer be needed. Instead, options to do this from the Windows Defender UI could make it a lot easier and fast, though the current method doesn’t take too much time either.
The next Windows 10 update on the roadmap is Redstone 4 (due in the spring of 2018), followed by another release in the autumn of the same year likely to be codenamed Redstone 5.
The built-in Windows 10 antivirus can automatically check your computer for malware after every boot
Feb 12, 2018 13:11 GMT · By Bogdan Popa · Share:
Windows Defender has evolved a lot in Windows 10, just like the rest of the operating system, and the release of the Fall Creators Update in October 2017 brought another important overhaul.
The security product has become Windows Defender Security Center, thus turning into the home not only of the anti-malware engine, but of every little security feature in Windows 10, including parental controls, device performance and health, firewall and network protection, and browser tools.
But even though it has improved a lot with every Windows 10 release, Windows Defender is still lacking some basic functionality, such as the ability to schedule scans at certain user-defined times or at computer boot.
Fortunately, there’s actually a way to configure these scheduled scans, though it’s worth knowing from the very beginning that novice users might find it a little bit too difficult despite everything coming down to just a few steps.
Before anything, please note that an administrator account is needed because it involves setting up scheduled tasks with the Task Scheduler. Also, depending on your system specifications, note that performance could be more or less impacted by scheduled scans.
Setting up automated scans in Windows 10
Step #1: Launching Task Scheduler – this one is really easy because all you have to do is click the Start menu and type Task Scheduler. Alternatively, you can click the Start menu, scroll down to Administrative Tools and launch the Task Scheduler.
Step #2: Reaching the Windows Defender options – as part of this step, you need to locate the Windows Defender settings in the Task Scheduler. To do this, navigate to the following path:
Library (left side of the screen) > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender
Once you reach the destination, Task Scheduler should display at least four different options, one of which is called Windows Defender Scheduler Scan.
Step #3: Opening the scheduler interface – what you need to do here is double-click the Windows Defender Scheduled Scan entry and head over to the following path:
Triggers (tab) > New
Setting up automated scans in Windows 10
Step #4: Setting up the schedule – once you’re ready to create a new trigger, just select the At startup entry in the Begin the task section. Click OK at the bottom of the window and you’re good to go. There are additional options that you can configure for your scheduled scan, such as a delay, repeat task, set activation or expiring dates.
Step #4.1: Configuring scheduled scans – instead of automated scans at system boot, you can also configure Windows Defender to automatically scan your computer at a certain time of the day. This implies having the system running at the configured time, and this option comes in handy especially in the case of office workers who want to have their computers scanned during lunch break, for instance.
To do this, in the Begin the task section you have to select the option that reads On a schedule. Choose between the available schedule options, namely One time, Daily, Weekly, and Monthly, and configure the Start time for the schedule. Remember at the configured time, your computer must be running.
Setting up automated scans in Windows 10
BONUS TIP: If you no longer want to run the automated scans, you can simply uncheck the option that reads Enabled at the bottom of the screen. This means you don’t have to delete the rule, just in case you want to use it at a later time.
Most likely, Microsoft will update Windows Defender with more options in a future Windows update, and this means that turning to the Task Scheduler to set up scheduled or automated scans at system boot might no longer be needed. Instead, options to do this from the Windows Defender UI could make it a lot easier and fast, though the current method doesn’t take too much time either.
The next Windows 10 update on the roadmap is Redstone 4 (due in the spring of 2018), followed by another release in the autumn of the same year likely to be codenamed Redstone 5.