Restart your PC using the Windows Defender Offline media. If you're running Windows Defender Offline on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, follow these four basic steps:ĭownload Windows Defender Offline and install it to a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. Note: On older versions of Windows, Microsoft Defender Offline is still called by its old name: Windows Defender Offline When the scan has finished (usually takes about 15 minutes), your PC will automatically restart. After you are, your PC should restart. Microsoft Defender Offline will load and perform a quick scan of your PC in the recovery environment. You'll be prompted that you're about to be signed out of Windows. Select Microsoft Defender Offline scan, and then select Scan now. In previous versions of Windows: Under T hreat history, select Run a new advanced scan. In an up-to-date version of Windows 10: Under Current threats, select Scan options. On the Virus & threat protection screen, do one of the following: Select Start, and then select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection. In this situation, you can start a Microsoft Defender Offline scan from Windows Security settings. You suspect your PC might have malware that's hiding on it, but your security software doesn’t detect anything. You might see a message stating that malware was found on your device, or receive a message in Windows Security notifying you that additional cleaning is required. Windows Security (named Windows Defender Security Center in previous versions of Windows) detects rootkits or other highly persistent malware on your PC and alerts you to use Microsoft Defender Offline. When should I use Microsoft Defender Offline?
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This topic describes how to use Microsoft Defender Offline in Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. Microsoft Defender Offline is a powerful offline scanning tool that runs from a trusted environment, without starting your operating system.