How To Run a Full Virus Scan (Windows 10)

Owned by Wylie VanWenger (Deactivated), created
Last updated: Dec 02, 2024 by Preston Merkel
2 min read

Instructions

  1. Click on the Start Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen.

     

  2. Click on Settings

     

  3. Click on Update & Security

     

  4. Click on Windows Security on the left panel (on some versions it may appear as Windows Defender)

     

  5. Click on Virus & threat protection

     

  6. Click on Scan options. DO NOT click on Quick scan

     

  7. Select Full Scan and click on Scan now

     

  8. If you do not see any warnings after a scan, check Virus & threat protection settings, select Manage settings, and then under Exclusions, select Add or remove exclusions to see if any exclusions have been added.

  9. When the scan is complete, remove any malicious files and restart your machine

A full virus scan usually takes about 10 minutes, but can take up to 6 hours. You may safely work while the scan is in progress, but you may experience slightly reduced performance.

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