Windows 10: Add or Remove Windows Defender Exclusions in Windows 10

Thanks for responding Shawn,
I am referring to Step 7 in Option One for excluding a process.
Just typed in the fully qualified path name but that's not nearly as easy as browsing to the folder.

richie *Smile

 

I noticed that too, now they want you to fetch the 'path' yourself.





Easiest way is: navigate to the item, Shift/Right Click/Copy as Path and Paste into the dialog but remove the quotation marks.

 

OK - thanks, I'll make a note of that for next time. I typed all 5 processes that wanted to exclude & am the worst typist in the interweb realm.

Thanks Edwin *Smile

 

Well, they did change that. *Sad

 

I'm curious about the exclusions. Do they only relate to real time protection? Say I exclude a folder. On the occasions I decide to run a manual scan I'd still want that folder to be scanned. I just don't want it to be slowed down and subjected to real time protection.

Thanks,
Wayne

 

You'd have to drag the item out of the excluded folder to be scanned, otherwise, it will just say "Scan Completed on 0 Items".

 

Thank you, that's a shame. I'd still want said folders to be scanned periodically. Just don't want real time scanning sticking it's nose in everytime I access said folders after a reboot. I've got another thread going but the real time protection is causing slow icon draw in folders with lots executables. Excluding the folder works wonders as it completely removes the issue. But I would like the folder to get scanned from time to time without having to drag everything out and then back in.

 

Delete all your exclusions, run a full system scan and/or mrt, then reassign the exclusions.
Once a year thing, or may once a month, depends on individual.
After that, make sure you scan all items before they go to the excluded folders.

 

Ok thank you. I will follow that pattern. I have just last couple of questions though. What if I have an excluded file or folder but I right click on it and select from the context menu scan with defender? Will it scan it then, or still report 0 items because of the prior exclusion in place? I'm thinking if this works then these type of adhoc scans will suffice for me.

 

Hello Scotty, *Smile

Yep, anything added to exclusions will not be scanned or monitored by Windows Defender.

 

I have read the article and understood that excluding a folder will also exclude the FILES inside...

But does this also work for processes? Do I have to exclude every single process I need to, even though it runs from inside an excluded folder *sarc?

Please clarify the matter! Thanks in advance *092

 

Hello Capt Ahmad, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Basically, anything that you exclude will not be scanned by Windows Defender.

Processes are files, so any that are in an excluded folder will also be excluded.

 

Do you need to include the "." when excluding an extension?

 

Hello Ronzie, *Smile

Yes.

 

Any way to include wildcards? Or a specific filename wherever it is on the disk?