Windows 10: Microsoft Defender is scanning for almost 1 hour. What to do?

It's just showing "Updates are underway. Please keep your computer on.". What should I do Now?

:)

 

defender scans

Hi Ian,

Thanks for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

This issue might occur if you have set any task scheduler for Windows Defender.

I suggest you to delete the task for Windows defender and check if it helps.

Follow the below steps:

• 
  Search and open Schedule tasks.
  
• 
  In the left-hand menu, open the Task Scheduler Library, then select
  Microsoft >Windows >Windows Defender.
  
• 
  Double-click Windows Defender Scheduled Scan.
  
• 
  Select the Triggers panel, then select Delete.
  

Hope it helps, reply to us with the status of your issue. We will be happy to assist you.

 

Windows Defender - Quick Scan

Windows defender no longer offers a quick scan option.

My options are:

• Scan
• Advanced Scan

• Full Scan
• Custom Scan
• Windows Defender Offline scan

Whichever option I check, the scan will need to run for hours to complete.

Is a quick scan available?

How do I restore this feature?

 

Microsoft Defender Offline Scan

I'll give this thread a little bump and explain what I have tried so far to no avail. After hours of extensive reading about how WDO and now Microsoft Defender Offline scans are not working for some since as far back as 2017 for Windows Defender Offline, I had removed all remnants of Malwarebytes from my registry in an attempt to see if any of those entries were conflicting with the Microsoft Defender Offline Scan.

No dice!

The second thing I tried was a Restore Health function with the DISM command and it reported a successful operation and still the Offline scan won't initiate. Yes, I rebooted after the DISM Restore Health Command.

No Dice gain!

Some articles suggested a repair install; but honestly at this point, if sfc /scannow isn't flagging anything and my OS is completely operational with no Event Viewer Errors and no Reliability History issues of any kind (especially Critical Events) I really can't justify using a repair install that probably will not fix it either.

I mean I literally have no indication that any corruption exists anywhere throughout the OS; yet something that worked before the Cumulative Update is now broken and not a peep of it has been mentioned in any documentation that I came across lately that it is a known issue with the November 11th Cumulative Update for systems on 20H2.

Sure I could restore a full backup image I have to prove that Microsoft Defender Offline Scan worked prior to the update; but who would really be interested in that proof?

I don't understand why this feature was broke on some systems since 2017 and mine remained immune until just now.

So I would really like to hear suggestions if anyone knows how to get this feature working again on this latest Version and Build listed under my Avatar.

Thanks to any and all who have knowledge about how to fix this or if they heard a rumor that this is another feature that is being done away with and I just haven't heard yet.