Windows 10: Windows Defender Default Behavior

Discus and support Windows Defender Default Behavior in AntiVirus, Firewalls and System Security to solve the problem; I just started using Windows Defender on my new Windows 10 PC. I uninstalled the Mcafee trial software through the control panel then used the Mcafee... Discussion in 'AntiVirus, Firewalls and System Security' started by reelme, Feb 6, 2017.

  1. reelme Win User

    Windows Defender Default Behavior


    I just started using Windows Defender on my new Windows 10 PC. I uninstalled the Mcafee trial software through the control panel then used the Mcafee uninstall program as well. Initially, Defender wanted to run a quick scan which I did. My question is this: By default, in addition to real time scanning, does Defender run a scheduled scan of some sort on it's own? If so, when? And where can I view this? Thanks.

    :)
     
    reelme, Feb 6, 2017
    #1

  2. Windows Defender opens full screen on each boot

    Did you set Windows Defender to open during startup?

    Default behavior for Windows Defender, is it won't open automatically and only runs in background.

    Check startup in task manager and see whether you see Windows Defender Interface there?
     
    Cyber_Defend_Team, Feb 6, 2017
    #2
  3. Emkay1001 Win User
    Windows Defender icon stays on taskbar after Windows Defender is run

    Hello,

    Nothing serious but just for the sake of reporting:

    By default on Windows 10 the Windows Defender icon is not present on the taskbar. And that is fine. However, if you start Windows Defender - or to be precise you open Windows Defender window (for example to perform a quick scan) then the icon on the taskbar
    appears and stays there. It stays even after you close the Windows Defender window. That is because the MSASCui.exe process does not terminate when the Windows Defender window is closed.

    Nothing serious - just inconsistent user experience behavior.

    I've already run sfc /scannow and App troubleshooter. My Windows 10 install is from few weeks ago - an upgrade from Windows 8.1.
     
    Emkay1001, Feb 6, 2017
    #3
  4. shmu26 Win User

    Windows Defender Default Behavior

    yes, it runs a daily scan, when it detects that the computer has been idle for a while.
    The problem is with laptops -- they don't always run idle for long enough, because people close the cover, or it goes to sleep to save battery. In such a case, the scan will run even though the computer is in active use. This can temporarily impact performance.
     
    shmu26, Feb 6, 2017
    #4
  5. roblinb Win User
    It runs a daily scan when there's no activity on your computer (i.e. at night).
     
    roblinb, Feb 6, 2017
    #5
  6. reelme Win User
    Any more detail? What time does it run, does it leave a log, can I verify or change the time of scan, etc. ???
     
    reelme, Feb 6, 2017
    #6
  7. roblinb Win User
    Windows Defender events are in your Event Viewer.

    Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender > Operational:
     
    roblinb, Feb 6, 2017
    #7
  8. Bree New Member

    Windows Defender Default Behavior

    By design, Defender keeps out of your way as much as possible - at least, when it has nothing bad to report. The daily scan will wait for the PC to be idle before starting, so the time it starts can vary a lot. In fact, if you are particularly active it may never get a chance to start. After a number of missed day's you'll get a notification that 'Defender needs to scan your PC'.

    If you want to see if it has run recently, just open Defender. At the bottom of the Home page it tells you the last time a scan was run.

    If you want to be told it has scanned, go to 'Settings > Update & security > Windows Defender' and turn on 'Enhanced notification'. After a while of being reassured that 'Defender has scanned your PC and found nothing' you'll probably get tired of seeing the notification and turn it off again *Smile
     
    Bree, Feb 6, 2017
    #8
  9. reelme Win User
    So it doesn't do a scan at a certain time? I thought I had seen somewhere that it did a scan like at 3:00 in the morning or such.

    Maybe another way to ask this is: I can find all kinds of articles on "how" to set up scheduled scans. So the question is "why" would I have to do this if it's being done automatically already? I am really confused.
     
    reelme, Feb 6, 2017
    #9
  10. The way I do mine is
    Once it has started up and logged on and all programs up and running
    I get a notification that Defender needs to scan
    I just click open and within 2-3 minutes it has finished the scan and found nothing
    It is so much lighter and better than McAfee and I find that the way it does it is so much better
    When I had McAfee it was only doing it once a week and used to take all day and slow the system down.
    That is why when I brought all the new laptops I removed McAfee from all of them and let Defender be my only Anti-virus
     
    hTconeM9user, Feb 7, 2017
    #10
  11. reelme Win User
    Thanks for the info, but I still don't understand what the default is. Like I mentioned, I see posts on how to schedule a scan, but I would like to know if it is already doing so by default. thanks.
     
    reelme, Feb 7, 2017
    #11
  12. Bree New Member
    The default is that it is scheduled to scan daily when the system is idle but, as the task is configured to stop on any activity, it may not complete. If it doesn't complete it will try again until it succeeds or (as far as I can make out from Task Scheduler) it times out after three days of trying. Rinse and repeat...

    The many posts on here and elsewhere about using Task Scheduler are in order to schedule a scan that won't abort at any sign of user activity. This is the only way to guarantee a daily scan.

    Me, I'm happy to let it scan as and when it can, asking me to scan if it has been too long since the last one.
     
  13. reelme Win User

    Windows Defender Default Behavior

    Thanks. I wonder if by scheduling a daily scan, does it still do the random scans as well. Not that it matters, just really curious about how they built this program.
     
    reelme, Feb 7, 2017
    #13
  14. Hi yes I have sometimes found that it has done a random scan, normally for me 2 or 3 times a month
    Usually after an update has taken place
     
    hTconeM9user, Feb 7, 2017
    #14
  15. reelme Win User
    OK, so original poster back here - I have been watching to see what happens and Defender says real time protection is on. But it says that the last scan was yesterday morning, which is about 36 hours ago. I thought from the answers here that Defender would scan at opportune times throughout the day. I see no evidence of this. So, again I ask, without actually scheduling scans myself, is Defender doing scans on the go? Where can I see a log or evidence this is occurring?
     
    reelme, Feb 8, 2017
    #15
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Windows Defender Default Behavior

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