Windows 10: Windows Defender Log and Threat Count

Hello,I noticed this threat count last time I ran a full scan using windows defenderI don't suspect my computer has malware, though this is very odd and I couldn't find much online.Though while troubleshooting this I checked the defender logs and noticed these within the log. What would this mean? Could there be malware hiding in the background?I ran a Microsoft Safety Check full scan, defender full and offline scan, alongside Malwarebytes full scan. All came back clean, though they all had a different value for how many files they scanned. I am also concerned something could be tampering wi

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Windows defender false positive - forced to allow threat

Windows defender has started to identify C:\Windows\System32\mshta.exe as a threat [normally reported as a Trojan Powessere.G]. I use mshta.exe to run an hta custom MsgBox - I have been hoping to keep using my current CustomMsgBox tool [batch file calling a vbs-hta file] until later this year when I hope to have had enough time to replace it with a PowerShell alternative.

Windows defender's notification lets me "allow the threat" but that seems to me to be a bigger security hole than is necessary - it will now ignore a potentially real intrusion when all I want to run is a genuine Windows component. My immediate problem is fixed but I would prefer to fix the false positive using the exclusions list.

I cleared the 'Allowed threats history' so I could use the exclusions list instead. I added C:\Windows\System32\mshta.exe to the file exclusions list and I checked that it had taken properly by checking the exclusions list both in the UI & in the Registry. But the exclusion made no difference, it continued to detect and block the exe.

I have repeated the attempt several times [by clearing the allowed threats list & exclusions list beforehand] and the results are the same every time
- allowing the threat works,
- using the exclusions list has no effect.

I studied the relevant tutorial but have not spotted an error in what I have been doing - Add or Remove Windows Defender Exclusions

Does anybody with experience of using the exclusions list to counter false positives have any suggestions for me?

Denis

 

Threats detected by Windows Defender

No, Microsoft Windows Defender didn't like that BOOT DISK ISO image you downloaded. The possible hosts files alert is common Did you restart the system? STEP 1 Please set File Explorer to SHOW ALL folders, all files, including hidden ones. Use OPTION ONE or TWO of this article Turn On or Off Show all folders in Windows 10 Navigation Pane STEP 2 I suggest a new scan for viruses & other malware. This may take several hours, depending on the number of files on the system and the speed of the computer. The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free Microsoft stand-alone virus scanner that can be used to scan for & remove malware or potentially unwanted software from a system. The download links & the how-to-run-the tool are at this link at Microsoft https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...anner-download Look on the Scan Options & select the FULL scan. Then start the scan. Have lots of patience. It may take several hours. Once you see it has started, take a long long break; walk away. Do not pay credence if you see some intermediate early flash messages on the screen display. The only things that count are the End result at the end of the run. The scan will take several hours. Leave it alone. It will remove any other remaining threats as it goes along. Take a very long break, do your normal personal errands .....just do not use the computer during this scan. This is likely to run for many hours as previously mentioned ( depending on the number of files on your machine & the speed of the hardware.) The log is named MSERT.log and the log will be at C:\Windows\debug\msert.log Please attach that log with your next reply. Thank you

 

how to get windows defender scanned file count log.

How to get windows defender scanned file count log.