How to Enable and Use Windows Defender for Antivirus

Windows Defender is a built-in antivirus program in Windows operating systems. It helps protect your computer from various types of malware, including viruses, spyware, and ransomware. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to enable and use Windows Defender for antivirus protection on your Windows computer.

Enabling Windows Defender

By default, Windows Defender is usually enabled on Windows operating systems. However, in some cases, it might be disabled or replaced by a third-party antivirus program. Here's how to enable Windows Defender if it's currently disabled:

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click on the Start Menu button to open the Start Menu.
2. Type "Windows Security" and click on the matching result to open the Windows Security application.
3. In the Windows Security window, click on the Virus & threat protection option in the left-hand sidebar.
4. If Windows Defender is disabled, you will see a message stating that "Your device is unprotected." Click on the Turn on button to enable Windows Defender.

Using Windows Defender

Once you have enabled Windows Defender, you can start using it to scan for malware and manage your antivirus settings. Here's how to use Windows Defender effectively:

Performing a Quick Scan

1. Open the Windows Security application as described earlier.
2. Click on the Virus & threat protection option in the left-hand sidebar.
3. Under "Quick scan," click on the Quick scan button to start scanning your computer for malware. This scan is fast and scans common areas where malware is typically found.

Performing a Full Scan

If you suspect a deep malware infection or want to perform a comprehensive scan of your entire system:

1. Open the Windows Security application.
2. Click on the Virus & threat protection option.
3. Under "Quick scan," click on Scan options.
4. Click on the Full scan radio button and then click the Scan now button to start a full system scan.

Managing Windows Defender Settings

Windows Defender provides several settings you can customize according to your needs. Here's how to access and configure Windows Defender settings:

1. Open the Windows Security application.
2. Click on the Virus & threat protection option.
3. Under "Settings," click on Manage settings to access the Windows Defender settings panel.
4. In the settings panel, you can enable or disable real-time protection, cloud-delivered protection, and automatic sample submission according to your preferences. It's generally recommended to keep real-time protection enabled for continuous malware protection.

Handling Quarantined Items

When Windows Defender detects potentially harmful files or software, it quarantines them to prevent them from causing harm to your system. If you suspect a false positive or want to review quarantined items:

1. Open the Windows Security application.
2. Click on the Virus & threat protection option.
3. Under "Current threats," click on Protection history.
4. In the protection history, you can review all the items that were quarantined. You can choose to remove items, restore them if they were wrongly flagged, or exclude specific files or folders from future scans.

Conclusion

Windows Defender is a powerful antivirus program that comes built-in with Windows operating systems. In this tutorial, we covered how to enable Windows Defender, perform quick and full scans, manage Windows Defender settings, and handle quarantined items. With Windows Defender activated and properly configured, you can enhance the security of your Windows computer and protect against various malware threats.