Windows Defender is a pre-installed anti-virus and anti-malware program for Windows operating systems. It is designed to protect your computer from malicious software such as viruses, spyware, and other forms of malware. By default, Windows Defender is enabled and runs periodic scans and real-time protection when certain suspicious activities are detected.
The best way to configure Windows Defender’s settings is to use the Windows Security app. This app makes it easy to adjust the settings and customize how Windows Defender works. Here’s a brief overview of the settings you can configure.
1. Real-time Protection: Real-time protection scans your system in the background and checks for viruses, malware, and other potential threats. You can enable or disable real-time protection, as well as decide how often scans should be performed.
2. Exclusions: This setting allows you to exclude certain files, folders, or file types from being scanned by Windows Defender. This can be useful if you have a particular file or folder that you know is safe, and you don’t want Windows Defender to scan it every time.
3. Threat History: The threat history gives you a list of all the threats that Windows Defender has found, as well as information about what action was taken. This can be helpful in determining if Windows Defender is working correctly and finding any potential threats.
4. Advanced Settings: The advanced settings allow you to customize more specific aspects of Windows Defender. You can choose to send anonymous usage data to Microsoft, block popups and other notifications, and choose whether or not to scan compressed files.
5. Troubleshooting: The troubleshooting section allows you to reset Windows Defender back to its default settings, as well as run a scan to check for any problems. This can be useful if Windows Defender is having trouble running properly.
By configuring Windows Defender’s settings, you can ensure that it is running correctly and protecting your system from malicious software. Make sure to take the time to go through each of these settings and customize them to your needs.