Windows Defender is a free security program that is included on all recent versions of the Windows operating system. It is the default antivirus program on Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, while Windows 7 and Windows Vista users can download it as part of the Microsoft Security Essentials suite. As long as it is enabled, Windows Defender will protect your PC by monitoring and scanning all of the files, folders, and programs you download and use.
You may sometimes need to exclude certain items from being scanned by Windows Defender. This could be done to improve system performance or if you have a legitimate application that is being falsely identified as malicious or a virus.
To exclude files and folders from being scanned by Windows Defender, first you need to open the Windows Defender interface. To do this, click the Start button, type “Defender” into the search bar and select the Windows Defender option that appears. Once Windows Defender is open, click the Settings tab in the top-right corner of the window.
Next, under the Exclusions section, click “Add An Exclusion”. You can then choose either Files, Folders, File Types, or Processes, depending on what type of item you want to exclude.
If you choose Files or Folders, you can select specific files or folders that you would like to exclude from being scanned by Windows Defender. If you are selecting a folder, you can also check the box next to “Include subfolders” to make sure that all subfolders within the designated folder are excluded from scans as well.
If you choose File Types, you can add any file types that you would like to exclude from being scanned. For example, if you don’t want Windows Defender to scan .exe files, you can add this file type to the exclusions list.
Finally, if you choose Processes, you can add any processes or applications that you would like to exclude from being scanned by Windows Defender. For example, if you have a legitimate application that Windows Defender is falsely flagging as a virus, you can add this to the exclusions list so that it will not be scanned.
Once you have selected the items that you wish to exclude, click “Add” to save your changes. Windows Defender will then no longer scan the items that you have listed in the exclusions list. It’s important to note that this is only a temporary measure, and you should regularly investigate the items that you are excluding from scans in order to ensure that they are safe.