The best way to check the status of Windows Defender is through the Windows Security Center.
Windows Security Center is included in all versions of Windows 10 and Windows 8, and can be accessed through the Control Panel.
Once you open the Windows Security Center, you will see an overview of the security settings on your computer. You can check the status of Windows Defender under the ‘Virus & threat protection’ section.
If Windows Defender is enabled on your system, you will see a green tick mark indicating it is on and protecting your system. If it is not enabled, you will see a red cross indicating it is off.
If you click on ‘Virus & threat protection’, you will see more detailed information about Windows Defender. It will show whether Windows Defender is currently scanning your computer and whether any threats have been detected.
You can also use the Windows Defender dashboard to perform a quick scan or a full scan of your system. It will also provide you with more information about the active protection and threat history.
On Windows 7, the Windows Security Center is located in the Action Center. Once opened, you can select the ‘Security’ option from the left side panel and then select ‘Check for updates’. This will show whether Windows Defender is up-to-date.
If Windows Defender is turned off or out of date, you can turn it on or update it by clicking the ‘Turn on now’ button. Alternatively, you can open the Windows Defender application directly from the Start menu.
Lastly, you can also use the Windows Command Line to check the status of Windows Defender. To do this, open a command prompt (cmd) window and type ‘netsh wfp show state’. This command will display all the settings and configurations related to Windows Defender.
If Windows Defender is enabled, you will see a status code of ‘Enabled’. If it is not enabled, you will see a status code of ‘Disabled’.
In summary, the best way to check the status of Windows Defender is through the Windows Security Center. You can also use the Windows Defender dashboard, the Windows Command Line, or the Action Center on Windows 7 to check the status of Windows Defender.