Windows Defender is a built-in antivirus solution for Windows that provides users with real-time protection and malware prevention. The tool helps keep your system secure by protecting against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It can also be used to detect and remove threats from your computer.
Windows Defender was first introduced in Windows 8, and it has been steadily improved since then.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get started using Windows Defender:
1. Check Your System. Before you can use Windows Defender, you need to check if it is enabled on your system. To do this, go to the Start menu and type “Windows security”. This will open up the Windows Security page. On the right-hand side, you should see an option for “Virus & threat protection”. If it is not there, then you need to first enable it.
2. Activate Windows Defender. Once you have turned on Windows Defender, you need to activate it. To do this, go back to the same Windows Security page and click on “Virus & threat protection settings”. There should now be an option for “Real-time protection”. Click on the toggle switch and turn it on.
3. Run a Scan. Now that Windows Defender is activated, you can start using it. The best way to get started is to run a full scan of your system. This can be done by going to the same Windows Security page and clicking on “Scan options”. Then, choose the option for “Full scan” and click “Scan now”. Windows Defender will then begin scanning your system and looking for any potentially malicious files.
4. Set Up Automatic Scans. To ensure that your system is always protected, you can also configure Windows Defender to automatically carry out periodic scans. To do this, go back to the same Windows Security page and click on “Virus & threat protection settings”. There should be an option for “Automatic scans”. Click on this and then choose the frequency at which you would like Windows Defender to scan your system.
5. Get Notified. You can also configure Windows Defender to send you notifications when it finds potential threats. To enable this, go back to the same Windows Security page and click on “Notifications & actions” in the left-hand menu. Then, turn on the toggle switch for “Show my notifications”.
With these steps, you should now be able to start using Windows Defender to help keep your system secure. However, it is important to remember that Windows Defender is not a guaranteed security solution and it should not be used as a replacement for other security measures. It should always be used in combination with other tools, such as firewalls and anti-virus software.