Updating Windows Defender Antivirus
One of the most important things you can do to keep your computer secure is to keep all your software up to date. This includes Windows Defender Antivirus, which is Microsoft’s malware protection program. Updating Windows Defender Antivirus ensures that it is able to detect and protect against the latest threats. If Windows Defender Antivirus is out of date, it is possible for malicious software to slip through the cracks, so it is important to keep it updated on a regular basis.
Luckily, keeping Windows Defender Antivirus up to date is relatively simple. Windows 10 should automatically update Windows Defender Antivirus in the background, but you should manually check for updates occasionally to be sure. Here’s how.
Step 1: Access the Windows Security App
The first step is to open the Windows Security app. This is the main interface for Windows Defender Antivirus and all of its settings. On Windows 10, there are two ways to open the Windows Security app.
The quickest way is to search for “Windows Security” in the Start Menu search bar. Just type “Windows Security” into the search bar, then click the Windows Security result that appears.
You can also open the Windows Security app from the Windows Settings menu. First, click the Start Menu, then click the gear icon to open the Settings menu. From here, click “Update & Security” in the Settings menu, then select “Windows Security” from the list.
Step 2: Manually Check for Updates
Once you have opened the Windows Security app, you can start to check for updates. To manually check for updates, click on the “Virus & threat protection” option in the navigation menu on the left side of the window. This will open the Virus & threat protection settings.
From the Virus & threat protection settings, click the “Check for updates” button. This will cause Windows Defender Antivirus to check for any available updates. If any updates are available, they will be automatically downloaded and installed.
You can also click the “Advanced options” link for more detailed settings.
Step 3: Enable Automatic Updates
In addition to manually checking for updates, you can also enable automatic updates for Windows Defender Antivirus. To do this, go back to the Virus & threat protection settings in the Windows Security app and click on the “Automatic sample submission” setting. This setting allows you to set the level of data collection and sharing that Windows Defender Antivirus should perform.
Choose “Full” to enable automatic updates. When this setting is enabled, Windows Defender Antivirus will automatically check for, download, and install updates whenever they are available.
Step 4: Configure Scan Settings
Finally, you can configure scan settings in the Windows Security app. Go to the Virus & threat protection settings and click the “Scan options” link. From here, you can configure when and how scans should be performed. You can choose to run quick scans, full scans, or custom scans, as well as configure when scans should be performed.
Conclusion
Keeping Windows Defender Antivirus up to date is an important part of keeping your computer safe and secure. Luckily, updating Windows Defender Antivirus is relatively straightforward. All you have to do is open the Windows Security app, manually check for updates, enable automatic updates, and configure scan settings. Following these steps should ensure that Windows Defender Antivirus is kept up to date and able to protect against the latest threats.