Microsoft Defender Antivirus offers “Periodic Scanning,” which scans and removes threats that other Windows Security may have missed. View periodic scanning as an extra defense layer against cyber threats if you utilize non-Windows Defender products like CrowdStrike Falcon, Bitdefender, or McAfee.
This mechanism identifies and prevents computer threats, collaborating with Windows Security software and third-party antivirus on Windows 10 and 11. Active Windows Defender security enables automatic Limited Periodic Scanning, protection and monitoring. Activate periodic scanning the Microsoft Defender is passive. However, it will monitor missed threats.
Individuals who use Microsoft Defender as their primary antivirus on their machine can enable Microsoft Defender to check for viruses on a regular basis by following this extensive guide: Periodic Scanning: How to schedule Windows Defender Antivirus to scan on Windows | Learn [Solve IT].
According to Microsoft, this feature is not needed for use in enterprise environments. Mostly for individual users, Periodic Scanning detects malware using limited Windows Security features, missing more threats managed by the primary security.
Learn more about Windows Security encryption features in these related posts: How to restore quarantined files in Microsoft Defender Antivirus, How to find and remove Malware with Microsoft Defender Offline, how to remove Microsoft Defender update on Windows 10 and Windows Server image, how to view Microsoft Defender Antivirus update details on Windows 10 image (install.wim), and new Windows 11 encryption features and security enhancements will help protect hybrid work.
In this article, you will learn the steps to enable and disable scanning on Windows 11.
How to enable periodic scanning
If you have a third-party security program installed on your computer, follow the steps below to start Limited Periodic Scanning.
Activate the Start menu by pressing the Windows key.
Click on Virus & Threat Protection. You should be able to see the antivirus program you’re running in the Virus & Threat Protection section.
Scroll down and click on the Microsoft Defender Antivirus options setting and turn on Periodic scanning. You may need admin access to complete this task.
After activating this feature, you will observe extra options: virus settings, intrusion prevention, and the choice for advanced scans.
How to disable periodic scanning Windows Security
To disable Windows Defender Antivirus periodic scanning, follow the steps below:
Open Windows Security and click on Virus & threat protection. Scroll down and click on the Microsoft Defender Antivirus options setting and turn off the Periodic scanning.
After you complete the procedures, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will no longer scan your computer for viruses on a regular basis if a third-party solution is installed on the device.