Does Windows Defender Run a Scan by Itself?

Spyware is a term used to describe malicious programs that perform certain tasks. These tasks include advertising, collecting personal information and changing the configuration of your computer. Moreover, spyware may slow your computer, decrease your available system memory and change your system configurations. Generally, spyware programs install themselves on your computer and perform these tasks without your consent.

At any point, you can tell Windows Defender to scan your computer for spyware. This type of scan, referred to as a manual scan, may be necessary if you suspect your computer has become infected with spyware. For example, you may notice an inordinate amount of pop-ups or you may have just visited a suspicious website. To run a manual scan, open Windows Defender, click the "down arrow" next to "Scan" and select "Full Scan" or "Quick Scan." A full scan scans your entire computer for spyware, whereas a quick scan scans the places on your computer spyware is most likely to infect.

You can program Windows Defender to automatically scan your computer. This is beneficial because it keeps you from having to remember to scan your computer periodically. To program automatic scans, open Windows Defender, click "Tools" and "Options." Under "Automatic Scanning," check the box next to "Automatically Scan My Computer (Recommended)" and select the frequency, time of day and type of scan you want Windows Defender to run automatically. Note Windows recommends you run a daily "Quick Scan" at minimum.

Windows Defender features a tool called "Real-Time Protection," which is a form of automatic scanning. This tool involves Windows Defender scanning all incoming data and alerting you when potentially dangerous or unwanted software is attempting to install itself or run on your computer. Thus, while the aforementioned scans are used to remove spyware from your computer, "Real-Time Protection" is designed to prevent spyware from infecting your computer in the first place.