Perform a virus scan – Windows 10 and 11

To perform a virus scan on a College‑issued Windows 10 or 11 computer, refer to the Perform a virus scan section. To manually check for protection updates, refer to the Perform virus protection updates section.

Perform a virus scan

1. Click Show hidden icons at the bottom right‑hand side of your taskbar, and then click the Windows Defender icon.
   
2. On the Windows Defender Security Center home screen, click Virus & threat protection.
   
3. On the Virus & threat protection screen, click Quick Scan, which takes 45–60 minutes.
   
   NOTE: A quick scan searches for malware in your Windows startup folders and is typically adequate for locating malware that real‑time protection may have missed. To run a full scan, refer to Step 4. A full scan is appropriate for identifying malware on other system components and folders when a more thorough clean‑up is necessary.
4. To run a full scan (which could take several hours depending on the number of files on your system), on the Virus & threat protection screen, click Scan options.
   
5. On the Scan options menu, select the Full scan button, and then click Scan now.
   
NOTE: If the scan identifies an issue, it will quarantine the suspect file for one month before deleting it. If after one month the quarantined file is still visible in your quarantined items, please see the ITS Service Desk website to submit a Service Desk ticket. (To view quarantined items, on the Virus & threat protection screen, click the Threat history link.)

Perform virus protection updates

IT Solutions performs Windows Defender protection updates on a daily basis, and all College‑issued computers will automatically receive these updates. If your computer has been offline or not connected to the College’s wired network for an extended period, you can manually check for protection updates by following these steps:

1. Refer to Step 1 and Step 2 in the Perform a virus scan section to open the Virus & threat protection screen.
2. On the Virus & threat protection screen, scroll down to Virus & threat protection updates, and then click Protection updates.
   
3. On the Protection updates screen, click the Check for updates, (Windows will automatically install any necessary protection updates).
   

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