HP PCs - Using Windows Security to prevent virus and spyware problems (Windows 10)

To enable Windows Security, open the app, and then turn it on.

1. In Windows, search for and open Windows Security.

   Note:

   If you get an error message that Windows Security is not protecting your computer and you are not able to open Windows Security, see Unable to activate Windows Security in this document.

   

2. Check the message in the Virus & threat protection area.

   • If the shield icon displays a green circle with a checkmark and the message No actions needed is displayed, Windows Security is enabled.

   • If the shield icon displays a red circle with an x and the message Actions needed is displayed, click the shield icon, and then click Turn on.

Use Windows Security to scan for and remove any viruses, spyware, or other malware from the computer.

How to Scan your Computer for Malware Using Windows Security

Learn how to automatically or manually scan files and folders on your computer for malicious software using Windows Security.

• Quick scan: A quick scan checks the places on the hard disk drive that malware is most likely to infect.

• Full scan: A full scan checks all files on your hard disk drive and all currently running applications. If you suspect that malware has infected your computer, run a full scan. The scan might take over an hour to complete, and the computer might run slowly during the scan.

• Custom scan: A custom scan checks specific computer drives and files that you select.

• Windows Defender Offline scan: A Windows Defender Offline scan checks for rootkits or highly persistent malware on your computer. Select this option to check for malware outside of the normal Windows system. The scan might take 15 minutes to complete, and the computer restarts as part of the scan.

  Note:

  HP recommends using the Windows Defender Offline scan if you suspect your computer is infected with malware or a virus.

1. In Windows, search for and open Windows Security, and then select Virus & threat protection.

2. Click Quick scan, Scan options, or Run an advanced scan, and then select the type of scan you want to run.

   • If you choose Quick scan, the scan begins.

   • If you choose Scan options, continue with these steps to run a full system scan, a custom scan, or a Windows Defender Offline scan.

   

3. Select one of the following options, click Scan now, and then click Scan .

   • If you choose Full scan, the scan begins.

   • If you chooseCustom scan, select the specific drives or folders to scan, and then click Select Folder.

     

   • If you choose Windows Defender Offline scan, save any open files, and then click Scan. If a User Account Control window opens, click Yes.

     

     How to Scan your Computer Using Windows Defender Offline

     Learn how to scan your computer for malicious software before your operating system boots using Windows Defender Offline.
     Note:

     The computer restarts when an offline scan completes.

     

4. Wait for the scan to finish, and then view the results.

   If your computer restarted during the scan, search for and open Virus & threat protection, and then click Scan options > Protection history.

   Protection history provides a list of all threat Windows Security has ever identified for the computer.

   Note:

   For earlier versions of Windows 10, click Threat history.

5. For additional information, click See full history.

   • If no threats were detected, no action is necessary.

   • If threats were detected, choose from the options that display, such as Clean threats or Start actions, to resolve the threat.

After Windows Security runs a Quick, Full, or Custom scan, the scan results display on the scan window. However, after a Windows Defender Offline scan runs, you need to open the scan results to view them.

1. In Windows, search for and open Windows Security, and then click Virus & threat protection.

2. Click Threat history.

To increase the speed of a scan, you can exclude specific files, locations, file types, and processes from the scan.

CAUTION:

Excluding items from a scan might leave your computer vulnerable to the latest malware.

How to Exclude Items from a Windows Security Scan

Learn how to exclude files, locations, file types, and processes from a Windows Security scan on your computer.

1. In Windows, search for and open Windows Security, and then click Virus & threat protection.

2. Under Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings.

3. In the Exclusions area, click Add or remove exclusions.

   

4. Click the plus sign (+) next to Add an exclusion, and then select File, Folder, File type, or Process from the drop-down menu.

   

5. Choose the files, folders, file type, or process to be excluded from the next scan.

   • If you selected File, select the files to be excluded, and then click Open. If a User Account Control window displays, click Yes.

   • If you selected Folder, select the folders to be excluded, and then click Select Folder. If a User Account Control window displays, click Yes.

   • If you selected File type, type the file type extension, such as .docx, to be excluded, and then click Add. If a User Account Control window displays, click Yes.

   • If you selected Process, type the process name, such as search, to be excluded, and then click Add. If a User Account Control window displays, click Yes.

6. If you want to remove an item from the exclusions list, select the item you want to remove, and then click Remove.

   

Use the Controlled folder access feature to protect your files and folders from malicious apps, such as ransomware.

1. In Windows, search for and open Windows Security, and then click Virus & threat protection.

2. Under Virus & threat protection settings, click Manage settings.

3. In the Controlled folder access area, click Manage Controlled folder access.

   If the User Account Control window displays, click Yes.

   

4. In the Controlled folder access area, click the toggle button.

   

5. Click one of the following options, depending on how you want to protect your files and folders.

   • Click Protected folders to choose the specific folders you want to protect. Many folders that come pre-loaded on Windows 10 are automatically protected.

     

   • Click Allow an app through Controlled folder access to choose the applications that can access your files and folders.

     

If you do not have a broadband connection that is always on or you want to check for updates, you can manually check for and install security updates for Windows Security.

1. Using the search box on the taskbar, search for and open Check for updates.

2. Click Check for updates.

   

After the search completes, the updates automatically install.