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Microsoft offline scan not working

Anonymous
2024-12-17T19:36:12+00:00

I recently discovered some malware on my computer and I quarantined it but was planning on trying to backup a couple important things and then just doing a clean install of Windows 11 as I've been meaning to for a while now. I wanted to make sure backing it up on an external hard drive would be safe. I've run a full scan and it comes back clean, but when I try to do an offline scan it just doesn't work. My computer restarts and it shows the "Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan)" loading screen for a little, but then it just restarts the computer like normal, never showing the window that says it's actually scanning. This whole cycle only takes like a minute or two, much shorter than the 15+ it should take. I've checked the status of the Windows RE and it says it's enabled. Any ideas?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Security and privacy

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-12-18T08:18:14+00:00

    Hi, OculusRift1

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    We understand that you are experiencing an issue that prevents you from scanning offline with Windows Defender.  Typically, there are two reasons why Windows Defender is unable to scan offline: 1. Malware is blocking the Windows Defender process. 2. Malware corrupts the components of Windows Defender.However, if you perform a full scan, if no threats are scanned, then the files are safe, but just in case, you can also try to enter Safe Mode for offline scanning:1. Enter Safe Mode:- Press Win + I to open Settings, select “Update and Security” -> “Recovery”.- Under “Advanced Startup”, click “Reboot Now”.- Select “Troubleshooting” -> “Advanced Options” -> “Startup Settings” -> “Reboot”. Select “Troubleshooting” -> “Advanced Options” -> “Boot Settings” -> “Restart”.- Select Enable “Safe Mode” to enter the system.If the above method does not work, you can also try:-Reboot your computer.-Wait for the login screen to appear, don't log in, hold down the SHIFT key, and then click Start - Restart your computer.-Then after reboot, you will enter the repair mode, select Troubleshooting - Advanced Options - Startup Settings - Reboot.-Tap the number 4 on your keyboard to enable Safe Mode.2. Run a full disk scan in safe mode:- After entering Safe Mode, try to run a full scan with Windows Defender to see if it can detect more potential issues. If you are still unable to run Windows Defender in Safe Mode, then you can be sure that the Windows Defender component is corrupted. Considering that you are ready to perform a fresh installation of Windows 11, if you are still unsure, you can use a third-party trusted protection software to perform an offline scan to ensure that your data is completely safe before you perform the Windows 11 fresh install.

    Best Regards

    Nicholas.Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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