Microsoft Defender does not scan often enough. Last time it scanned was 11/6. Had to manually scan today.

Question

I usually have to manually do a scan on Microsoft Defender. It does not scan often enough. Is there a way to set a scan time?

Answer 1

Yes, you can set a specific time for Microsoft Defender to perform scheduled scans. This can be done through the policy settings in Microsoft Intune or Group Policy. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Schedule Scan Time: You can specify the time of day at which to perform a scheduled scan. The time is represented as the number of minutes past midnight. For example, setting it to 120 means the scan will occur at 2:00 AM.
2. Configure Daily Quick Scan: You can also configure a daily quick scan to run at a specific time. If you do not configure this setting, the daily quick scan will not run.
3. Group Policy: If you are using Group Policy to manage your devices, you can configure the scan settings under the Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings.

By adjusting these settings, you can ensure that Microsoft Defender scans your system more frequently without needing to do it manually.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft Defender Antivirus scan issues
• Policies that impact scanning