Full scan with defender hangs

Question

I have tried 3 times to do a full scan and it always hangs after more than 24 hours. I have 1 TB Hard drive but using only 300G. The quick scan finishes with no problem but the full scan hangs every time. How can i resolve it and make it to go to completion

Answer 1

If your full scan with Microsoft Defender is hanging, there are several potential reasons and solutions you can consider:

1. Memory Issues: A full scan can fail due to memory constraints, especially if there are large numbers of files (like cab/zip files) on your system. Consider cleaning up or removing unused files, or implementing exclusions for specific folders to reduce the load during the scan.
2. Power Settings: Ensure that your device is not running on battery during the scan, as this can cause the scan to stop prematurely. Scheduled full scans should ideally be run when the device is plugged in.
3. Scan Timeout: If the scan is taking too long, it may be timing out. Scheduled full scans have a seven-day limit, but if you're running it manually, ensure that you are using the correct method to avoid timeouts.
4. Event Viewer: Check the Event Viewer for any logs that might indicate why the scan is hanging. Look for relevant Event IDs that could provide insights into the issue.
5. Configuration Settings: Review your antivirus settings in Microsoft Intune or Windows Security to ensure that there are no configurations that might be affecting the scan, such as allowing scanning of mapped network drives or removable drives, which can degrade performance.

By addressing these areas, you should be able to identify the cause of the hanging full scan and take appropriate action to resolve it.

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References:

• Troubleshoot Microsoft Defender Antivirus scan issues
• Microsoft Defender Antivirus full scan considerations and best practices