When Periodic scanning is turned on, Windows will use its automatic maintenance feature to make sure periodic scans are run at optimal times to minimize the impact on performance and battery life. Below these options, you will see a toggle for Periodic Scanning, which you will need to flip from Off (grey) to On (blue) Here you will see your current antivirus programs status and options. Next, go to Virus & Threat Protection in the centre of the page.

To begin, open Settings, go to Update & Security, then Windows Security. If you are just running Microsoft Defender the feature is enabled by default and can’t be disabled. How do you enable Periodic Scanning on Windows 10? Microsoft Defender Periodic Scanning.Īs mentioned above, you won’t be able to access the periodic scanning feature in Microsoft Defender if you don’t have a third-party antivirus program installed. Below your third-party antivirus settings flip the Periodic Scanning toggle to On.Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security.It should be noted that if you don’t have a third-party antivirus program installed, you won’t be able to turn on periodic scanning and the feature will be missing entirely from the Security Center. It won’t run all the time and will notify you of any action you may need to take.

When enabled, Microsoft Defender periodic scanning will occasionally scan your system to double-check the work that your primary antivirus tool does. If you’re happy with your current service however and don’t have any plans to switch, you can still enable Microsoft Defender’s periodic scanning feature. It’s also one of the most lightweight, bloat-free options on the market, so it’s worth looking into if your current subscription is up or close to running out. Microsoft Defender, previously Windows Defender does an exceptionally good job of providing all-round protection for your system, for free.

Windows defender periodic scanning