- To enable Defender Periodic scanning on Windows 10, open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, click on “Microsoft Defender Antivirus options,” and turn on “Periodic scanning.”
On Windows 10, Microsoft continues to include its free Microsoft Defender Antivirus software to scan, detect, and remove malware from your device. However, many users choose to install third-party security software, such as Symantec’s Norton Antivirus, AVG, Avira, BitDefender, McAfee, and many others.
Although there are many suitable alternatives, there is no antivirus that will guarantee full protection from every malware, and to help with this issue, Microsoft Defender Antivirus ships a feature called “Periodic scanning.”
Periodic scanning will only be available on devices running a third-party antivirus, and when it is enabled, the default antivirus will remain disabled. However, it will periodically scan and remove any threats that the other installed security software may not have been able to detect.
In this guide, I will teach you the steps to enable Periodic scanning on your Windows 10 devices when you have a third-party antivirus already installed to add an extra layer of security.
Enable Periodic scanning on Windows 10
To enable “Periodic scanning” after adding a third-party antivirus on Windows 10, use these steps:
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Open Windows Security.
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Click on Virus & threat protection.
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Click the “Microsoft Defender Antivirus options” setting.
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Turn on the Periodic scanning toggle switch.
Once Periodic scanning is enabled on the device, Windows 10 will use the Automatic Maintenance feature to run the scans at optimal times to minimize the impact on performance and battery life.
Although Microsoft Defender Antivirus will detect and remove any malware it finds automatically, you will receive a notification of the new threat in Action Center, which you can view in the antivirus software and take additional actions accordingly.
Disable Periodic scanning on Windows 10
To disable “Periodic scanning” on your computer, use these steps:
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Open Windows Security.
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Click on Virus & threat protection.
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Click the “Microsoft Defender Antivirus options” setting.
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Turn off the Periodic scanning toggle switch.
After you complete the steps, the Defender antivirus will not try to scan for threats while using a third-party security solution on Windows 10.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus Periodic scanning is only meant to provide an extra layer of security to make Windows 10 more secure when you use another antivirus solution already installed on your device.
It’s important to note that these are the most efficient ways to manage the feature. Using Command Prompt, PowerShell, or the Registry to modify this feature is not recommended because it’ll likely not work.
Update January 23, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].