{"id":1569,"date":"2016-02-04T16:49:49","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T11:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.58.113.91\/blog\/?p=1569"},"modified":"2024-04-02T07:53:18","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T02:23:18","slug":"schedule-windows-defender-scan-windows-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/schedule-windows-defender-scan-windows-10\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Schedule Microsoft Defender Scan in Windows 10\/11"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft Defender’s command-line utility MpCmdrun.exe<\/a> is used for scheduling scans or updating the signatures using the command-line. This post tells you how to set up\u00a0Microsoft Defender to scan the computer daily at a specified time using Task Scheduler and in Windows 10 or 11.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> Windows already includes the Automatic Maintenance feature, which runs many scheduled tasks, including Defender daily scan<\/a>. However, the task runs only if the system is idle. Moreover, Automatic Maintenance stops running once it detects user activity in the system.<\/p>\n

If you can leave the system idle for some time daily for Automatic Maintenance, you don’t have to schedule it manually. Creating a scheduled task manually runs the scan, regardless of whether your system is idle.<\/p>\n

How to Schedule a Microsoft Defender Scan<\/h2>\n

Method 1: Create a Defender Scan Task Using SchTasks.exe<\/h3>\n

To schedule a daily Microsoft Defender scan, create a scheduled task using SchTasks.exe<\/code> console tool using the following steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Open a elevated Command Prompt<\/a>. To do so, right-click Start and click Command Prompt (Admin).<\/li>\n
  2. Type in the following command and press ENTER<\/code>:\n
    schtasks \/create \/tn \"Scan With Defender (Daily Quick Scan)\" \/sc DAILY \/st 13:00 \/ru SYSTEM \/rl HIGHEST \/tr \"'C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MpCmdRun.exe' -Scan -ScanType 1\"<\/pre>\n
    \"windows<\/p>\n
    This creates a Microsoft Defender Scan task that runs daily, at 13:00<\/code> hours under SYSTEM<\/code> user account with highest privileges. If you running it under SYSTEM<\/code> account you wouldn’t see the Command Prompt window that the task runs in. To see the Command Prompt window (interactive), change SYSTEM<\/code> to your user name (say, John<\/code>, in place of SYSTEM<\/code>).<\/li>\n
  3. Type EXIT<\/code> to close the Command Prompt window.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    The above command was given as an example. You can alter the scan schedule time, frequency (DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY) accordingly as per your requirements. For more information about Schtasks.exe command-line switches, see Schtasks.exe | Microsoft Docs<\/a> article.<\/em><\/p>\n
    Method 2: Create a Defender Scan Task Using Task Scheduler<\/h3>\n
    If you’d like to configure Microsoft Defender Scan schedule using Task Scheduler GUI, use these steps:<\/p>\n
      \n
    1. Click Start, type Task Scheduler and click Task Scheduler from the list.<\/li>\n
    2. From the Action menu, click Create Basic Task…
      \n\"windows<\/li>\n
    3. Assign a name for the task, and give an apt description for the custom task.
      \n\"windows<\/li>\n
    4. If you want to run the task once daily, click Daily, and click Next.
      \n\"windows<\/li>\n
    5. Set the time when you want to task to run, and click Next.
      \n\"windows<\/li>\n
    6. In the Action dialog, click Start a program<\/b>, and click Next.
      \n\"windows<\/li>\n
    7. In the Program\/Script text box, mention the full path of MpCmdRun.exe<\/code>. In the “Add arguments” text box, type one of the following:\n
      -Scan -ScanType 1 (for Quick Scan)<\/pre>\n
      -Scan -ScanType 2 (for Full system Scan)<\/pre>\n
      (or)<\/p>\n
      SignatureUpdateAndQuickScan<\/pre>\n
      Editor’s Note:\u00a0<\/strong>SignatureUpdateAndQuickScan<\/code> parameter does two things, just as the name implies: it updates the signatures and runs a Quick Scan. It is a hidden parameter<\/u> that is not mentioned in the help or anywhere. Also, check out the post Using MpCmdRun.exe to Update Defender and Run a Quick Scan in One Go<\/a> for more information.<\/em><\/p>\n
      \"windows<\/li>\n
    8. Select the Open the Properties dialog for this task<\/b> when I click Finish, and then click Finish.
      \n\"windows<\/li>\n
    9. Enable the check box for\u00a0Run with highest privileges<\/code>.<\/li>\n
    10. Select Windows 10<\/b> in the Configure for:<\/b> drop down list box.<\/li>\n
    11. Exit the Task Scheduler.That’s it! You’ve now created a task that launches Microsoft Defender Scan on schedule. The task duly runs at the specified time. The Command Prompt window can be minimized.
      \n\"windowsIf you use the SignatureUpdateAndQuickScan<\/code> parameter, it updates the signatures and follows up with a Quick Scan.\"windows<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      I hope that info helps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
      Microsoft Defender’s command-line utility MpCmdrun.exe is used for scheduling scans or updating the signatures using the command-line. This post tells you how to set up\u00a0Microsoft Defender to scan the computer daily at a specified time using Task Scheduler and in Windows 10 or 11.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,869],"tags":[581,661],"class_list":["post-1569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-windows-10","category-windows-11","tag-task-scheduler","tag-windows-defender"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1848,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/restore-defender-mpidletask-task-scheduler-deleted\/","url_meta":{"origin":1569,"position":0},"title":"Restore Windows Defender Scheduled Scan Task After Deleting it Accidentally","author":"Ramesh","date":"March 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Windows Defender's built-in scheduled task named \"Windows Defender Scheduled Scan\" is run by Automatic Maintenance when the system is idle. 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Additionally, you may see the following\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Utilities"","block_context":{"text":"Utilities","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/utilities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"startupchecklibrary.dll malware startup error","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malwarebytes-history.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malwarebytes-history.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malwarebytes-history.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malwarebytes-history.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/malwarebytes-history.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1646,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/find-unknown-program-open-and-close-immediately\/","url_meta":{"origin":1569,"position":5},"title":"Command Prompt Flashes and Closes Quickly at Startup or Random Intervals","author":"Ramesh","date":"February 16, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or an unknown program window flashes during logon or at random intervals without you doing anything, there are many chances that it's a Task Scheduler job. 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