Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
☎️ If you're worried your computer might have malware, running a full scan with Windows Security is one of the best ways to check. I'll walk you through updating, launching, and completing a full scan, plus explain why it's not a guaranteed fix on its own.
☎️ Running a full scan
Use Windows Update to make sure Windows Defender is as up to date as possible.
In Windows Security/Virus & threat protection, select a full scan.
Click on Scan now.
A full scan will take some time and may impact the performance of your system, but you can continue using your computer if you like.
Updates, related links, and more discussion: askleo.com/139376
🔔 Subscribe to the Ask Leo! YouTube channel for more tech videos & answers: go.askleo.com/ytsub
✅ Watch next ▶ Why Don’t Anti-Malware Tools Work Better? ▶ youtu.be/CuGoScc0PTI
Chapters
0:00 Full Scan Using Windows Defender
0:29 First: Update
2:00 Full scan
3:07 A full scan is no guarantee
❤️ My best articles: go.askleo.com/best
❤️ My Most Important Article: go.askleo.com/number1
More Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com to get your questions answered
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☑️ askleo.com/patron to help support Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com/all-the-different-ways-to-get-ask-leo for even more!
#askleo #defender #scan
☎️ If you're worried your computer might have malware, running a full scan with Windows Security is one of the best ways to check. I'll walk you through updating, launching, and completing a full scan, plus explain why it's not a guaranteed fix on its own.
☎️ Running a full scan
Use Windows Update to make sure Windows Defender is as up to date as possible.
In Windows Security/Virus & threat protection, select a full scan.
Click on Scan now.
A full scan will take some time and may impact the performance of your system, but you can continue using your computer if you like.
Updates, related links, and more discussion: askleo.com/139376
🔔 Subscribe to the Ask Leo! YouTube channel for more tech videos & answers: go.askleo.com/ytsub
✅ Watch next ▶ Why Don’t Anti-Malware Tools Work Better? ▶ youtu.be/CuGoScc0PTI
Chapters
0:00 Full Scan Using Windows Defender
0:29 First: Update
2:00 Full scan
3:07 A full scan is no guarantee
❤️ My best articles: go.askleo.com/best
❤️ My Most Important Article: go.askleo.com/number1
More Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com to get your questions answered
☑️ newsletter.askleo.com to subscribe to the Confident Computing newsletter.
☑️ askleo.com/patron to help support Ask Leo!
☑️ askleo.com/all-the-different-ways-to-get-ask-leo for even more!
#askleo #defender #scan
