Make sure to remove your USB drive or DVD at this point and restore the correct boot order in your BIOS or UEFI settings to ensure that Windows will correctly boot up afterwards. Once the process is finished, your PC will reboot and the malware should be removed. If Windows Defender tool can run on your version of Windows 10, however, follow the on-screen instructions to scan your PC and deal with any infected files.Once the file is downloaded, run the tool and select Next. If you want to try this method, you’ll need to download the 64-bit version of Windows Defender Offline from the Microsoft website from a non-infected Windows PC.If it doesn’t work, you may need to use a third-party antivirus as an alternative, or schedule a Microsoft Defender Offline scan in Safe Mode using the steps above instead.Ĭreating the Windows Defender Offline Tool USB or DVD Media However, the tool itself is outdated (although the virus definitions are up-to-date) and won’t work with newer versions of Windows.įor this reason, this tool should only be used on older PCs running an older version of Windows 10 (or an earlier version of Windows). While this portable version of Defender was originally made for Windows 7 and 8.1, it can still be used to scan for malware on some Windows 10 PCs, depending on the version. While Windows 10 allows you to conduct an offline virus scan using Microsoft Defender without any additional tools or hardware, you can also use the older Windows Defender Offline tool on a portable USB drive or DVD to conduct a boot-level scan when Windows can’t (or shouldn’t) boot. Using the Older Windows Defender Offline Tool to Scan for Malware (Older Versions of Windows) At this point, the malware infection should be resolved, but you may need to follow additional steps to repair or restore your Windows installation (depending on the damage). Any malware will be removed or quarantined based on your actions above. Once the offline virus scan is complete, your PC will reboot back into Windows.

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