Windows Defender Scheduled Scan does not run

pwcrickman · 08 Feb 2016

I successfully installed MSE and setup a scheduled daily scan at 11 pm. As far as I can tell, Win Defender is still installed. I thought that MSE was a replacement. Do I need to deactivate its scanning features - it seems separate from MSE?

My son's school switched to the ForeScout utility to monitor their network connectivity this semester and he connected once in January with this computer. To my knowledge no other changes mere made. He uses the computer very sporadically to connect to the school network. Is it possible to not have the ForeScout running unless the computer is connected to the school network or is this a question for the school's IT department?

UsernameIssues · 09 Feb 2016

Installing MSE does not replace Windows Defender...
...it just turns Windows Defender off (in W7).

You can read a description of what Windows Defender does on W7 here:
Using Windows Defender - Windows Help

Just to further confuse things...
...Windows Defender is an antivirus app in W8 and above:
https://blogs.microsoft.com/cybertru...one-do-i-need/

It is a subjective call as to what apps are (and are not) malware. MSE will allow some malware to install without flagging it as malware. This is why you will see many forum members using the Malwarebytes to handle malware.

Panda is more aggressive... defining things as malware that MSE allows. If scans with Malwarebytes start showing bad stuff, consider switching from MSE to Panda.

Layback Bear · 09 Feb 2016

Hi pwcrickman.

To verify things just go to the Start Orb and type Defender and tick on it.
After installing MSE it should indicate Defender is off. If not turn Defender off.

Do not try to remove Defender in Windows 7.

mjs17 · 01 Dec 2020

Go to Tools/Options/Administrator and either uncheck or check "Use this program" to stop (disable) or run (enable) Windows Defender, respectively.

mjs17 · 01 Dec 2020

pwcrickman said:

I did not find a method to disable and re-enable Defender in Windows features under "Program and Features" in the Control Panel. I have tried turning if off and then back on within Defender, but the scheduled scans still do not run.

Go to Tools/Options/Administrator and either uncheck or check "Use this program" to stop (disable) or run (enable) Windows Defender, respectively.

mjs17 · 01 Dec 2020

Doing the above (stopping and starting) Windows Defender fixed my problem with the auto scan never working (always failing to successfully start a scheduled auto scan).

Finally only after stopping and starting the program did it work for the first time.

I now am able to see the evidence of a scheduled auto scan display at the bottom of the Windows Defender "Home" page.

So this post on page one is the answer (at least in my case) to the topic issue:

MarkP15 said:

Try disabling then re-enabling Defender in features in the control panel and see if that rectifies the issue.

Question: The only place I can observe evidence that the scan actually did run is at the bottom of the "Home" page.

It seems to me there should be a "history" of every scan that has been done - including the results of each scan.

Is there any way to see this anywhere (that is a history of scan results)? (the "History" page presumably only displays the "action" ever taken for any files, if any, for all scans which I find empty of any data -- the scan itself that the bottom of the "Home" page displays does not display in the "History" page -- which only displays on the "Home" when the last scan was done and without any results of the scan)

mjs17 · 05 Dec 2020

Bad news - Windows defender only ran the one scan after turning it off and back on (disabling/enabling). I've tried the same thing again, but the auto scan persistently fails to run now.

I have resorted to using the Task Scheduler to run scans. The Task Scheduler scan states "operation completed successfully" but I cannot find any documented record of the scan anywhere in Windows 7.

Someone mentioned this:

UsernameIssues said:

... As for your scheduled task issue, do you have history turned on?

Please tell me where this "toggle" is located to presumably turn on/off "History"? I do not see anywhere where this can be done. As a matter of record there is nothing in my "History" that relates to any scans that take place; neither the one auto scan that worked or manual scans.

Below are screen-shots of: 1) My Task Scheduler results showing "operation completed successfully" for the scheduled scan. 2) What I find in the Event Viewer - which is basically no help. 3) What the Windows Defender has with my comments questions embedded in the image (screen-shot). I have notations here regarding the "last scan" data that does not reflect the date of the "Scheduled scan" in the Task Scheduler as well as my questions regarding the fact I do not have an "auto scan" on in the Windows Defender on the basis that this would presumably conflict with the Task Schedulers scheduled scan. So my question is - where in Windows Defender or anywhere else in Windows 7 is there a record of the "operation completed successfully" scan.

Here are relevant screen-shots:
1)

2)

3)

mjs17 · 12 Dec 2020

RESOLVED - It all comes down to including the correct executable (application) in the Windows Task Scheduler to run a scan in Windows Defender (which I failed to do). If this is done the scan will run and be documented in the Windows Defender at the bottom of the "Home" page within the pages scan "Status" area.

For those who may have issues using the native (embedded) "Automatic Scanning" for Windows Defender on a Window 7 O.S. (which I've found to be unreliable in my case) - the Task Scheduler in Windows 7 will perform the scan appropriately if the "Custom Malware Scan" Task is setup correctly in the Task Scheduler.

What I was doing wrong was I did not point to the correct application in Windows Defender to run the scan.

A few basic (essential) pointers when setting up the Task to use the "automatic scan" option in Windows Defender in the Task Scheduler:
In the "Actions" tab window the target application should be: "MpCmdRun.exe" (in Windows Defender).
Whether a scan is "Quick" or "Full" depends upon the optional added "arguments" used.
For a "Quick" scan use the arguments: "Scan -ScheduleJob".
For a "Full" scan use the arguments: "Scan -ScheduleJob -ScanType 2".

All scans can be setup for which days of the week and the time for the scan to run (that would reside in the "Triggers" tab of the Task).
If you use "Sleep" or "Hibernate" on your computer you would need to enable the "Wake this computer to run this task" option in the "Conditions" tab of the Task.
If you use a password to logon to Windows you would need to enable "Run whether user is logged on or not" in the "General" tab.

Note: All setting references above are to be used without the quotes.