Additional Microsoft Defender tools and services that provide security across various platforms and environments
Yes. This can be normal behavior with Microsoft Safety Scanner and similar Microsoft antimalware scans.
During the scan, the tool can show files as potentially suspicious or infected while it is still evaluating them. When the scan finishes, those files are checked against the malware definitions and cloud-based confirmation. If the final result says no viruses, spyware, or other potentially unwanted software were detected, that means the scan did not confirm malware.
If reassurance is needed, these are the supported next steps:
- Run the scan again after restarting Windows.
- Make sure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is fully updated:
- Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
- Under Virus & threat protection updates, select Check for updates.
- Make sure these protection features are turned on:
- Cloud-delivered protection
- Automatic sample submission Path: Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings
- If the same threat keeps returning after scans, run Windows Defender Offline scan:
- Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection
- Under Current threats, select Scan options
- Select Windows Defender Offline scan > Scan now
Important: an offline scan restarts the PC, so save work first.
If the scanner is showing actual errors during the scan, run Windows Update and try the latest protection updates again.
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