Windows Defender stopped scanning automatically

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My Win 10 Pro got the Anniversary Update two weeks ago and everything is just fine except Windows Defender.

Every day I receive a notification that it needs to scan, before the AU it scanned automatically. Is this a new “feature” or is there a setting I can change?

Currently in Defender’s Settings I have Real-Time Protection, Cloud-Based Protection and Automatic Sample Submission all turned on and Enhanced Notifications turned off.
Anti-malware client version is 4.10.14393.0 and Win 10 Pro v1607 build 14393.693.

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Do you use CCleaner?

Why do you have Real-Time Protection turned off? (“You can turn this off temporarily but if it’s off for a while we’ll turn it back on automatically.”)

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Real-Time Protection turned ON.

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Real-Time Protection turned ON.

Sorry, I misread that several times.

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Check the Windows Defender scheduled tasks to see their configuration and status. See Schedule a scan in Windows Defender.

--Joe

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Thanks, JoeP517, I’ve set it up and we’ll see what happens later tonight.

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If CCleaner, then [SOLVED] Windows Defender needs to scan your computer (#11)

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If CCleaner, then [SOLVED] Windows Defender needs to scan your computer (#11)

Yes, I do have CCleaner and, thanks to your reply, I’ve unchecked Windows Defender in CCleaner and the “WD needs to scan” messages have stopped.

However, I also looked at the WD entry in Task Scheduler and there was no trigger for running WD so I set one up for 01:00 every day. The rather confusing situation now is that when I open WD, at the foot of the Home tab under Scan Details it shows last scan 06/02/2017 at 22:03 but in Task Scheduler the WD Scheduled Scan entry lists last scan at 07/02/2017 01:00 and the other three WD entries (Cache Maintenance, Cleanup, Verification) all show 06/02/2017 at 22:03.

Is everything running as it should?

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The WD entry in Task Scheduler didn’t need a trigger, because in Windows 8/10 it’s controlled by the setting at Control PanelSecurity and MaintenanceAutomatic Maintenance:

The Automatic Maintenance Quick Scan will run irrespective of any scans that you schedule independently, so scheduling another Quick Scan is redundant. There’s really no need for scheduling a scan, or for leaving the PC on all night, or for rescheduling Automatic Maintenance. Automatic Maintenance will only run when you’re not using your PC – in order to keep from interfering with your work. So even if you schedule Automatic Maintenance for a specific time during the day, it might not run for several hours after the scheduled time, depending on your work habits.. But if you just leave Automatic Maintenance at its default scheduled time, and turn your PC off at the end of the day, then*it will be triggered shortly after startup the next day; and*it will*be started whenever the system reaches idle. Then if you start using your PC, Automatic Maintenance will stop and wait for the next idle; but if you leave the PC on for a good part of the day, then there should be a time slot where the system remains idle long enough to get the maintenance chores done.

So the Automatic Maintenance scan is fully automated and it doesn’t require any kind of scheduling or leaving the PC on overnight – but you do need to take a coffee break that’s long enough to give Automatic Maintenance the time to finish its work. That’s only fair, because it always politely waits for you to finish your work.

Windows Defender (Windows 8) schedule option missing

Microsoft and other sites have done a lousy job of explaining how Windows Defender scans work in Windows 8/10, as the other posts by GreginMich in that thread highlight.

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