Windows Defender is hardly the most popular antivirus solution but it is the stock Windows option and despite its basic appearance, it is quite capable. For example, did you know you can run Windows Defender offline in Windows 10?
This feature allows you to initiate an offline scan, that will check your system for potential infections during boot time and it obviously doesn’t require an Internet connection.
However, you should know it’s currently available in Windows 10 build 14271 for those part of the Windows Insider program so if you don’t have it yet, you’ll need to either wait until the update becomes available to the general public or become a beta tester for Windows 10.
Here’s how to use it whenever you need to verify if your computer is clean:
Run Windows Defender Offline in Windows 10 and scan for malware without an Internet Connection
Navigate to Settings -> Update & Security -> Windows Defender.
Here, you’ll need to scroll down to locate the Windows Defender Offline section.
Then, simply click on the ‘Scan Offline‘ option and a message will be displayed saying ‘Computer will start within a minute‘. During the reboot, Windows Defender will perform a full system scan for your machine.
