PowerShell Scans Windows: Scan and Remove Malware Easily 🔥🛡️

If you're using an unactivated version of Windows, you may experience issues using Windows Security. Even if you can access the security app, you won't be able to update its virus database. ⚠️

So, if you are unable to access the Windows Security application for some reason, you can rely on the utility of PowerShell to scan your Windows for viruses and malware. 🦠

How to open PowerShell in Windows?

Opening PowerShell in Windows is very simple. Here's how to launch it with administrator rights.

Seeks PowerShell in Windows Search.
Right click on PowerShell and select Run as administrator.

1. Check the status of Windows Security

Before moving on to the next methods, you need to make sure the security app is running on your device. This method won't work if you're using another security program. 🔍

In the PowerShell window, you need to run the following command.

Get-MpComputerStatus

The above command will list all the details of Windows Security. If the security tool is active on your system, it will display True in the field AntivirusEnable. ✅

2. Update Windows Security

If you install all Windows updates on time, you won't need to follow this method. However, if you don't update, you'll need to update the Windows Security app manually. 🔄

Update-MpSignature

3. Perform a full virus scan

If you haven't scanned your computer in a while, it's a good idea to run a full antivirus scan. You can use PowerShell to run a full antivirus scan on your PC. A full scan checks every file on your Windows computer, so it may take a while. 🕒 To perform a full antivirus scan, run the following command:

Start-MpScan -ScanType FullScan

Since the full scan may take some time to complete, you can instruct Windows Security to perform the scan in the background. To do this, run the following command.

Start-MpScan -ScanType FullScan -AsJob

4. Run a quick scan using PowerShell

A full scan takes time and may slow down your device. In that case, you can use Windows Security's Quick Scan feature. To run a quick antivirus scan using PowerShell, run the following command and press Enter.

Start-MpScan -ScanType QuickScan

5. Run a Windows Security offline scan

For those who don't know, the offline scan feature removes malware that's difficult to detect. However, the offline scan is run from a trusted environment. That means you could lose your current work. 😟

Before running the offline scan, make sure to save all open files. To perform an offline scan via PowerShell, run the following command:

Start-MpWDOScan

This guide explains how to use PowerShell to scan Windows by malware. I hope this article is helpful. Share it with your friends! If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below. 💬