Где расположен защитник windows

Windows Security, a built-in Windows defense tool, works well in protecting computers away from virus and malware attacks. It runs automatically and can be accessed and set easily. This MiniTool post explains how to open and use Windows Defender in Windows 10/11.

About Windows Defender

Windows Defender is a free program included in Windows 10/11 system that helps protect your computer against security threats like malware, spyware, virus, etc. It is an anti-malware component of Microsoft Windows. Unlike other third-party antivirus software, Windows Defender doesn’t require additional download and installation. Windows Defender is also called Windows Security, Microsoft Defender, Windows Defender Antivirus, or Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

Windows Defender Download for Windows 10/11

Windows Defender is included in Windows 10/11 system and is not available for a standalone download now.

If you can’t find Windows Defender on your computer, you can update Windows 11/10 to the latest version.

• For Windows 10, you can click Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.
• For Windows 11, you can click Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

How to Open Windows Defender in Windows 10/11 – 5 Ways

To open Windows Defender in Windows 10/11, you can try the 5 ways below.

Way 1. Use Windows Search

Click Start, type Windows Defender in the search box, and choose Windows Defender or Windows Security from the result to open it.

Way 2. Find it from the Start menu

For Windows 10, click Start and find Windows Security or Windows Defender from the apps list. For Windows 11, you can click the All Apps icon to list all apps in your system.

Way 3. Open Windows Defender from Settings

For Windows 10, press Windows + I to open Windows Settings. Click Update & Security. Click Windows Security in the left panel and click the Open Windows Security button in the right window to open it.

For Windows 11, you can press Windows + I, click Privacy & Security on the left and click Windows Security on the right, and click Open Windows Security to open it.

Way 4. Access Windows Defender from Control Panel

• Press Windows + R, type control panel, and press Enter to open Control Panel.
• Click System and Security and click Windows Defender Firewall to open its settings.

Way 5. Open Windows Defender in Windows 10/11 from the system tray

If you see a Windows Defender icon in the system tray, you can double-click it to open Windows Defender in Windows 10/11. If you don’t see the icon, it means you may not enable Windows Defender on your computer. Check how to enable or disable Windows Defender below.

How to Enable/Disable Windows Defender in Windows 11/10

Step 1: Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings.

Step 2: Click Privacy & Security in the left panel. For Windows 10, click Update & Security.

Step 3: Click Windows Security on the right.

Step 4: Click Open Windows Security.

Step 5: In the Windows Security window, you can select Virus & threat protection and click Manage settings on the right. Then you can toggle the switch on or off under Real-time protection to enable or disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 or 10.

How to Use Windows Defender in Windows 10/11

Windows Defender is included in the Windows Security. It provides antivirus scanning, real-time protection, and other functions in the Virus & threat protection section. This part introduces the functions of Windows Defender briefly.

Perform a Variety of Scans

Under the Current threats section, you can select Scan options to perform different scans, like Quick scan, Full scan, Customs scan, and Microsoft Defender Offline scan. You can choose one to fix your computer problems based on your needs.

Keep the Protection History

Windows will quarantine the malware and other threats automatically and keep their trace in the Protection history. You can find the Cleaned items, Quarantined Items and some settings in this section. If your Windows Defender quarantines your files by mistake, you can restore them back with this function.

If you find your files are removed by Windows Defender and can’t get back in this way, please recover them with a free data recovery software, MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

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Set Virus & Threat Protection Settings

This feature provides different protection choice for users, including Real-time protection, cloud-delivered protection, Automatic sample submission, and Tamper protection.

Real-time protection allows Windows to scan your computer automatically to prevent the computer away from a malware attack. You can turn off Real-time protection temporarily but it will open automatically in the next scan schedule to ensure your computer’s health.

Besides, you can also add or remove exclusions in this section. This function can prevent your trust files, folders, or processes from being removed.

Perform Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is a type of malware which can lock your files and make it inaccessible for you. Ransomware protection can effectively protect your files from virus attack. But it is disabled by default. You can enable it if you needed.

Others

You can also perform other features in Windows Security like Account protection, Firewall & network protection, Device security, etc.

Bottom Line

Windows Defender protects computers with powerful features. You can use different functions based on your need.

If you need to recover data from a Windows 11/10 computer or other storage devices, you can try MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Windows Security, formerly known as Microsoft Defender, is the go-to app for those who want to know more about security in Windows 10 and Windows 11. This app is part of Microsoft’s operating system, and this is where you can find out what your antivirus has been doing, what your firewall has to say, and whether other security features are turned on and working well. However, before you can get any information, you must know how to access Windows Security. That’s why, in this article, I show you several ways to open Windows Security in Windows 10 and Windows 11:

1. Where to find Windows Security in the system tray

By default, Windows Security is started automatically by Windows, and it runs in the background, protecting your computer or device. Few people know that you can find its icon in the system tray (the bottom-right corner of the taskbar) in Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Click or tap the arrow pointing upwards to Show hidden icons, and then, in the list of icons, click or tap the blue shield. If you hover your mouse over it, it says Microsoft Defender. Don’t worry, it’s just another name for Windows Security.

Opening Windows Security from the system tray in Windows 11

In Windows 10, the process is identical, even though things look a little different. The main difference is that the Windows Security icon is a white shield instead of a blue one.

Opening Windows Security from the system tray in Windows 10

Keep in mind that Windows Security displays an exclamation mark alongside its icon when it finds issues that require your attention, similar to the screenshot above.

2. Open Windows Security from the command line (CMD, PowerShell, Terminal)

Some people who work with Windows Security need to find a way to open it from a command-line app like the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Windows Terminal. Open any of these apps on your Windows computer, type this command, and press Enter:

start windowsdefender:

Here’s me running it in the Windows Terminal from Windows 11:

Opening Windows Security from Windows Terminal

In the screenshot below, I’ve started CMD and ran the same command in Windows 10:

Opening Windows Security from CMD

TIP: If your computer is having issues loading Windows, here’s how to open Command Prompt when Windows doesn’t boot.

3. How to access Windows Security from the Start Menu

A simple way of accessing Windows Security is from the Start Menu. In Windows 10, click or tap Start, scroll down through the list of apps until you find those that start with the letter W, and then choose the Windows Security shortcut.

The Windows Security shortcut in the Windows 10 Start Menu

In Windows 11, things are a bit different: click or tap Start followed by All apps. Then, in the list of apps, scroll to the bottom, find the Windows Security shortcut, and tap on it.

The Windows Security shortcut in the Windows 11 Start Menu

4. How to create a Windows Security shortcut on your desktop

After finding the Windows Security shortcut in the Start Menu (using the instructions from the previous section), you can drag and drop it to the desktop. If you execute the move correctly, a Link text and the Windows Security shortcut accompany your cursor as you move it across the desktop. Release the left mouse button (or lift your finger from the touchscreen) anywhere on the desktop, and Windows 10 creates a new shortcut right there.

Creating a Windows Security shortcut on the Windows 10 desktop

In Windows 11, it’s just as easy to create a Windows Security shortcut on the desktop using the Start Menu. Find the Windows Security shortcut in the All apps list, click or press and hold on it, and then move the mouse (or your finger) outside the Start Menu somewhere on the desktop. When you see the Link text alongside the shortcut, release the mouse or lift your finger, and the shortcut is created.

Creating a Windows Security shortcut on the Windows 11 desktop

You can also create a Windows Security shortcut using the Create Shortcut wizard. Right-click (or press and hold) on the empty space on your desktop and choose New > Shortcut. Then, copy and paste or type the following as your target location:

windowsdefender:

You can also use this target:

%windir%\explorer.exe windowsdefender:

Click or tap Next, name the shortcut Windows Security, and press Finish.

Creating a Windows Security shortcut

Keep in mind that the first target that I provide creates a shortcut using the default Windows Security icon, while the second uses the File Explorer icon.

5. How open Windows Security with a keyboard shortcut

If you’ve created a Windows Security shortcut on the desktop by dragging it from the Start Menu, as shown in this guide’s fourth method, you can then edit the shortcut’s Properties in order to open this app with a keyboard shortcut. After creating the shortcut on the desktop, right-click (or press and hold) on it and choose Properties.

Accessing the Properties of the Windows Security shortcut

Next, click or tap inside the Shortcut key text box and press the shortcut key combination you want to use to open this app. For example, you could press CTRL + ALT + W, like I did in my screenshot. When you’re done setting up the shortcut key, press OK.

Setting the shortcut key for Windows Security

This method works the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you need more information, read this guide: How to open any program (or app) with a keyboard shortcut in Windows.

6. How to open Windows Security with Run

An old-school way of opening apps in Windows is through the Run dialog. Press Windows + R on your keyboard, and in the Open field, type:

windowsdefender:

Don’t forget to press Enter on your keyboard or click/tap OK to execute your command and open Windows Security.

Opening Window Security from Run

7. How to find Windows Security using search

People who are wondering where to find Windows Security on their Windows computer can always use search. It’s a fast and reliable way of opening apps.

If you’re using Windows 10, click or tap inside the Search box on the taskbar, type the word security, and choose the Windows Security search result.

Accessing Windows Security via search in Windows 10

If you’re using Windows 11, finding Windows Security works exactly the same way. However, remember that the search feature may not always display Windows Security as the first search result on the list. It may also display folders with this name or apps like those in the screenshot below.

Accessing Windows Security via search in Windows 11

8. How to start Windows Security from File Explorer

Few people know that File Explorer offers another convenient way to start Windows Security. Open File Explorer and type or copy and paste this command in its address bar:

windowsdefender:

Then, press Enter on your keyboard to execute it.🙂

Opening Windows Security from File Explorer in Windows 10

While the screenshot above is from Windows 10, the steps involved work the same in Windows 11, even though File Explorer looks different.

Opening Windows Security from File Explorer in Windows 11

9. Pin Windows Security on your taskbar or Start Menu

Locate the Windows Security shortcut in the Start Menu. As shown in method 3, in Windows 10, you can find this shortcut at the bottom of the apps list. Then, right-click or press and hold Windows Security, and a contextual menu appears. The first option in the menu is Pin to Start, which pins the Windows Security shortcut in the Start Menu. If you choose More, an extension opens, allowing you to Pin to taskbar.

Pinning Windows Security to the Start Menu or the taskbar in Windows 10

The steps are similar in Windows 11. However, you first need to click or tap Start, followed by All apps, to see the list of apps installed on your computer. Then, right-click (or press and hold) the Windows Security shortcut and pin it where you want.

Pinning Windows Security to the Start Menu or the taskbar in Windows 11

10. How to open Windows Security using Settings

If you’re already using the Settings app and need to access Windows Security, you can do that really quickly:

Open Settings and go to the Update & Security category. On the left side of the window, select Windows Security; then, on the right, click or tap Open Windows Security.

Open Windows Security from the Windows 10 Settings

If you’re using Windows 11, open the Settings app (Windows + I) and choose Privacy & security on the left. On the right side of the window, click or tap Windows Security, followed by Open Windows Security.

Open Windows Security from the Windows 11 Settings

11. Start Windows Security from Task Manager

If you’re using Task Manager to view running apps and processes, and you need to bring up Windows Security, you can do that straight from this app, like this:

In Windows 10, open Task Manager (a quick way is to press the Control + Shift + Escape keys simultaneously). If you get the compact view of the Task Manager, click or tap on More details. Next, click or tap File > Run new task.