Windows Defender Security Center for College PCs

Windows Defender logoWindows Defender Security Center

Windows Defender Security Center (abbreviated to “Security Center”) is anti-virus software that has been licensed for use on College-owned Windows computers. It is the successor to Security Center Endpoint Protection (“SCEP”), which was previously installed on Windows 7 PCs owned by the College.

  • On College-owned Windows 10 computers, Security Center is built-in, so there is no need for additional software.
  • On personal Windows 10 computers, Windows Defender (the consumer version) comes pre-installed.
  • For all Windows computers, we recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for additional malware protection.

 

 

Using Windows Defender Security Center

 

Security Center is scheduled to update once a day, and run a quick scan daily in the background, when the computer is not in use.  If any suspicious files are found, you will be notified via a popup window. If suspicious files are found, please disconnect from wireless or unplug your wired cable, and contact the Computing Helpdesk at x3333.

 

You can do a full scan manually by following these steps:

  1. Launch “Windows Security” from your application list, by clicking on the Start Button/Windows Icon.
  2. Select “Virus & threat protection” on the sidebar or the icon on the Home tab.
  3. Click “Scan options”
  4. Select “Full Scan” and then “Scan Now.” This will take over an hour to perform, with overall run time varying depending on the amount of data stored on the device.

Updating Security Center Manually

Security Center should update automatically. However, if you wish to perform a manual update, you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Launch “Windows Security” from your application list, by clicking on the Start Button/Windows Icon.
  2. Select “Virus & threat protection” on the sidebar or the icon on the Home tab.
  3. Under “Virus & threat protection updates” click “Check for updates.”
  4. On this page, click the “Check for updates” button; a loading wheel will appear next to “Checking for updates,” and will disappear when the process is done.

If the update is taking more than 5-10 minutes, you can take the following steps to restart the process:

  1. CTRL+ALT+DEL to get to a menu to select Task Manager.
  2. Highlight Windows Security and click End Task
  3. Exit the Task Manager
  4. Relaunch Security Center and run updates again; it should move much quicker and complete updates in about five minutes.