Perform a virus scan – Windows 8.1

To perform a virus scan on a College‑issued Windows 8.1 computer, refer to the Perform a virus scan section. To manually check for protection updates, refer to the Perform virus protection updates section.

Perform a virus scan

1. With your cursor anywhere on the Start screen (or in the Search charm on the Charms bar), type System Center Endpoint Protection, and then press the Enter key (or click the search result).
   
   
   NOTE: You also can access System Center Endpoint Protection by double‑clicking the icon in the bottom right‑hand corner of your taskbar.
   
2. On the System Center Endpoint Protection screen, on the Home tab, select the Quick button, and then click Scan now. A quick scan takes 45–60 minutes.
   
   NOTE: A quick scan looks for malware in your Windows startup folders and is typically adequate for locating malware that real‑time protection may have missed. To run a full scan, refer to Step 3. A full scan is appropriate for identifying malware on other system components and folders when a more thorough clean‑up is necessary.
   
3. To run a full scan (which could take several hours depending on the number of files on your system), on the System Center Endpoint Protection screen, on the Home tab, select the Full button, and then click Scan now.
   
   
   NOTE: If the scan identifies an issue, it will quarantine the suspect file for one month before deleting it. If after one month the quarantined file is still visible in your quarantined items, please see the ITS Service Desk webpage to submit a support request. (To view quarantined items, on the System Center Endpoint Protection screen, on the History tab, select the Quarantined items button, and then click View details.)

Perform virus protection updates

IT Solutions performs Windows Defender protection updates on a daily basis, and all College‑issued computers will automatically receive these updates. If your computer has been offline or not connected to the College’s wired network for an extended period, you can manually check for protection updates by following these steps:

1. Refer to Step 1 in the Perform a virus scan section to open the System Center Endpoint Protection screen.
2. On the System Center Endpoint Protection screen, on the Update tab, click the Update definitions button (Windows will automatically install any necessary protection updates).
   

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