Once the file is downloaded, run the tool and select Next. If you want to try this method, you’ll need to download the 64-bit version of Windows Defender Offline from the Microsoft website from a non-infected Windows PC.If it doesn’t work, you may need to use a third-party antivirus as an alternative, or schedule a Microsoft Defender Offline scan in Safe Mode using the steps above instead.Ĭreating the Windows Defender Offline Tool USB or DVD Media However, the tool itself is outdated (although the virus definitions are up-to-date) and won’t work with newer versions of Windows.įor this reason, this tool should only be used on older PCs running an older version of Windows 10 (or an earlier version of Windows).
While this portable version of Defender was originally made for Windows 7 and 8.1, it can still be used to scan for malware on some Windows 10 PCs, depending on the version. While Windows 10 allows you to conduct an offline virus scan using Microsoft Defender without any additional tools or hardware, you can also use the older Windows Defender Offline tool on a portable USB drive or DVD to conduct a boot-level scan when Windows can’t (or shouldn’t) boot. Using the Older Windows Defender Offline Tool to Scan for Malware (Older Versions of Windows)
