how do i check to see if windows defender is running in windows 10

how do i check to see if windows defender is running in windows 10?

Open Task Manager and click on Details tab. Scroll down and look for MsMpEng.exe and the Status column will show if it's running.

Defender won't be running if you have another anti-virus installed.

Also, you can open Settings [edit: >Update & security] and choose Windows Defender in the left panel. This will give some settings and at the bottom is 'Use Windows Defender'. This will show the last time there was a scan and if it's more than a day you can perhaps run a quick scan.

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Last updated April 12, 2025 Views 68,937 Applies to: