Windows Defender, integrated into Windows 10, runs in the background and checks the files you have for malicious software. For better performance in tasks such as composing codes or running virtual machine you can enable an exclusion. Windows Defender will never scan these files.
Exclusions are also helpful when you’re experiencing false positives in which Windows Defender marks legitimate files as malware.
A word of caution: Be careful about what you decide to exclude. Windows Defender doesn’t check the directories and files you have excluded for malware. It isn’t a good idea to remove everything from the Downloads folder, for instance!
In the beginning, we must start Windows Security to change some settings
Navigate to the Start menu and enter “Windows Security.” Then choose”Windows Security” as the “Windows Security” app.
For Windows Security, navigate to “Virus & Threat Protection.” Next select “Manage Settings.”
Under “Virus & Threat Protection Settings,” scroll to the end of the page and then click “Add or Remove Exclusions.”
The Exclusions webpage, users are able to select or delete files you wish to keep out of Windows Defender scans. If you want to add an exemption to the list, click”Add An Exclusion” or click the “Add An Exclusion” button next to the big plus symbol. (+).
A menu will open allowing you to specify your exclusion according to the File, Folder, type or the Process.
The choice you make will depend on the kind of exclusion you want to create.
This is what each option does
- The file will be displayed. When you choose this option, a dialog box will open allowing users to browse their computer to choose a single file that is excluded from further scans. Choose the file you want to exclude and press “Open.”
- Folder Similar to the file option, it one lets you browse your computer to find a specific folder that is not scan-able. The contents of the folder as well as subfolders will also be excluded.
- Type of file: A box will appear asking you to input the extension of your file (e.g., “.MID”) which represents the type of file that you’d like to eliminate. Any files that match this kind will be removed from any future scans. This is a risk because it is possible to remove a significant portion of potentially dangerous files, like the PDF or the DOC files.
- Method: A pop-up will require you to input the name of the program (a in-process program, i.e., “explorer.exe”) to be excluded from scanning. If a program you’re sure is safe is being flagged by Defender you can type it in here.
Select one of these choices and then make the appropriate choices in the pop-up dialog that appears.
If you’ve added an exclusion it will appear in the list of exclusions of exclusions on the Exclusions page.
If you’d like the removal of the exclusion you’ve identified, move your mouse over the object until a downward-pointing carat arrow is visible after which press on the “Remove” button that pops up.
After you’ve finished closing Windows Security and your settings will be saved. The next time your computer runs an Defender scan and you add the items to the list of exclusions will no longer be a problem.