Scan types and settings in Desktop Security for Windows

Scan types

Desktop Security for Windows provides three types of scans you can use to check your computer for threats: Threat Scan, Custom Scan, and Quick Scan. The scan type you choose determines how many locations are searched and how many files are looked at.

Threat Scan

Threat Scans detect threats in common computer system locations, such as your files and programs. If you have a paid subscription, a Threat Scan is scheduled to run once per week by default. For more information, see Run and schedule scans in Desktop Security. 

Custom Scan

Custom Scans allow you to choose where you want Desktop Security to scan on your system and what items should be searched. Because these scans can take a long time to complete, we recommend using Threat Scans unless there is a specific location on your device you want to scan. For more information on Custom Scans, see Create a Custom Scan in Desktop Security.

Quick Scan

Quick Scans check for threats in two locations: your device's memory, which is the computer's temporary workspace when running any software, and the startup programs that launch when your device is turned on. A Quick Scan is faster but less comprehensive than a Threat Scan. This scan type is only available for users with a paid subscription.

If a Quick Scan detects malware, we strongly recommend running a Threat Scan afterward in case there are more threats elsewhere on your device. By default, any threats detected during a scan are quarantined. For information on quarantining threats, see Manage quarantined items in Desktop Security.

Scan settings 

Desktop Security for Windows devices allows you to customize Threat Scans and Custom Scans according to your preferences. Depending on the type of scan you are running, you may see some or all of the settings below:

• Quarantine all threats: Automatically quarantine detected threats without being notified first.
• Restart computer to remove threats: Automatically restart your device so threats can be removed from your computer without being prompted first. The Quarantine all threats setting needs to be enabled for this setting to be turned on.
• Use Smart Scan: When this setting is on, scans will start when your device is idle.
• Scan for rootkits: Check for rootkits when scanning your device. Rootkits are files stored on your computer's local disk drive that the operating system cannot see. These files can affect how the system works. Turning on this setting will slow down the scan.
• Scan within archives: Scan within archive files up to two levels deep, such as zip, 7z, rar, cab, and msi. Please note that password-protected archives cannot be scanned.
• Scan memory objects: Scan memory allocated by operating system processes, drivers, and other apps. This setting is only available in custom scans.
• Scan registry and startup items: Scan executable files or modifications that initiate when your device is turned on. This setting is only available in Custom scans.
• Potentially unwanted Programs (PUPs): Choose how PUPs are treated when detected on your device. In the drop-down menu select Ignore detections, Warn user about detections, or Treat detections as malware.
• Potentially unwanted Modifications (PUMs): Choose how PUMs are treated when detected on your device. In the drop-down menu select Ignore detections, Warn user about detections, or Treat detections as malware.