In this day and age when viruses, malware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), and several other kinds of infections can attack your computer, steal your data and even leave it inoperable, you need to have a robust protection strategy in the form of an Antivirus or Antimalware. And, there are several great paid and free tools. If you are a Windows user, you might already be using Microsoft Windows Defender to defend your computer against viruses, but, in this blog, we are going to talk about Microsoft Safety Scanner, another tool that helps you scan and remove malware, spyware, potentially unwanted programs and other infections from your computer.

What is Microsoft Safety Scanner?

If you are looking for a free and quick way to scan and remove malware, Microsoft Safety Scanner can be a great option. It has the same engine as Microsoft Defender and it can render protection against malware, spyware, adware, browser hijackers, Trojan horse, and other malicious viruses.

Should It Be A Replacement For Standalone Antivirus or Antimalware Products

Even though Microsoft Safety Scanner is a good antivirus solution but it should not be the only antivirus tool on your computer. To substantiate this, here are few pointers –

• It doesn’t offer real-time protection
• You will have to install the application every 10 days
• It doesn’t update automatically. Microsoft itself urges you to install the latest version before each use
• It doesn’t have a desktop icon or doesn’t appear on your Start Menu
• The interface is simple and it doesn’t have as many options as many other antimalware applications

If you are on the hunt for some great antivirus applications, do check out this post. In addition to that, you must always opt for genuine and highly reviewed antivirus software such as IObit Malware Fighter.

IObit Malware Fighter – Features At A Glance

• Interactive, decent, and simple to use interface
• Real-time threat protection
• Multiple scan types – smart, full, and custom
• Data protection modules where you can protect data from ransomware and even password protect your data
• Browser protection

Download IObit Malware Fighter

Where Can I Get Microsoft Safety Scanner And How To Use It?

Here’s a comprehensive guide on where you can download Microsoft Safety Scanner and how you can use it.

Note: Before installing it make sure you first go through the “Important Things To Take Note Of”.

1. Visit Microsoft Safety Scanner download page and download Microsoft Safety Scanner (64-bit)

2. Run the installation file (msert executable download file)

3. Select the type of scan –

(i) Quick scan: Most vulnerable areas of your computer are scanned for viruses, PUPs, and spyware. In case one such software is found, you will be prompted to run a full scan.

(ii) Full scan: Here the entire system is scanned for infections. Being an in-depth scan,  and, this scan make take up to several hours to finish depending on the speed of your computer

(iii) Customized scan: In this kind of scan you can specify the folder that you wish to scan for infections. The scan will further take into account the vulnerable areas as mentioned in the quick scan as well

4. The scanning will then take place. Wait for the process to complete till Microsoft Safety Scanner searches for malicious applications on your computer

5. Once the scanning completes, you will be able to see if there are any malicious applications or files on your computer

Important Things To Take Note Of –

– Not A Replacement For Any Antimalware Solution –

This tool scans your computer for and removes spyware, viruses, and other PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) but, it is not a replacement for any anti-malware solution. You should download an Antimalware solution such as IObit Malware Fighter or Microsoft’s very Windows Defender to prevent your computer from malware.

– Take A Note Of The Download Location

Microsoft Safety Scanner doesn’t appear in the start menu and neither will you see an icon on your desktop. So, take note of the location where you have downloaded the file.

– Runs When Manually Triggered

Since you will neither find Microsoft Safety Scanner in the start menu or on the desktop, you will have to run it each time from the download location only. Also, Microsoft urges you to download and install the latest version of Microsoft Safety Scan before you perform the next scan.

– Available For 10 Days

Microsoft Safety Scanner will be available for 10 days after you install it. For removing the tool, you can go to the download location and remove the .exe file (msert.exe)

Wrapping Up

No doubt Microsoft Safety Scanner is a great antimalware tool but it should not be the only antimalware software. If you liked the blog, give it a thumbs up and for more such updates, keep reading Tweak Library. You can also follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Flipboard, and Tumblr.

Recommended Readings:

iObit Smart Defrag – Review, Pros, Cons and Final Verdict

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