Microsoft‘s antivirus program can perform three types of scans: quick, full, and custom. Getting the antivirus to scan your computer is pretty simple, all you have to do is check one of the three options and wait for the scan to complete. Unfortunately, recent user reports have revealed that Windows Defender won’t do a quick scan due to an incorrect group or resource state. Windows Defender is a solid antivirus, but sometimes Windows Defender won’t be able to perform a quick scan. This can be a problem, and speaking of Windows Defender, here are some similar issues that users reported:

Windows defender unable to scan, won’t scan – These are some relatively common problems with Windows Defender, but you can fix them using one of our solutions. Your PC couldn’t be scanned Windows Defender – This is another problem that can appear with Windows Defender. If you encounter it, be sure to check if you don’t have a third-party antivirus running in the background. Windows Defender will not complete scan – Sometimes Windows Defender is unable to complete the scan. If this happens, be sure to check the exclusions list and remove any suspicious exclusions. Windows Defender not scanning Windows 10/11 – If Windows Defender isn’t scanning, the problem might be the missing updates. Simply update Windows 10/11 to the latest version and check if that helps.

How do I fix Windows Defender not doing a quick scan?

1. Check the exclusions list

If your Windows Defender won’t scan, the problem might be your exclusions list. According to users, sometimes malware can add an entire drive to the exclusions list in order to prevent Windows from finding it. However, you can fix the problem simply by checking your exclusions list. To do that, follow these steps: After doing that, the problem should be completely resolved.

2. Try a third-party antivirus

If Windows Defender won’t perform a quick scan, maybe the best option is to switch to a different antivirus software. There are many great antivirus tools on the market, and if you’re looking for antivirus software that will provide maximum protection without interfering with your system, you should consider using one. Many antivirus programs offer better protection and lots of other useful tools such as anti-identity and data theft, VPNs, and many others which Windows Defender is lacking. In addition to scanning your PC for harmful software, these apps will also actively remove dangerous files. Don’t hesitate to strengthen your defenses and install a third-party antivirus as soon as possible.

3. Change the power options

According to users, if Windows Defender won’t perform a quick scan, the problem might be your power settings. After doing that, check if the problem is resolved. This sounds like a strange solution, but several users reported that it works, so you might want to try it out.

4. Install the latest updates

In some cases, you might be able to fix this problem simply by installing the latest updates. Microsoft is working hard to fix Windows 10/11 bugs and issues, and sometimes a Windows Update might fix your problems. By default, Windows 10 and Windows 11 automatically downloads and installs the updates, but sometimes you can miss an update. However, you can check for updates at any time manually. If any updates are available, they will be downloaded in the background and installed as soon as you restart your PC. Once your PC restarts, check if the problem is still there.

5. Perform a System Restore

If Windows Defender won’t perform a quick scan, you might be able to solve the problem by performing a System Restore. If you’re having problems with the System Restore, learn how to fix them with this useful article. Once the restoration process is finished, check if the problem is still there. Use a third-party system restoration tool The Windows system restore tool will bring your OS to a previous version, meaning you will lose any data and software that you installed after the restore point was created, which is not ideal. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to download a third-party system restoration tool that is specialized in finding problematic files and removing them, thus keeping your PC error-free. ⇒ Get Restoro

6. Perform SFC and DISM scans

Windows Defender is a core component of Windows 10 and Windows 11, and if you can’t perform a quick scan, the issue might be file corruption. Your system files can get corrupted, and that will cause this issue to appear. However, you might be able to fix file corruption issues by performing SFC and DISM scans. To do that, follow these steps: Once the scan is finished, check if the problem is still there. If the issue is still present, or if you’re unable to run an SFC scan, you might have to use a DISM scan instead. To do that, follow these steps: Once the DISM scan is finished, check if the problem is still there. If you want, you can repeat SFC scan once again and all the corrupted files should be repaired.

7. Create a new user account

According to users, sometimes your user account might be damaged, and that can cause issues with Windows Defender to appear. To fix this problem, it’s advised to create a new user account and check if the problem appears on a new account. After creating a new user account, switch to it and check if the problem still appears. If not, you’ll need to move your personal files to a new account and start using it instead of your old one.

8. Remove third-party antivirus

Apparently, this error message is a temporary bug that is sometimes accompanied by error code 0x8007139F. Restarting and manually updating Windows Defender should be enough to fix this issue. If this simple action doesn’t solve the problem, make sure you are not running another antivirus program at the same time. If you do, uninstall it, and keep Windows Defender. If you previously had a different antivirus, and you’ve recently installed Windows Defender, it’s also possible that remnants of your previous security program are still present. To make sure all files related to your antivirus are gone, you can use a PC-cleaning utility such as CCleaner. This app can scan your registry and display a comprehensive list of all unnecessary files. Find everything related to your antivirus and remove it in just one click. Not being able to perform a quick scan in Windows Defender can be a big problem, but we hope that you managed to fix this issue using one of our solutions. If you have any recommendations or want to tell us which of the solutions above worked for you, feel free to use the comment section below.

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