Right click for Defender Scan

Is that Defender hack safe for using the "modern" features?, Trouble.

 

OK. Your first para answers the question.

As you know, in Windows 8, winding the UAC to the bottom (stay with me, it is relevant to my query- lol), does not disable the UAC. But, in Windows 8's initial releases, a registry hack was spread around the web, which did actually disable it. It also disabled the store and the modern apps. Microsoft, possibly trying to preserve their territory, said that registry interference with any of their built in security, could have this effect. When I read your post, I wondered how far that policy extended..
fwiw. I know that, in most cases, installing third part antivirus, which again, will often turn off the Defender, can do this. I have commented on the TechNet pages that this I see this as a violation of our rights, but MS suggest that the problem lies with the antivirus programmers, not with their product.

 

No prob. But I queried my own comment, afterwards. I finally tracked down, in my useless info folder, the original reply I got from a Microsoft page. A little abrupt, perhaps, but straightforward:

"The combination of real-time protection and tracking by Defender, of which specific files have been scanned since the last time real-time was disabled precludes the need for individual file scans. In other words, since every file is now always scanned upon read as well as write unless the system is certain the file hasn't changed since it was last scanned, there isn't a reason that single file scanning is required. So at this point the act of manually scanning a file is redundant and simply one of those habits that need to be broken."

 

Well, it is supposed to pop up if it detects anything suspicious. Never done yet for me, but that could mean that I have, so far, operated safely.

 

That registry mod is set to only scan Folders, while that command line option for MpCmdRun.exe will also scan files. Here's a more full Registry modification you can make which allows you to use the option with files as well.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\WindowsDefender]
@=""
"Icon"="%ProgramFiles%\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"
"MUIVerb"="Scan with Windows Defender"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\WindowsDefender\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MpCmdRun.exe\" -scan -scantype 3 -SignatureUpdate -file \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\WindowsDefender]
@=""
"Icon"="%ProgramFiles%\\Windows Defender\\EppManifest.dll"
"MUIVerb"="Scan with Windows Defender"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\WindowsDefender\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Windows Defender\\MpCmdRun.exe\" -scan -scantype 3 -SignatureUpdate -file \"%1\""

 

Thanks Ace, that registry hack might come in handy. Although I don't use Windows Defender, it might proof handy for other people who don't have an antivirus but Windows Defender.

 

Awesome! This is such a useful tool. Windows Defender IS one of the best anti-virus applications in the market. It's fast, it's reliable, and it's the anti-virus I need. Unfortunately, the only thing I really hated about the AV is that I can't scan single files without having to go to the main application and look for the file. With this tool, I'm sure it'll make my experience with Windows Defender better, and more convenient.