Problem with Scheduled Scans

[Guest]

I have Defender set to scan daily at 4:00AM. The problem behavior is that if
Defender cannot run the daily scan at 4:00AM (e.g., because the computer is
not on), Defender will run the scan at some point later when the computer is
on (e.g., 1:00PM). My computer is essentially unusable during a full scan.
I've actually had to do a hard power-down to get the machine back. And, there
is no indication that the problem is Defender running a scan unless you open
the UI.

Suggestion: Either skip scheduled scans that could not be executed because
the computer was off or provide an option for doing so.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

If you can get the UI up, there is a cancel button, and this has worked in
my experience, although I can easily imagine that it might not in the
circumstance you describe. I've seen a post stating that a missed scan is
initiated 10 minutes after a subsequent login or switch on--not sure which.

 

[Guest]

What you describe is consistent with what I've observed. I really think this
is poor design. The most likely effect of having missed scheduled scans start
10 minutes after a login is that people will turn scheduled scans off. If I
wanted the scan to run, I would have left the machine on.

I will try setting it to a quick scan instead of a full scan and see whether
the situation improves.

Thanks.

---Jim

 

[AuntieKate]

Missed scans - I am still experiencing random scans after missed scans on
one machine and none on another. It also seems to me that one update
downloaded and installed itself - but that may have been the user pressing
random icons, though he denies this.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

If autoupdate is working, you may well see updates installed with no
intervention.

I don't have an answer for the scanning behavior--doesn't sound right. It
should scan when scheduled if the machine is on. Missed scans may be done
starting 10 minutes after the next logon--but I don't know if this is an
"always" or whether there are more factors.

--

 

[Guest]

I don't have an answer for the scanning behavior--doesn't sound right. It
should scan when scheduled if the machine is on. Missed scans may be done
starting 10 minutes after the next logon--but I don't know if this is an
"always" or whether there are more factors.

It would be far more user friendly if the "run the missed scan 10 minutes
after logon" could be disabled. I just killed another in-progress scan.

Suggestions:

1. Make "run missed scans at next logon" configurable.

2. Make the "warn after [n] days of no scans" configurable.

I would disable the former and set the second to something between seven and
fourteen days, since I do a complete scan about once per week.

---Jim

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

Thanks--sorry I missed this earlier. I think the behavior on your #2
request has changed--that was a bug. It isn't configurable, but n is longer
than 3--perhaps 8?

Sticking with a quick scan as the scheduled scan should eliminate most
performance complaints about the scans, I suspect.
--

I don't have an answer for the scanning behavior--doesn't sound right.
It
should scan when scheduled if the machine is on. Missed scans may be
done
starting 10 minutes after the next logon--but I don't know if this is an
"always" or whether there are more factors.

It would be far more user friendly if the "run the missed scan 10 minutes
after logon" could be disabled. I just killed another in-progress scan.

Suggestions:

1. Make "run missed scans at next logon" configurable.

2. Make the "warn after [n] days of no scans" configurable.

I would disable the former and set the second to something between seven
and
fourteen days, since I do a complete scan about once per week.

---Jim