14 DAY TRIAL // Malicious programs can come from anywhere, USB Flash drives, and especially the Internet. What’s more, a simple antivirus application is not enough to be fully secured. With all schedules and automatic scanning, you still need to get involved.
A modern feature of any self-respecting application is context menu integration, where the case applies. For an antivirus, this is an ideal trait, letting you issue an emergency scan on any file or folder to see whether or not it’s infected.
In case you’re using Windows Defender to protect your system, there’s a method of forcing it to run directly from the context menu, like we found out. The process requires registry editing, but following the steps below ensures it all goes smooth.
Adding Windows Defender to the context menu
Step 1: Hit Win + R to launch the Run utility.
Step 2: Write down regedit to access the Registry Editor.
Step 4: Navigate to this location HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -> Folder -> shell.
Step 5: Select the shell key in the left pane, right-click it, and choose to create New Key.
Step 6: Give it the following name WindowsDefender.
Step 7: Select the new key, and right-click an empty space in the right pane.
Step 8: Choose to create a New String value with the name Icon.
Step 9: Double-click the new String, and in the Value data field, insert the following:
Step 11: Double-click it to edit, and write down Scan with Windows Defender in the Value data field. Press OK to confirm.
Step 12: Select the WindowsDefender key you created earlier, and right-click it to create New Key, with the name Command.
Step 13: Click on Command, and double-click the only item in the right pane, which is (Default) value.
Step 14: In the Value data field, insert the following:
Don’t worry because the Windows Defender main window doesn’t show up when triggering it. Remember, it’s part of Windows, just as the Command Prompt, which is used to run the scan and notify you whether or not the selected file is clean. Using Windows 7 only requires you to install Microsoft Security Essentials, which automatically creates a context menu entry.
