How to add exceptions in Windows Defender on Windows 10

Windows Defender , built into Windows 10, runs in the background and scans files for malware. To improve performance for tasks like compiling code or running virtual machines, you can add exceptions so Windows Defender never scans those files.

Warning : Be careful about what you exclude. Windows Defender will not scan excluded files and folders for malware.

How to add exceptions to Windows Defender in Windows Security

Step 1:

First, you need to launch Windows Security to change some settings. Open the Start menu and type Windows Security . Then, select the Windows Security app.

Step 2:

In Windows Security , navigate to Virus & Threat Protection . Then, click Manage Settings.

How to add exceptions in Windows Defender on Windows 10 — In Windows Security, navigate to Virus & Threat Protection

Step 3:

In Virus & Threat Protection Settings , scroll to the bottom of the page and click Add or Remove Exclusions .

Step 4:

On the Exclusions page , you can add or remove files that you want to exclude from Windows Defender scanning. To add an exception, click the Add An Exclusion button next to the large plus sign ( + ) icon.

Step 5:

A small menu will appear that allows you to specify the exception by File, Folder, File type or Process .

What you choose depends on the type of exception you are trying to throw. Here is what each option will do.

File: If you select this, a box will appear that allows you to browse your computer to select a file that will be excluded from future scans. Select the file you want, then click Open.
Folder: Like the File option , this will allow you to browse your computer for a specific folder and exclude it from scanning. The contents and subfolders within this folder will also be excluded.
File type : A box will appear asking you to enter the file extension (e.g. .MID ) that represents the type of file you want to exclude. All files of that type will be excluded from future scans. This is dangerous, as you could accidentally exclude a large group of potentially malicious files, such as PDF or DOC files.
Process : A window will appear asking you to enter the name of a process (a running program, such as explorer.exe ) to exclude from scanning. If there is a program that you know is safe, but would be flagged by Defender, you can enter it here.

Select one of these options and make the necessary selections in the following pop-up dialog box. When you add an exception, it will appear in a list on the Exclusions page.

Step 6:

If you want to remove a defined exception, hover your mouse over it until a down arrow appears, then click the Remove button .

Step 7:

Once you're done, close Windows Security and your settings will be saved. The next time the system runs a Defender scan, the items you added to the exclusion list won't cause any problems.

How to Add Exceptions in Windows Defender Using PowerShell

Add exception file for Microsoft Defender Antivirus in PowerShell

This option is used to add a specific file as an exception, preventing it from being scanned by Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

1. Open PowerShell with admin rights .

2. Type the command below into PowerShell and press Enter.

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "<đường dẫn="" đầy="" đủ="" của="" file="">" -Force

3. You can now close PowerShell if you want.

Add an exception folder for Microsoft Defender Antivirus in PowerShell

This option is used to add a specific exception folder, making it no longer scanned by Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

1. Open PowerShell with admin rights.

2. Type the command below into PowerShell and press Enter.

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "<đường dẫn="" đầy="" đủ="" của="" file="">" -Force

3. You can now close PowerShell if you want.

Add file type exceptions to Microsoft Defender Antivirus in PowerShell

This option is to add a file extension to the exception, causing all files of that type to no longer be scanned by Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

1. Open PowerShell with admin rights.

2. Type the command below into PowerShell and press Enter.

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionExtension "" -Force

3. You can now close PowerShell if you want.

Add process exceptions to Microsoft Defender Antivirus in PowerShell

This option is used to add an exception process, which prevents any files associated with it from being scanned by Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

1. Open PowerShell with admin rights.

2. Type the command below into PowerShell and press Enter.

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "" -Force

3. You can now close PowerShell if you want.

How to reset Ethernet connection in Windows 11

A quick way to fix the most common wired network problems is to reset your Ethernet connection. Here are the steps to reset your Ethernet connection in Windows 11.

How to change the default location of the Windows 11 Documents folder

If you want, you can move the Documents folder and its contents to another location on your computer, following the instructions below.

Why change default download location in Windows 11?

Moving the Download folder from drive C to another drive on Windows 11 will help you reduce the capacity of drive C and will help your computer run smoother.

How to Stop Windows Updates on PC

This is a way to harden and tweak your system so that updates happen on your own schedule, not Microsoft's.

Completely delete the most stubborn files on Windows

When you can't open, edit, or delete a file in Windows File Explorer, the file is still open in a program running in the background or something isn't closing properly.

6 Ways to Open Computer/System Properties in Windows 10

You can use one of the following 6 methods to open Computer Properties (or System Properties) on Windows 10.

How to fix sound loss error when updating Windows 11

The problem of losing sound when updating Windows 11 can be related to the software, or from the sound driver on the computer. Below are instructions to fix the sound loss error when updating Windows 11.

How to show file extensions, view file extensions on Windows

Windows File Explorer offers a lot of options to change how you view files. What you might not know is that one important option is disabled by default, even though it's crucial to the security of your system.

5 Free Tools to Find Spyware and Adware on Your PC

With the right tools, you can scan your system and remove spyware, adware, and other malicious programs that may be lurking on your system.

Heres How to Delete the Recovery Partition and the 450 MB Recovery Partition on Windows 10

The Recovery partition is a separate partition on your computer's hard drive or SSD and is used to restore or reinstall the operating system in case of system failure.

How to hide icons on Windows 11 desktop?

There are many ways to hide all the icons on the Windows desktop to get a clean, distraction-free interface. Here is a guide to hide icons on the Windows 11 desktop.

How to turn off password sharing security in Windows 11

Microsoft enables password-protected sharing. If you find this setting unnecessary, you can disable password-protected sharing in Windows 11.

How to change default language shortcuts Windows 11

The default language change shortcut is Windows + Space which cannot be turned off by default, but you can also change the language shortcut according to the article below.

How to turn off automatic app updates in Microsoft Store

The Store has removed the persistent toggle and now only lets you pause app updates for 1–5 weeks. If you want to block forced app updates, you can try some of the settings below.

How to reset Ethernet connection in Windows 11

A quick way to fix the most common wired network problems is to reset your Ethernet connection. Here are the steps to reset your Ethernet connection in Windows 11.