MSE scan

[Tilly2]

When a full scan is taking place, can you swithch off the laptop or do you have to leave it on. When I switched on this morning it told me that my computer was potentially unptotected. It is now scanning. So can I switch off?

I have set it to scan every Wednesday evening but it doesn't seem to do it.

[murraymints]

no leave on standby...

[Tilly2]

Thanks, murraymints

[rojash]

How on earth do you imagine it will complete the scan if you switch it off?

[Hopkirk]

I set mine not to scan, and do a quick scan every now and then, when I am not using the computer.

I don't think you need to do a full scan all that often, as the quick scan does the areas most likely to be infected.

If you forget to do a scan for a while, it goes orange to remind you.

[Tilly2]

I thought it might continue switched off, rojash because sometimes when you switch off the computer it says something like 'switch off to download updates' or something of that nature. I thought a scan might be the same.

[VHG]

It is not "switch off to download updates" but "switch of to INSTALL updates".

When Windows wants to install fixes it usually needs to replace an existing file with a new one. But Windows often "locks" files when they are in use, to stop them being accidently deleted.

So Windows will often ask you to "reboot" the computer (or switch it off and on again) so it can unlock files and repalce them with the new copies.

That is why you are sometimes asked to switch the computer off.

[Tilly2]

Thanks everyone. Now I know.