Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan Description
This policy setting allows you to manage whether a check for new virus and spyware security intelligence will occur before running a scan. This setting applies to scheduled scans, but it has no effect on scans initiated manually from the user interface or to the ones started from the command line using "mpcmdrun -Scan". If you enable this setting, a check for new security intelligence will occur before running a scan. If you disable this setting or do not configure this setting, the scan will start using the existing security intelligence.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan Value name: CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan
Enabled: CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan = 1
Disabled: CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Defender/CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0 (Default)- Disabled. -
1- Enabled.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan]
"CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Defender/CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan' -Name 'CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan' -Name 'CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Check for the latest virus and spyware security intelligence before running a scheduled scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'CheckForSignaturesBeforeRunningScan' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.