Specify the time for a daily quick scan
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Scan Description
This policy setting allows you to specify the time of day at which to perform a daily quick scan. The time value is represented as the number of minutes past midnight (00:00). For example, 120 (0x78) is equivalent to 02:00 AM. By default, this setting is set to disabled. The schedule is based on local time on the computer where the scan is executing. If you enable this setting, a daily quick scan will run at the time of day specified. If you disable or do not configure this setting, daily quick scan controlled by this config will not be run.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan Value name: ScheduleQuickScanTime
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Defender/ScheduleQuickScanTime Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
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: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan]
"ScheduleQuickScanTime"=dword:00000001
"ScheduleQuickScanTime"=dword:00000078More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Value 120 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Defender/ScheduleQuickScanTime
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="Scan_ScheduleQuickScantime" value="120"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan' -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan' -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Expected 120 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Value 120 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
# 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: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan' -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan' -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Expected 120 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Specify the time for a daily quick scan
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2012, Windows 8 or Windows RT
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ScheduleQuickScanTime' -Value 120 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.