Remove or restore items quarantined by Windows Defender

To complete these steps, you must be logged on as an administrator or be a member of the Administrators group.

When Windows Defender quarantines software, it moves it to another location on your computer, and then prevents the software from running until you choose to restore it or remove it from your computer.

To remove or restore quarantined items

1. Open Windows Defender by clicking Start, clicking Programs, and then clicking Windows Defender.
2. Click Tools, and then click Quarantined items.
3. Review each item and then, for each, click Remove or Restore. If you want remove all quarantined items from your computer, click Remove All.

Warning

• Do not restore software with severe or high alert ratings because it can put your privacy and the security of your computer at risk.

Related Topics

Add or remove items from the Windows Defender allowed list

Schedule when Windows Defender scans your computer

Understanding Windows Defender alert levels