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Applicable for: Windows

Configure scan settings for Norton scans

You can configure scan settings for each Norton scan that you run.

You can:

  • Schedule your scan to run at idle time or at regular intervals.

  • Prioritize the scan task.

  • Choose what type of files should be scanned.

  • Set automatic actions on detected security risks.

Not all scan settings appear for all scans. Scan settings may vary for each Norton scan.
  1. Open your Norton device security product.

  2. On the left pane, click Security.

  3. In the Security dashboard, in the Scans tile, click Open.

  4. In the Scans window, under the Preset Scans tab, click the settings icon next to the scan you want to customize.

  5. In the window that appears, configure the settings as per your need:

    Schedule your scan

    • Run manually: Scan runs only when you manually start it.

    • Once: Scan runs once on the date and time that you select.

    • Daily: Scan runs daily on the time that you select.

    • Weekly: Scan runs weekly on the days and times that you select.

    • Monthly: Scan runs monthly on the day of the month and at the time that you select.

    If you choose to schedule, your computer should remain turned on at the scheduled time for the scan to run.

    General

    • Notify me about potentially unwanted programs: Scans your computer for potentially unwanted programs and notifies you if there are any.

    • Follow file-system links during scan: Scans for malware in file-system linked files and folders.

    • Scan priority: Select a priority level for the Norton scan activity over other running programs and processes. You can choose between high, medium, and low priority.

    • Shut down computer after scan finishes: Turn on this option if you want to shut down your computer after the scan completes.

    • Generate report file: Generates a report of the scan. You can find the report file in the following location:

      C:\ProgramData\Norton\Antivirus\report

    Perform automatic actions during this scan

    Select an action that your Norton product must perform for threats detected. Your Norton product applies the action you specify here for any detected threat.

    Important: Use caution when configuring your scan to take automatic actions. If a critical system file is incorrectly identified as malware, your Norton product may delete or Quarantine the file. This may happen due to an unknown false positive issue.

    • Fix automatically (Recommended): Your Norton product attempts to repair the file. If unsuccessful, it moves the file to Quarantine. If neither action succeeds, the file is deleted.

    • Move to Quarantine: Your Norton product sends the file to Quarantine, where it cannot harm your system.

    • Delete: Your Norton product permanently removes the file from your computer.

    • Do nothing (resolve manually): You can manually act on the detected threats after the scan finishes.

    Installers and archives

    Select one of the following options:

    • Scan only common installers: Select this option to unpack only common installers.

    • Scan all archives: Select this option if you want Norton to scan the contents of all compressed files. This may increase the scan time.

    • Don't scan archives: Select this option if you do not want Norton to scan compressed files.

  6. Click Save.

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DocID: v20240206153614632
Last modified: 04/24/2025

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