Real-time scanning protects the computer by scanning all files when they are accessed and by blocking access to those files that contain malware.
When your computer tries to access a file, Real-time scanning scans the file for malware before it allows your computer to access the file.
If Real-time scanning finds any harmful content, it puts the file to quarantine before it can cause any harm.
Does real-time scanning affect the performance of my computer?
Normally, you do not notice the scanning process because it takes a small amount of time and system resources. The amount of time and system resources that real-time scanning takes depend on, for example, the contents, location and type of the file.
Files on removable drives such as CDs, DVDs, and portable USB drives take a longer time to scan.
Real-time scanning may slow down your computer if:
- you have a computer that does not meet the system requirements, or
- you access a lot of files at the same time. For example, when you open a directory that contains many files that need to be scanned.