How to Restore Files from Microsoft Defender Quarantine in Windows

Microsoft Defender, the built-in security tool in Windows, actively protects your computer from viruses, malware, and other threats. During this process, some files might be placed in quarantine if they’re flagged as potentially harmful. However, Defender may sometimes quarantine safe files you wish to keep. This guide will walk you through the steps to restore such files from quarantine.

1. Open Microsoft Defender

To restore files from quarantine, you’ll first need to open Microsoft Defender:

• Click the Start button and go to Settings.
• Select Update & Security, then choose Windows Security.
• Click Open Windows Security Center.

2. Go to “Virus & Threat Protection”

In the Security Center, select Virus & Threat Protection. Here, you’ll see a list of all detected threats and their status, including quarantined files.

3. Open the “Protection History”

Within the Virus & Threat Protection section, click on Protection History. This is where Microsoft Defender logs all detected threats, quarantined files, and the time and date of detection.

4. Locate the Quarantined File

Review the list of detected threats in Protection History. Files placed in quarantine usually display a “Quarantine” status. Select the file you want to restore to view more details and available actions.

5. Restore the File

If you’re confident that the file is safe and want to restore it, follow these steps:

• Select the file you wish to recover.
• Click on Actions, then choose Restore.

Note: Make sure the file source is trustworthy, as restoring it could reintroduce potentially harmful content.

6. Add the File to Exclusions

To prevent this file from being quarantined again, you can add it to the list of exclusions:

• Go to Virus & Threat Protection Settings.
• Click Manage Settings.
• Scroll down to Exclusions and choose Add or Remove Exclusions.
• Add the recovered file or folder to ensure Defender doesn’t flag it again.