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Windows Defender: how come a 'full scan' keeps finding malware even though I have real time...

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Hi, I am running Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit, both on a desktop PC and on a Surface tablet.

 

 

On both systems, I have 'Real Time Protection' enabled on Windows Defender, and I always install all MS Updates as soon as they're available, plus all my 3rd party software is fully patched too.

 

 

Periodically (say once every 2 to 4 weeks) I manually run a "full scan" in Windows Defender.

 

The past few months, these full scans keep coming up detecting malware (I've had a "GamaRue worm" a couple of times, and a password stealer trojan another time...)

 

 

My question is: if Windows Defender's full scan is able to find and neutralise this malware,

 

then how did its real time protection allow it to get installed in the first place?Usually Windows Defender reports the malware is present is a long path that has "windows communications" in it...

 

is there some background comms process running that Defender's 'real time' protection isn't scanning?

 

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