Review the types of scans and default settings

Check your scan settings. You can review the defaults and determine if you want to make changes.

See About the types of scans and real-time protection.

See About the default Virus and Spyware Protection policy scan settings.

Create scheduled scans and run on-demand scans

You use scheduled scans and on-demand scans to supplement the protection that Auto-Protect provides. Auto-Protect provides protection when you read and write files. Scheduled scans and on-demand scans can scan any files that exist on your client computers. They can also protect memory, load points, and other important locations on your client computers.

See Setting up scheduled scans that run on Windows computers.

See Setting up scheduled scans that run on Mac computers.

See Running on-demand scans on client computers.

Customize scan settings for your environment

You can customize Auto-Protect settings as well as options in administrator-defined scans. You might want to change scan settings to handle false positive detections, optimize computer or scan performance, or change scan actions or notifications.

For scheduled scans, you can also set options for missed scans, randomized scans, and whether or not to scan network drives.

See Customizing the virus and spyware scans that run on Windows computers.

See Customizing the virus and spyware scans that run on Mac computers.

Adjust scans to improve client computer performance

By default, Symantec Endpoint Protection provides a high level of security while it minimizes the effect on your client computers' performance. You can change some settings, however, to optimize the computer performance even more. Optimization is important in virtualized environments.

See Adjusting scans to improve computer performance.

Adjust scans to increase protection on your client computers

The default scan settings optimize your client computers' performance while still providing a high level of protection. You can increase the level of protection, however.

See Adjusting scans to increase protection on your client computers.

Manage Download Insight detections

Download Insight inspects files that users try to download through Web browsers, text messaging clients, and other portals. Download Insight uses reputation information from Symantec Insight to make decisions about files.

See Managing Download Insight detections.

Manage SONAR

SONAR is part of Proactive Threat Protection on your client computers. However, SONAR settings are part of a Virus and Spyware Protection policy.

See Managing SONAR.

Configure exceptions for scans

You can create exceptions for the files and applications that you know are safe.

Symantec Endpoint Protection also excludes some files and folders automatically.

See Managing exceptions for Symantec Endpoint Protection

See About the files and folders that Symantec Endpoint Protection excludes from virus and spyware scans.

Manage files in the Quarantine

You can monitor and delete the files that are quarantined on your client computers.

You can also specify settings for the Quarantine.

See Managing the Quarantine.

Allow clients to submit information about detections to Symantec

By default, clients send information about detections to Symantec. You can turn off submissions or choose which types of the information that clients submit.

Symantec recommends that you always allow clients to send submissions. The information helps Symantec address threats.

See Enabling or disabling client submissions to Symantec Security Response.

Manage the virus and spyware notifications that appear on client computers

You can decide whether or not notifications appear on client computers for virus and spyware events.

See Managing the virus and spyware notifications that appear on client computers.