on-demand scans

On-demand scans refer to antivirus or security scans that are manually initiated by the user, rather than running continuously in real time. These scans are often used for targeted malware removal or as a second opinion when a primary real-time antivirus may have missed a threat. Common tools include Malwarebytes, Emsisoft Emergency Kit, Microsoft Safety Scanner, and Norton Power Eraser, many of which are portable and free for home use. On Windows systems, issues have been reported where on-demand scans do not detect all infected files, particularly in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2. Users may also configure security software like Spybot to run on-demand only, disabling automatic services to reduce system impact.