How to check Microsoft Defender Antivirus status on AVD

AZ-140 By islever Editorial Last updated

Plan and implement security

Short answer

B Run the Get-MpComputerStatus cmdlet to check the Microsoft Defender Antivirus status on Host1.

Question

You have an Azure Virtual Desktop session host named Host1. You need to check the status of Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Host1. Which PowerShell cmdlet should you run?
  1. Get-DscConfigurationStatus
  2. Get-MpComputerstatus Correct Answer
  3. Get-KdsConfiguration
  4. Get-BCStatus

Key Takeaways

The question tests knowledge of Windows Defender PowerShell cmdlets, where the common trap is confusing Malware Protection (MP) cmdlets with unrelated status cmdlets like DSC or BranchCache.

The Get-MpComputerStatus PowerShell cmdlet is used to check the status of Microsoft Defender Antivirus on an Azure Virtual Desktop session host. This page confirms the correct command to retrieve Malware Protection details.

Common mistake: Choosing Get-DscConfigurationStatus or Get-BCStatus because they contain the word Status, but they apply to Desired State Configuration and BranchCache respectively, not Defender.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

The Get-MpComputerStatus cmdlet is specifically designed to retrieve the status of Microsoft Defender Antivirus on a local computer. Running this on an Azure Virtual Desktop session host returns crucial security details such as real-time protection status, antivirus signature versions, and the last scan time. The "Mp" prefix stands for Malware Protection, directly aligning with Microsoft Defender's core function.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Get-DscConfigurationStatus is used for checking the status of PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC), not antivirus software. Get-KdsConfiguration retrieves settings for the Microsoft Group Key Distribution Service (KDS), which is unrelated to endpoint protection. Get-BCStatus checks the status of BranchCache, a technology for optimizing WAN bandwidth, and has nothing to do with Microsoft Defender.

Community Comment Notes

Community members correctly identified the cmdlet by relying on the "MP" prefix, as davans888 noted, "MP = Malware Protection". Another commenter, jeff1988, highlighted that the cmdlet retrieves "information about the antivirus signature version, last scan time" which confirms its specific applicability to Defender.

Official Reference

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/defender/get-mpcomputerstatus

This link opens the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

Memorize the PowerShell cmdlet prefixes for Windows features; for example, "Mp" stands for Malware Protection (Defender), "Dsc" for Desired State Configuration, and "Bc" for BranchCache. This helps quickly eliminate incorrect options on the exam.

Community Votes

B
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 3 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors, not of islever. The comments shown first are the most substantive of the thread — ranked by depth, community endorsement and relevance; expand the list below to read the rest.

From public community threads 3

  1. davans888 👍 3 Answered B
    How to easily remember: MP = Malware Protection
  2. Bonesurfer 👍 2
    Correct The cmdlet Get-MpComputerStatus provides detailed information about the status of Microsoft Defender Antivirus, including real-time protection status, last scan time, and other key security insights for Windows Defender on the session host.
  3. jeff1988 👍 2 Answered B
    B. Get-MpComputerStatus This cmdlet retrieves the status of Microsoft Defender Antivirus, including information about the antivirus signature version, last scan time, and other relevant details.

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