Guide to Conducting a Thorough System Scan

Learn how to effectively conduct a thorough system scan.

June 23, 2025 By Tim Moody

In this guide, we'll learn how to perform an advanced scan on your device to detect potential threats, such as rootkits. This process involves configuring a custom scan to ensure a thorough examination of your system. While some features may be optional or available through other applications like Bitwarden, conducting a detailed scan can enhance your device's security. We'll walk through the steps to set up and initiate the scan, allowing you to identify and address any hidden threats effectively.

Optional: Digital Footprint Scan

After completing its initial scan, I reviewed it, clicked through a couple screens, and reached this point. You don't need to do this, but you could if you want. Bitwarden already does this, for what it's worth. I will skip it.

Step #1: Click on "Skip" — Click on "Skip"

Real-time protection

I don't want to buy this but you could. It's definitely good to have. It will just cost you money. But my recommendation, and the way I do it on camp's PC, is to let Windows inherent antivirus handle real-time protection, and use Malwarebytes for manual scanning when needed.

Step #2: Click on "Maybe later" to skip this — Click on "Maybe later" to skip this

I just clicked through all the other screens. Then finally we'll be able to access the main dashboard of Malwarebytes.

Step #3: Click on "Done" — Click on "Done"

Finally! How to run an advanced scan:

Step #4: Click on these 3 vertical dots: — Click on these 3 vertical dots:

Step #5: Click on "Advanced Scan" — Click on "Advanced Scan"

Then, under Custom Scan, I'll click "Configure the Scan." Here, I want to click "Scan for Rootkits."

Step #6: Click on "Configure the scan" — Click on "Configure the scan"

I will click everything on the right.

Step #8: Click on "ADA" — Click on "ADA"

Simply place a check mark on everything. You may only have one, actually, since you're on a laptop, or maybe you'll have two. Check all the checkboxes you see there.

Keep these two settings unchanged:

Then start a custom scan.

Step #12: Click on "Start Custom Scan" — Click on "Start Custom Scan"

This might take a while. So, walk away, do something else, and then come back. You will receive your results later. This will be a more thorough scan, so it's definitely worth running.