How to check antivirus status in Windows Vista By Drew Mathers | October 8, 2015 1 1. Click: Start 2 2. Click: Control Panel 3a 3a. Click: Check this computer’s security status (if Control Panel is set to Control Panel Home) 3b 3b. Double-click: Security Center (if Control Panel is set to Classic View) 4 4. Verify that Malware Protection shows as: On 5 5. Otherwise, install antivirus software Posted in Beginner