Update Batch for 07/26/16

Checked for updates this morning and only received a Defender definition. Never seen just a Defender update on a Tuesday. Anyone have any input on this?

Thanks as always.

Monthly security updates are released on the second Tuesday of each month, about two hours later than the time of your post. Brink typically posts a Vista News item like this: http://www.vistax64.com/vista-news/304627-microsoft-security-bulletin-summary-july-12th-2016-a.html. Occasionally there might be one or two updates released at some other time during the month, but it would not be surprising if there are no further Windows updates until August 9.

I guess I'll go looking now but do you or anyone else know if and where MS posts what updates are being released for the various OSs?

Hi VFN:

There was a virus definition update released today (26-Jul-2016) for Windows Defender. According to the MS support article Updating your Microsoft antimalware and antispyware software, "For antimalware and antispyware, the latest definitions are 1.225.2465.0, dated Jul 26, 2016 1:40 PM UTC." MajorGeeks also posted links today to standalone installers for this definition update that Windows Defender users can download if their automatic update fails - see Windows Defender Definition Updates July 26, 2016.

Do you have a third-party antivirus programs like Norton, McAfee, etc. running on your computer that automatically disables Vista's Windows Defender at boot-up? If so, you wouldn't normally see Windows Defender updates being delivered to your computer on a regular basis.

I use Norton Internet Security (NIS), which automatically prevents both Windows Defender and Windows Firewall from running at startup. I occasionally update my Windows Defender virus definitions by launching Windows Defender and clicking the "Turn on and open Windows Defender" link, and then either run a manual Windows Update or update directly from the Windows Defender GUI. As soon as I re-boot my computer, NIS automatically turns off Windows Defender again.



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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

lmacri said:

Do you have a third-party antivirus programs like Norton, McAfee, etc. running on your computer that automatically disables Vista's Windows Defender at boot-up?

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Thanks. I use Avast which works fine with Defender.

Hi VFN:

Sorry, I've had Windows Defender disabled on my Vista machine for several years so I don't see the definition updates downloaded on a regular basis.

Definition updates for Windows Defender are posted on the Microsoft servers at least once a day. When I first posted earlier today the latest available definition version was 1.225.2465.0, but since then the MS support article Updating your Microsoft antimalware and antispyware software has already been updated and now states "For antimalware and antispyware, the latest definitions are 1.225.2505.0, dated Jul 26, 2016 11:9 PM UTC". The Change Log for each new definition update is posted at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/portal/definitions/whatsnew.aspx.

If I recall correctly, the latest available definition updates should be downloaded when Windows Updates runs if Windows Defender is turned on, so I'm not surprised that you received a definition update today when you ran a manual Windows Update. From the Help section of Windows Defender:

"To help keep your definitions up to date, Windows Defender works with Windows Update to automatically install new definitions as they are released. You can also set Windows Defender to check online for updated definitions before scanning."

FYI, I did a quick search and it appears that Avast will automatically turn off Windows Defender on Win 8.x and Win 10, but not on Win 7 and Vista. That's likely because the Win 7 and Vista versions of Windows Defender only scan for spyware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), while the Win 8.x and Win 10 versions of Windows Defender are true antivirus programs that scan for viruses and other high-risk malware in addition to spyware and PUPs - see moderator quietman7's comments in the bleepingcomputer thread Avast vs Windows Defender.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

Avast most likely did turn off Windows Defender, but VFN most likely turned it back on via Control Panel. I don't recall VFN asking for advice regarding Windows Defender, but FWIW it should be turned off because sooner or later it will trigger a false positive from your real antivirus: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/93118-windows-defender-off.html. BTW Imacri, using both Norton and Malwarebytes Premium is also bound to cause a false positive someday.

I've never had any problems with Windows Defender and Avast that I know of, nor do I remember having to turn Defender back on but I did turn off daily Defender scans a while ago because they became a nuisance.

Thanks for all the info.

Just looked for updates and all I got was a Defender definition. I haven't had an update other than a Defender definition since July, 18th.

VFN said:

Just looked for updates and all I got was a Defender definition. I haven't had an update other than a Defender definition since July, 18th.

Click to expand...

Hi VFN:

That is normal. As Vistaar already noted in post # 2, Microsoft usually releases multiple updates for the Vista OS in a large batch on the second Tuesday of each month, which is often called Patch Tuesday. It's very rare these days for a security update for Vista or IE9 to be released outside of a Patch Tuesday. The August 2016 Patch Tuesday is due next week on 09-Aug-2016.

As noted in post # 6, Windows Defender virus definitions are normally updated at least once a day and will be automatically installed by Windows Update when they are released - assuming Windows Defender is turned on and started at boot-up as it is on your system.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

Thanks. It's just that if memory serves (and it might not I guess) I always used to get security updates on Tuesdays. Maybe MS isn't bothering much anymore with Vista systems.

Hi VFN:

From the Wikipedia article Patch Tuesday:

"Patch Tuesday (a.k.a. Update Tuesday) is an unofficial term used to refer to when Microsoft regularly releases security patches for its software products. It is widely referred to in this way by the industry. Microsoft formalized Patch Tuesday in October 2003. Patch Tuesday occurs on the second, and sometimes fourth, Tuesday of each month in North America."


I only recall a small number of updates for Vista/IE9 being released on the fourth Tuesday of the month since Patch Tuesdays were formalized, and in almost every instance it a was a critical security update for the IE browser to patch a vulnerability that was being actively exploited by a zero-day exploit.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0.1 * NIS v22.7.0.76 * MBAM Premium v2.2.1

I understand that and appreciate your citations, it's just that I don't remember a Tuesday only having a Defender update let alone two in a row. I suppose I'm wrong but my memory tells me Tuesday always had some security, NET or IE update while Friday was Defender only--perhaps with the rare exception. Thanks.

Just checked for updates and got a NET Framework security and Vista x64 update so a little normalcy I suppose.

All I got this week was the Egyptian time zone update (KB3177723). I wonder what versions of .NET Framework you have installed? I have 4.5.2 and 3.5, but no security updates this month

Security Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2 on Windows 7, Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64 (KB3135996)

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB3177723)

VFN said:

KB3135996

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I installed that on March 8.

Date Published 8/12/2016 Under "Details"

Looks like it was already modified once in May for "LDR" customers: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3135996

Yeah, I saw that and wasn't sure what LDR is about.