Windows Defender update

[bzbox]

Hi, does anyone else having a problem getting new definition updates for Windows Defender via Windows Update? It says no new updates since 8.7.2019. Manual instalation doesn't seem to work.

 

[lmacri]

hi bzbox:

Windows Defender is usually disabled on my system, but I've also noticed that if I enable Windows Defender and run a manual Windows Update that it will report that no updates are available. I'm not sure when this started but I first noticed that Windows Update was not delivering new virus definition updates for Windows Defender when I tested on 10-Jul-2019 just after the July 2019 Patch Tuesday.

I posted on page 20 of Jody Thorton's MSFN thread Server 2008 Updates on Windows Vista and asked if this had anything to do with recent changes to SHA-2 code signing requirements for Windows Update, but it sounds like some users with Win 8.1 and Win 10 operating systems are having issues with definition updates for their Windows Defender antivirus this month as well - see the 16-Jul-2019 AskWoody.com thread Windows Defender Updates. I don't know if Win 7 SP1 users with the old anti-malware version of Windows Defender (i.e., the same anti-malware version as Vista) are having similar problems.

I can still update my Windows Defender virus definitions manually if I go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/definitions/, download the latest mpas-fe.exe installer for Win 7 / Vista and save to my desktop, and then right-click the .exe file and select Run as Administrator (Note: double-clicking to start the .exe installer didn't work). I performed a manual update today this way on my 32-bit system, and I didn't see a message telling me the installer had finished running, but my Windows Defender interface now shows I have today's v1.299.282.0 definition set.


--------------
32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22 * MS Office Professional 2003 * Malwarebytes Free v3.5.1
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

 

[Vistaar]

I am very pleased to hear that Microsoft has finally cut off definition updates for that worthless placebo! Installing any good antivirus should turn that old piece of junk off; but for years users have been turning it back on, evidently thinking they know better than the makers of their preferred solution. I have argued against using Defender for years, notably in the 3-year-old thread Avast Turns Off Defender. BTW I 'm now using Avast 18.8 on Vista, and I do not know or care whether it still creates Group Policy registry keys to prevent users from turning Defender back on. Hopefully it still does.

 

[bzbox]

Thanks to Imacri, I managed to install Updates manually. Right click, Run as Administrator did the job.

 

[erpster4]

I am very pleased to hear that Microsoft has finally cut off definition updates for that worthless placebo!

maybe only for Vista but not for Win7. windows update is still offering new defender updates for Win7 as I recently checked myself yesterday
btw, note to Imacri: the win7 version of windows defender has a slightly better UI than vista's version of defender but still rudimentary on protection (as in relatively weak). MS security essentials (MSE) still works on W7 with its latest definition updates (well still working until maybe the Win7 EOL date of 1/14/2020 - we'll see what happens then)