Defender - Automatic Update of Definitions

[Drew__]

Hello,

Not sure if this forum or the update forum is the correct one. I have been
having issues with windows defender for quite a period of time now.

I am using Windows Vista 32bit, and for the first couple of months I had the
computer, defender would always update itself automatically, but then it
stopped working, saying it could not find any new definitions.

I assumed this was because there weren't any new ones out yet, but the
problem persisted for a long time and eventually I looked for help online.

The first thing I found which seemed to help was running the command prompt
and using winmgmt to scan and fix my repository, as it found things were not
in order. After running this it seemed to work and when I checked for new
definitions it found and installed them, and windows defender was running
again.

However since then it has never installed the new definitions automatically,
even though I have it set to do so, all of my automatic install and update
tabs are checked on. So I used to have to use the website
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/ADL.aspx to update the definitions
manually.

This seemed to work, and defender always told me the new version was running
after I installed the update, but I still wanted to try and fix the fact that
it wasn't working automatically.

Searching further I found a command posted on the vista64x forums to run
mpcmdrun and remove then update the signatures, but this doesn't update to
the newest. The newest version is 1.24.5706, but this command only updates
defender to the following:-

Service Version: 1.1.1505.0
Engine Version: 1.1.3109.0
AntiSpyware Base Signature Version: 1.24.4710.0
AntiSpyware Delta Signature Version: 1.24.5611.0

For some reason it will not update to the newest definition, and now when I
manually install it, although it says it is running the new definition, when
I use the mpcmdrun -RemoveDefinitions -All command, the information it shows
me says it was only using 1.24.5611.0 still in the delta signature.

I have no idea what I can further do to correct these issues other than
format my hard drive and hope that somehow it doesn't happen again. I believe
at some point when this first started happening I tried to force it to
install new definitions by clicking the red security icon when it couldn't
find any and searching again, then I got an error message which I searched
for but could never find any reference to - I never noted it down.

Can anybody help me with this issue? I believe when the problems first
started I may have had the definition shown in the base signature
1.24.4710.0, or a .46 extension around there. Is this the issue that my base
signature won't update? What can I do?

Thanks !

 

[Engel]

Hello Drew,

You might try this.

Go to the main Windows Update window and click on "Installed Updates" (on
the left-hand side of the window, at the bottom), and then remove "Update for
Microsoft Windows (KB931099)" (only).

Reboot. Reboot again. Go back to Windows Update, and re-install the same
update, by clicking on the Check for Updates button.


Other folks may have additional ideas for you; hope this helps a bit, see if
that helps.

I hope this post is helpful.

Let us know how it works ºut.

Good luck
- -- ---

 

[Drew__]

Thanks, I will try that out now. Sorry took a while to get back, it was late
when I originally posted. I'll give an update in a short while.

 

[Drew__]

Unfortunately it hasn't worked for me. I made sure to reboot twice before
updating as you said, but defender still can't find definitions.

For some reason, and this is something I have noticed for a long time but
forgot to mention, when I open windows defender that status frame at the
bottom is all wrong.

It tells me that my last scans were all at wierd times, but the strangest
thing is where it says definition version. I have just installed the new
1.24.5720.0 definition manually - it says it was created 18/01/2008 at 19:32
- it is the 21/01 and the time is 12:29. I think I will leave it for a few
days to see if it finds the new definitions later than it is supposed to
because it's clock seems to be whack.

Thanks for trying to help

 

[Engel]

Are you running Microsoft OneCare?