Defender thinks def'ns not available

[Guest]

Hello,
I have one PC that gives the following message everything Defender checks
for definition updates:

"No new definition or update files are availabe for Window Defender."

However, when I look in WSUS under this computer, it lists the Defender
definition files as needed. So why won't this computer get the definition
updates and update itself. I've tried reinstalling Defender, and a bunch of
other stuff. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanx, Janet

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

Janet - is it the case that this single PC is on the same network and WSUS
server as others which are not showing this behavior?

If this is the case, here are my thoughts, which you should take with a
grain of salt since I have zero WSUS-related experience:

If I'm correct in my assumption above, it would appear that your WSUS server
is properly configured and is handling Windows Defender definitions as
you've determined is correct for your operations.

So--presumably the issue is something unique to this client machine. As I
say, I've zero WSUS experience, but I'd expect that there probably isn't
anything so subtle likely to go wrong with the WSUS client. Presumably the
WSUS client diagnostic app is all that's needed to be sure that part is
working right.

(Thinking out loud here...)--Where I think this leaves me is suspecting that
some prerequisite bit of code is missing on this particular client
machine--I'm not sure of the hows or whys that would make this possible in
this situation, but that's what I think I'd look for first. Candidates:
Windows Installer 3.1 and any updates to that--perhaps remove this and put
it back again?

One approach might be to consider changing this machine from WSUS to direct
to the Microsoft Servers, and seeing what is offered.

I'm not succeeding in convincing myself that I really have a useful idea
here--perhaps you'd be better off bringing this question to a WSUS-related
group. Here's a pointer to such a group, via HTML:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/co...crosoft.public.windows.server.update_services