No Defender Updates

G

Guest

Windows Defender Version: 1.1.1593.0
Engine Version: 1.1.1603.0
Definition Version: 1.0.0.0
Product ID: 81664-345-1595933-04653

Definition Version 1.0.0.0 created on 25 Jan 2006 at 19:29

Clicking on 'Check for Updates Now' button does not update the definitions.

Pop-up tells me there are no new definitions.

How do I update the definitions? It's not clear at all!
 
B

Bill Sanderson MVP

Johnny - Since you got feedback that no definitions were available, this
makes me wonder whether you are on a managed network with WSUS running, and
the WSUS administrator hasn't made Windows Defender definitions available
via WSUS?
 
P

Paul Baker [MVP, Windows - Networking]

Connsidering the frequency that this problem has been reported (including by
myself!) on this newsgroup and presumably elsewhere, perhaps some kind of
indication to the user is in order.

Like in the Windows Firewall Control Panel UI where it says "For your
security, some settings are controlled by Group Policy".

Interesting that the Automatic Updates Control Panel UI disables various
controls in this case but does not give the show kind of message.

Paul
 
G

Guest

Gents, Thanks for the response....
here's the latest on my problem....#

I updated the Options for WSUS to include Defender Updates and then carried
out the manual sync.
Lo and behold, I received a lot of defender updates.

What to do next ???????

The defender Icon had the yellow exclamation mark, as it did before I
carried out the above, so I launched Defender and carried out the Update.

This worked.

SO, why did clicking on the Update button in Defender before downloading
the WSUS updated not work?????

IF defender updates are dependent on WSUS, and for home users Windows
update, then should the Button be GREYED OUT until an update is available
along with some explanation?

I struggled to get this far as I assume has everyone else. The problem being
that the Defender's button is active but does nothing.

Can someone describe where the instructions are that define how this
mechanism is supposed to work?

Thanks
 
P

Paul Baker [MVP, Windows - Networking]

Johnny,

I have never used WSUS but, as far as I know, someone must download and
approve all updates before they can be deployed. I am wondering if this
causes a delay in deployment when that someone forgets to check for updates.
It seems to be working okay for security updates already, but is that
because people know they are released on a schedule? Will people either
check dialy or know to check for Windows Defender updates on a different
schedule?
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...9d45-480b-b801-996b714cebd01033.mspx?mfr=true

I think the "Update" button is available even when no update is available on
the WSUS server, simply because it has to check and clicking the button is
your consent to check, and you would want it to work even if something
changed since the last time it *automatically* updated (like someone just
realised they need to approve the update).

If you are a home user, you wouldn't be tied to a WSUS server and you'd be
able to download the updates yourself without any trouble.

Anyway, I agree, it is not very clear to the user what is going on and this
could become a problem.

Paul
 
B

Bill Sanderson MVP

Windows Defender definitions are distributed via AutoUpdate, Windows Update,
Microsoft Update, and WSUS.

When you press that button, you trigger and AutoUpdate attempt to retrieve
the definitions from the configured update server. For the average home
user, that will be Microsoft's update servers. For someone on a corporate
lan, it will be the WSUS (or SUS) servers, and if SUS, the definitions will
not be available, if WSUS, they may be available at the decision of the
administrator. I don't think Windows Defender knows where they are coming
from--it knows how to test their validity and security, I'm quite sure, but
I doubt that it worries about how they arrive.

In your case, updating on your network is controlled by the WSUS
administrator--i.e. you! Unless you determine that Windows Defender is a
supported application on your network, and configure WSUS to carry the
definitions, users on the network won't receive them--you are in control.

In the situation where you hadn't yet enabled Windows Defender definitions
to be distributed over WSUS, the button still worked fine, it queryed your
WSUS server and found no definitions available. There's probably evidence
of this in the log file--not sure whether it is %windir%\windowsupdate.log
or not, but it probably is.

If you have a machine at home which isn't a domain member, it will recieve
definitions directly from Microsoft when you press that button, or,
optionally, before scheduled scans, or when a Windows or Microsoft Update
Express or Custom scan is done.

I hope I'm suceeding at describing this accurately, but don't blame me for
the design--I bekieve that the intent is to give the WSUS administrator
control of updates.
 

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