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avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

Automatically Updating MSE Malware Definitions?

I am about to ditch McAfee here in a close future, and want to try out MSE.
My question is, is it true that in order for the MSE virus/malware definitions to be updated automatically, does the Windows Update setting have to be set as Install Windows Updates Automatically?

Mine is set to only Notify me whether to Download them and Install them like as you see in my image posted.

I DO NOT want these Windows Updates to be installed automatically since I heard horror stories about updates causing BSODs and stuff like...I want to research these updates before I do install them.

So in order for MSE to update malware definition files Automatically, does Windows Updates have to be set to Install Windows Updates automatically?


Tursiops_G
Technoid
MVM
join:2002-02-06
Brooksville, FL
ARRIS TM1602

Tursiops_G

MVM

MSE can be set to Automatically check for updates prior to running a Scheduled scan.



planet
join:2001-11-05
Oz

planet to avze

Member

to avze
I use MSE and my WU are set the same as yours and MSE automatically updates when I wake my PC from sleep and log onto my SUA.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

Well, I do not want scheduled scans as I would rather do them manually. That's just my preference.

So can I leave my Windows Updates setting like the one from my image or does it have to be set to Automatically Install Windows Updates in order for MSE to automatically update its malware files?

Will that be Ok?
Frederick46
join:2012-10-14

Frederick46

Member

You can update MSE manually or via WU.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

So in order for MSE to automatically update its virus/malware definitions, I have to change my WU settings to automatically install them as opposed to the current WU settings I have from my image above?

I do not want WU to auto install updates. I rather select the ones I want and then download them.

Also, this is new to me...I never thought MSE downloads its virus definitions from Windows Updates...This is something new to me. I thought MS had its own dedicated MSE malware repository updating server.

planet
join:2001-11-05
Oz

planet

Member

See my previous post. MSE updates automatically on my win 7 PC and I have my WU settings the same as you show yours.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

Yes I read your post, and thanks for the reply and help.

But do you manually update MSE or you just let MSE auto install the malware definitions?
lawsoncl
join:2008-10-28
Spirit Lake, ID

2 edits

lawsoncl to avze

Member

to avze
A quick 10-second Google gives the easy solution.
»www.google.com/search?q= ··· o+update

Create a scheduled task that runs the MSE updater.

%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Security Essentials\MpCmdRun.exe -SignatureUpdate
- or depending on the actual path
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Security Client\MpCmdRun.exe -SignatureUpdate

Just checked and this works for Windows Defender on Win8.1 as well.
"c:\program files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate

(Just setup a scheduled task on my machine, because I too prefer to delay the WSUS updates by a few days.)
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

1 recommendation

dave to avze

Premium Member

to avze
said by avze:

So in order for MSE to automatically update its virus/malware definitions, I have to change my WU settings to automatically install them as opposed to the current WU settings I have from my image above?

You can automatically install MSE signature updates without having other Windows Updates automatically installed.

Whether or not you can automatically install MSE signature updates without automatically running an MSE scan, I am not sure.

planet
join:2001-11-05
Oz

planet

Member

I disabled auto scans. I do them manually. It auto updates each time I log on after several minutes. If I remember correctly when I installed MSE back in 2010 it's been auto updating since then. I may have forgotten but I think it created a scheduled task on its own when installed.
CmmTch
join:2002-08-10
High Ridge, MO

CmmTch to avze

Member

to avze
MSE updating is completely separate from Windows Update, setting anything on one does not affect the other. See Tursiops_G screen shot for the MSE scheduled scan and update function, on mine I've unchecked the 2nd box since I want it to scan when I'm using the computer. I don't notice when it's scanning unless I happen to see the arrow spinning around in the icon on the taskbar.

I have mine set to update and scan at 7:00pm every day since the computer is usually on at that time. I turn it off every night.
dave
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio

dave

Premium Member

Click for full size
said by CmmTch:

MSE updating is completely separate from Windows Update

That doesn't appear to be completely true.

If you just mean that you can have MSE automatically update without having Windows Update automatically update, then I agree. But they're the same source nevertheless -- e.g., you can download MSE updates with Windows Update (as I occasionally do: if I am manually installing Windows updates and notice a new signatures update, I figure I might as well get it there and then).
CmmTch
join:2002-08-10
High Ridge, MO

1 recommendation

CmmTch

Member

Sorry about that dave and OP, WU only does it's update once a month (maybe more often for something important) and MSE updates everyday. If you happen to manually perform a windows update and MSE hasn't ran that day it too will show an update.

But, they are separate and one does not affect the other. The main point being made here is MSE updates without doing a windows update and WU can update without updating MSE. Occasionally an MSE update shows up for me in WU but I don't usually do the WU before MSE has ran, it's not planned that way but most times that's the way it works out.

No need for me to confuse the issue, bottom line is MSE updates without windows update, any setting in windows update DOES NOT affect MSE updates and vice versa
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

I don't know about MSE, but Windows Defender on Windows 8 is completely tied to Windows Update. I had to do manual daily updates from Microsoft Security Center until someone told me to set up task scheduler. I keep Windows Updates disabled until I am ready to install patches which I research and download to disk individually and, then when ready to install, I go to Services and enable Windows Updates temporarily. Task scheduler doesn't care that I have Windows Updates service disabled and it runs a command line update once daily.
Shady Bimmer
Premium Member
join:2001-12-03

Shady Bimmer

Premium Member

I have WU configured to download updates but let me choose whether to install them on all of my systems running both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. This is slightly different than the OP.

On all of my systems, MSE (Win 7) and Windows Defender (Win 8.x) maintain updated definitions on their own.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Yes. The reason Windows Defender would not update for me via Windows Updates was because I keep it disabled in Services. I didn't realize that setting a task would work even if I had Windows Updates disabled but it does.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

Now the other question would be, when I disable the scheduled scanning, will MSE automatically update these virus definitions?
Because I would like to set the full scanning to manual.

So the mystery still lies whether MSE keeps its own dedicated virus updating server on its own, or does it still go through Windows Updates...
This is very very interesting.
jupitermoon
join:2011-09-27

1 recommendation

jupitermoon

Member

said by avze :
Now the other question would be, when I disable the scheduled scanning, will MSE automatically update these virus definitions?
I have Windows Update set to Never check for updates.

I have scheduled scanning disabled in MSE.

There is no scheduled task.

MSE updates automatically.

This is on a laptop running Vista.

PeeWee
Premium Member
join:2001-10-21
Madera, CA

PeeWee

Premium Member

said by jupitermoon:

said by avze :
Now the other question would be, when I disable the scheduled scanning, will MSE automatically update these virus definitions?
I have Windows Update set to Never check for updates.

I have scheduled scanning disabled in MSE.

There is no scheduled task.

MSE updates automatically.

This is on a laptop running Vista.

+1

CovMac
Premium Member
join:2000-11-06
Covington, LA

CovMac

Premium Member

said by PeeWee:

said by jupitermoon:

said by avze :
Now the other question would be, when I disable the scheduled scanning, will MSE automatically update these virus definitions?
I have Windows Update set to Never check for updates.

I have scheduled scanning disabled in MSE.

There is no scheduled task.

MSE updates automatically.

This is on a laptop running Vista.

+1

+2, but I'm running a desktop with WIN7 Pro 64bit.
avze
join:2013-08-19

avze

Member

I will install it ...However, It is not as good as everyone here thinks it is.

»www.darkreading.com/vuln ··· 1107614?
»www.theverge.com/2013/1/ ··· ion-test

But thanks for the replies and for all the help.

planet
join:2001-11-05
Oz

planet

Member

said by avze:

I will install it ...However, It is not as good as everyone here thinks it is.

I like to use a layered approach so MSE is just one of those layers. MBAM (free version) and HitManPro (free) I like as well to target other than virus's and also a white listing anti executable program (paid version) to short stop EXEs from running that shouldn't be.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to avze

Premium Member

to avze
Both those articles are VERY OUTDATED and unfair to Microsoft because of that. Plus, you didn't bother to explain that MICROSOFT asked AV-Test and AV Comparatives to use MSE as a baseline several years ago.

I agree though that MSE is not very good. What bothers me, at this site, is that most posters seem to still not be able to grasp the fact that Windows Defender on Windows 8 and 10 is NOT the same as MSE on earlier versions of Windows. They should NOT be lumped together.