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Windows Defender in Windows 11, Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 is set to automatically download and install the definition updates using Windows Update, once a day. If for some reason, your Windows Defender will not update automatically, or if you wish to download and save the definition updates in order to maybe update Windows Defender offline, on different installations of Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista, then this post will be of interest to you.
We have already seen how to download Windows Update manually. Today, we will see how you can update Windows Defender manually in Windows 11. Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. I will also give links for downloading updates for Windows Defender in the post.
First, check whether you are using a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows 11/10/8.1/7. Once you know the version of Windows installed on your device, download the installers from the following links:
- Download definition updates for Windows Defender in Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8: 32-bit | 64-bit | ARM.
- Download definition updates for Windows Defender in Windows 7 and Windows Vista: 32-bit | 64-bit.
- Download definition updates for Microsoft Security Essentials: 32-bit | 64-bit.
Once the file has finished downloading, go to your download location and double-click the file mpam–fe.exe. Follow the prompts to install the update.
You can also update Windows Defender definitions using Windows PowerShell.
If you think some malware is preventing the installation of Windows Defender definition updates, you may want to run a scan with Microsoft Safety Scanner or for more stubborn malware, use Windows Defender Offline.
TIP: See how to update Windows offline.
Why can’t I update my Windows Defender?
If you have installed some third-party antivirus tool, then that security program can interfere with Microsoft Defender Antivirus, and that could be the reason that you aren’t able to update it. In that case, you should disable any third-party security tool and then try to update the Microsoft Defender Antivirus. You can also run the Windows Update troubleshooter to find and fix issues related to virus definition updates.
How to update Defender using CMD?
To update Windows Defender or Microsoft Defender Antivirus using CMD, first, run Command Prompt as administrator and access the Windows Defender directory. After that, clear the current cache for the update, and then start the update using the following commands:
MpCmdRun.exe -removedefinitions -dynamicsignatures
MpCmdRun.exe -SignatureUpdate
These links are sure to interest you too:
- Update Windows Defender even when Automatic Windows Updates is disabled
- Windows Defender is turned off or not working
- Unable to turn on Windows Defender.
Anand Khanse is the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, a 10-year Microsoft MVP (2006-16) & a Windows Insider MVP (2016-2022). Please read the entire post & the comments first, create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any 3rd-party offers while installing freeware.
Contents
- 1 How To Update Microsoft Defender Via Windows Security
- 2 How To Update Microsoft Defender Via Command Prompt
- 3 How To Update Microsoft Defender Via Task Scheduler
- 4 How to Run Windows Defender from the Command Line (CMD)
- 5 Windows Defender Application Guard: How to Turn It On or Off
- 6 How to Turn on the Hidden Adware Blocker in Windows Defender
Microsoft Defender, previously known as “Windows Defender,” is a built-in utility on Windows 10 and Windows 11 that aims to protect your PCs from attacks and viruses. Because new malware or threats are developing on your PC, you must keep your Windows Defender antimalware Definition up to date to provide numerous effective antimalware to protect your PC on Windows 11.
Note: In 2020, Microsoft changed the name of the security feature on Windows 10 to “Microsoft Defender”. Read more here.
How Microsoft Defender Definitions Updates Work
Microsoft regularly updates security intelligence in antimalware products to cover the most recent threats. It improves detection logic, improving the capacity of Microsoft Defender Antivirus and other Microsoft antimalware solutions to identify threats effectively. This security intelligence collaborates directly with cloud-based protection to give AI-enhanced, next-generation protection that is quick and powerful.
If you have Microsoft Defender switched on, it will update most of the time automatically. However, in rare situations, Microsoft Defender does not update itself for an extended time, leaving your machine vulnerable to unwanted attacks. With the requirement for many individuals to update Windows Defender, there are often two options: automatically and manually updating Microsoft Defender for Windows 10 and 11.
⚠️ Please note: The process described below is the same in Windows 11 as it is in Windows 10. However, bear in mind that we’ll be using screenshots from Windows 11, so your UI may look a little different. We’ll point out any changes you need to be aware of as they come up.
If you are used to making things flawless, select the option of automatically upgrading Microsoft Defender. As a result, Microsoft Defender Antimalware and antivirus may always acquire the most up-to-date definitions on Windows 11.
- Click on the “Windows” icon, type in “Windows Security,” and select “Windows Security” from the result
- Under “Virus & threat protection updates,” click on “Protection Updates”
- Click on “Check for Updates” to update the Windows Defender
How To Update Microsoft Defender Via Command Prompt
You can use the command prompt to update the Microsoft Defender in Windows 11. Follow along.
- Click on the “Windows” icon, type in “Command Prompt,” and select “Command Prompt” from the result
- Enter the following command in the command prompt
"%ProgramFiles%Windows DefenderMpCmdRun.exe" -removedefinitions -dynamicsignatures
After running this command, you can see all the version definitions of the Windows Defender.
- To update, run the following command in the command prompt
"%ProgramFiles%Windows DefenderMpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate
How To Update Microsoft Defender Via Task Scheduler
Method description
- Click on the “Windows” icon, type in “Task Scheduler,” and select “Task Scheduler” from the result
- In the “Task Scheduler,” right-click on the “Task Scheduler Library” and select “New Folder” from the context menu
- Type in “Antivirus,” and click “OK”
- Right-click on the newly created folder “Antivirus,” and select “Create Task…” from the context menu
- In the “Create Task” dialogue box, under the “General” tab, check the radio button “Run whether user is logged on or not”
- Under the “Triggers” tab, click on the “New…” button
- Fill in all the details, select “On a schedule,” select the starting time, and select “Daily” from the side options
- Under the “Action” tab, click on the “New…” button
- In the “New Action” dialogue box, select “Start a program” from the action list, type in the following command in the “Program/script,” and then click “OK”
"%ProgramFiles%Windows DefenderMpCmdRun.exe" -removedefinitions
Add the following argument as shown in the picture:
-dynamicsignatures
- Under the “Actions” tab, click on the “New…” button
- In the “New Action” dialogue box, select “Start a program” from the action list, type in the following command in the “Program/script,” and then click “OK”
"%ProgramFiles%Windows DefenderMpCmdRun.exe"
Add the next argument as shown in the picture:
-SignatureUpdate
- Under the “Settings” tab, check all the checkboxes as shown in the image, fill in the detail as required, and then click “OK”
- Type in your username and password, and click “OK”
How to Run Windows Defender from the Command Line (CMD)
Knowing how to run Windows Defender from the command line can be very useful. Perhaps you’ve been locked out of its UI due to malware, are trying to run a scan from recovery media, or are using a GUI-less Windows Server install. In any of these situations, knowing a scan command or two can save you a lot of trouble.
Windows Defender Application Guard: How to Turn It On or Off
Windows Defender Application Guard and its enforcer, Windows Defender Application Control, are tools to keep employees productive and prevent attacks. Under the system, administrators can prevent regular access to anything other than manually selected work-related sites. In our other tutorial we show you how to turn Windows Defender Application Guard on or off.
How to Turn on the Hidden Adware Blocker in Windows Defender
Windows is great at preventing trojans, ransomware, and other serious issues, but it can fail to stop adware and potentially unwanted programs in its default configuration. Thankfully, the Windows Defender has an adware blocker just for this, and it’s great at stopping unwanted changes to your system or annoying pop-ups.
Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2016 Windows 10 Windows 11 More…Less
Summary
The first hours of a newly installed Windows deployment can leave the system vulnerable because of a Microsoft Defender protection gap. This is because the OS installation images may contain outdated antimalware software binaries.
The devices on which these deployments are made are inadequately protected until they receive the first antimalware software update. Defender updates also contain critical performance fixes that will improve the user experience. Devices using either the Windows built-in antivirus or another security solution can benefit from these updates. We recommend you regularly service OS installation images to update Microsoft Defender binaries and minimize this protection gap in new deployments. A 3-month update frequency is recommended.
No ordering is required to apply the latest cumulative update (LCU) versus the Microsoft Defender update offline.
This article describes antimalware update package for Microsoft Defender in the OS installation images (WIM and VHD files). This feature supports the following OS installation images:
-
Windows 11
-
Windows 10 (Enterprise, Pro, and Home editions)
-
Windows Server 2019
-
Windows Server 2016
Version information
Notes:
-
After a new package version is released, support for the previous two versions will be reduced to technical support only.
-
Versions prior to the previous two versions will no longer be supported. For more information, see Manage Windows Defender Antivirus updates and apply baselines.
-
Defender package version: 20230809.1
This package updates the anti-malware client, anti-malware engine, and signature versions in the OS installation images to following versions:
-
Platform version: 4.18.23070.1004
-
Engine version: 1.1.23070.1005
-
Security intelligence version: 1.395.68.0
Package information
The package size is approximately:
-
ARM64: 78.2 MB
-
X86: 128 MB
-
X64: 132 MB
Known issues in this update
None
Update information
This package includes monthly updates and fixes to the Microsoft Defender antimalware platform and engine that is used by Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 11. This package should be applied offline on Windows Images/VHD(x) file.
Learn more about the package contents here: Manage Microsoft Defender Antivirus updates and apply baselines | Microsoft Learn
This package also includes the latest security intelligence update that is available up to the date of release. Learn more about security intelligence updates including the release notes here.
How to obtain this update
Different update packages are required for different Windows OS image architectures. Select the architecture that matches the installation image to which you will apply this update:
Microsoft Defender update for Windows Operating system installation image: 32-bit | 64-bit | ARM64
Note: These links point to defender-update-kit-[x86|x64|arm].zip. Extract this .zip file to get the Defender update package (defender-dism-[x86|x64|arm].cab) and an update patching tool (DefenderUpdateWinimage.ps1) that assists the update operation for OS installation images.
Package update tool
The following prerequisites apply to running this patching tool (DefenderUpdateWinImage.ps1):
-
You must be running a 64-bit Windows 10 or later OS environment that includes PowerShell 5.1 or a later version.
-
The Microsoft.Powershell.Security and DISM modules must be installed.
-
You must start PowerShell on the device by using administrator privileges.
Notes:
-
Do not use this package to update live images because it can damage the Windows installation that Is running inside the Virtual Machine.
-
The DefenderUpdateWinImage.ps1 tool provides an option to remove the update. However, you may still want to keep a backup copy of images before you apply the update.
How to apply this update
PS C:\> DefenderUpdateWinImage.ps1 -WorkingDirectory <path> -Action AddUpdate -ImagePath <path_to_Os_Image> -Package
How to remove or roll back this update
PS C:\> DefenderUpdateWinImage.ps1 -WorkingDirectory <path> -Action RemoveUpdate -ImagePath <path_to_Os_Image>
How to list the details of installed update
PS C:\> DefenderUpdateWinImage.ps1 -WorkingDirectory <path> -Action ShowUpdate -ImagePath <path_to_Os_Image>
References
Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.
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If you use Windows built-in antivirus software and you want to know how to manually update Windows Defender in Windows 11/10, this article will help you with that.
Windows Defender is Microsoft’s default antivirus software in windows 10/11. It is one of the best free antivirus software and comes with all installation of windows. Microsoft releases new updates for Windows Defender on a regular basis, and it’s important to keep your computer protected by installing them as soon as they’re available.
How to Know if Microsoft Defender is Updated
Before you begin to manually update Windows Defender in Windows 11/10, you would want to ascertain that your Microsoft Defender is truly outdated. To do this, launch Microsoft Defender, check its latest version, and then compare it against Microsoft’s most recent security update
Follow the below steps to check:
- Click on the Start menu. Search and click on Windows Security.
- Click on Settings from the Windows Security window, in the bottom-left corner, and then select About.
- Take note of the Antivirus Version, Antimalware Client Version (Platform Version), the Engine Version, under System information.
- Launch the Microsoft Defender updates page and locate the Latest security intelligence update section by scrolling the page.
- Compare the Antivirus Version, Antimalware Client Version and Engine Version with the ones listed in System information in step three.
- If the listed versions in the System information are different, your antivirus needs to be updated.
Windows Defender antivirus software is usually programmed to automatically update to the latest released version. If however your’s does not update automatically, then you may need to update it yourself. Here are the steps to manually update Windows Defender in Windows 11/10 successfully.
On windows 10,
- Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard or click the Start menu and then Settings
- Click Update & Security.
- Click on Windows Updates
- Click on “Check for Updates.”
- If any updates are found, click Install now.
On Windows 11,
- Click on the Start menu and then on Settings
- Click on Windows update
- Click on “Check for Updates”
- Now click on “install updates”
In both cases, after clicking on “install updates,” you should wait while Windows installs the update – this could take up to 15 minutes or more depending on your system configuration and internet connection speed.
How to manually download windows defender update
You can also download the latest updated files for Microsoft Defender from the Microsoft website.
Below’s how you can download updates for Microsoft Security:
- Go to the Microsoft security intelligence updates page and scroll downward to locate the “Manually download the update” section.
- Choose your computer bit version (32-bit or 64-bit) of the Microsoft Defender Antivirus for Windows 11 and Windows 10 file updates.
- After downloading the update, launch the .exe file, and Microsoft Defender will automatically be updated.
Manually Update Microsoft Defender in Windows 11/10 With PowerShell
Another method of downloading Microsoft Defender updates is through using the Windows PowerShell:
- From the administrator’s “Start” menu, launch Windows PowerShell
- Enter the below command without the (“) and punch the Enter button. “
Update-MpSignature
” - If there are new updates for Microsoft Defender, they will automatically be installed on your system.
There you have it! The process of manually updating Microsoft Defender in Windows 11/10 is finally out of the bag. So if your Windows antivirus software is refusing to update, you can try one of the troubleshooting methods above.
The Microsoft Windows defender has proven to be one of the best antiviruses for the windows system. For those that do not rely on third-party antiviruses, you can be sure that your system is safe as windows defender is always running in the background to ensure that the system is safe from malware.
However, as malware keeps getting better and better, windows defender may fail to detect them and leave your windows system vulnerable to infection. To ensure that no malicious program goes undetected by the windows defender, it is essential to keep the defender up-to-date. You can run a full virus scan from the command prompt to check for malware.
The windows defender relies on windows updates to stay updated. Users will, at times, disable Windows updates meaning that Microsoft defender will not update either. It is possible to update the windows defender manually if windows updates are disabled on your system.
Let’s see how to do it.
Updating Windows Defender Manually
-
Open the command prompt with administrative privileges by heading to the start menu and typing
Command Prompt
.From the search results, right-click on the first relevant option and choose
Run as administrator
-
Once the
command prompt
is open, Navigate to the windows defender installation folder using the cd command and pressEnter
cd C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform\4.18*
-
Once you are in the right folder, use the command below to update the windows defender.
MpCmdRun -SignatureUpdate
This command should check for updates; if new updates are found, they are automatically installed on your system.
Downloading Microsoft Defender Updates Manually
Another option to keep the windows defender up-to-date is to download the updates from Microsoft manually.
Let’s see how to do it.
-
Head to the Microsoft Security Intelligence Updates for Windows defender using the following link.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/defenderupdates
-
Once you are on the site, scroll down to the
Manually download the update
section -
On the first option, select
32-bit
or64-bit
, depending on your windows version.This should download an executable file to your downloads folder.
You can check the type of windows system you are using with the following command
systeminfo
A 64-bit system is used for this demonstration
-
Launch the executable, and Microsoft defender will update automatically.
Ending…
It is crucial to keep the Windows Defender updated to ensure your windows system is protected from malware. While windows defender relies on the windows update to stay updated, it is possible to update it manually. By following the steps shown above, you can be sure that windows defender is up-to-date.
If you find this guide helpful, consider sharing it with those that may be interested.
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