Windows Defender will not update its definitions if Windows Updates is not set to Install updates automatically in Windows 10/8. If for some reason you have changed your settings and preferred to set any of the other three updating’s options, viz. Download updates but let me choose whether to install them, Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them or Never check for updates, your Windows Defender will not have the latest definitions, till such a time that you update them manually. This is because Windows Defender and Windows Update are both dependent on the Windows Updates services.
This is not a recommended scenario, as one’s security software should be updated as soon as new definitions are available for download.
But you can set it so that Windows Defender will check for, download and install updates as soon as they are available, even if you have disabled Automatic Windows Updates.
To do so, open the Task Scheduler. You will find it under Administrative Tools in your Control Panel.
In the right pane, click on Create Basic Task. The Create Basic Task Wizard will open. Give the task a name and description and click on Next.
Select the frequency, viz Daily.
Set the Time at which the updating task should run.
Next select Start a program.
In the Program box, type “C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe”. MpCmdRun.exe is the executable file of Windows Defender that helps in carrying out common tasks like scanning, scheduling, updating, etc.
In the Add arguments box, type -SignatureUpdate. This is one of the available command line arguments for Windows Defender.
Having done this, review the details and click on Finish.
You will now be able to see the task in the Task Scheduler Library.
Now your Windows Defender will update itself, regularly, every day at the set time, although you may have disabled Automatic Windows Updates.
Open its Properties box and click on the Triggers tab. Select the task and click on Edit.
Here check the Repeat task every and from the drop-down menu, select 1 hour. This will check for updates every hour. If you wish to check every 6 hours, simply change the figure from 1 to 6; it works!
When the task is run, a black CMD window will open momentarily and close down.
If you wish to run a silent update, instead of: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe –SignatureUpdate you may use: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MSASCui.exe -Update.
How to schedule Windows Defender scans may also interest you.
Under Edit Trigger, it is strange there’s so few drop-down menu items by default.
I noticed when changing to 6 hours, if I type just 6 then click OK and go back in, it assumed I meant 6 minutes. So if I just type ‘6 hours’ it works, showing ‘6 hours’ next next time I go in.
Does this work also in Windows 7?
It would have been helpful if you had included a standard hyphen (“-“) rather than &mdash or whatever that is in front of SignatureUpdate. I copied and pasted to prevent typos, and guess what? I would have been better off typing.
I was able to get Windows Defender definition updates through services.msc. I changed Windows Updates to “automatic”, Windows Defender to “automatic” and another which I don’t seem to remember since I had to refresh my computer. Would you know of this process and how it’s done?
Thanks a ton, worked for me on Windows 8.1.
Excellent article, this is working great for me.
While I think I can work the CMD option to be fairly invisible, is there any other ways I can have it update without bringing up anything unnecessary?
Windows10 so I disabled Windows Update in “Services”. Makes no sense when I already have it! Furthermore my Kaspersky Internet Security Suite is incompatible, hopefully for now, with Windows10 and using Defender is the only alternative to buying another security suite that could also be incompatible. Thanks Again!
Defining services as automatic has nothing to do with updates being automatic.The two are completely different concepts.
Still wish that Windows provided granular control of what was automatic and what was manual so that Windows Defender can update automatically while other components can download but installation needing to be initiated manually.