How can I schedule only Windows Defender to update itself the moment updates come out?
I schedule Windows updates according to my convenience. I would, however, like Windows Defender to automatically update itself the moment updates are released or at least be able to schedule Windows Defender to update as frequently as possible, without impacting the schedule of all other Windows updates. Can this be done?
UPDATE: I confirmed this when I saw that the last update check was yesterday and I clicked "check now for updates" and it found and immediately started to install updates for the Defender.
42 Answers
My advise is against it.
I reason this answer because I think this is a classic X-Y problem. You want your Virusscanner to be up to date as best as possible to have the best protection, but you don't know how Windows Defender works and thus don't realise that the default settings already accomplish this.
When Windows Defender scans a file for a signature, and your computer is online, if the signature is not in the local database, it will use an online database to get information which is basically the same as first having the latest definitions and then go offline.
The sole reason to download updates is to also work if the internet connectivity is down at the moment of having a threat.
It is true that every once in a while, the core of Windows Defender is updated too, yes, these really do need to happen through Windows Update, but its missing the point to make your computer update every nanosecond just because maybe that update happens once every 3 or 4 months. Besides, that would mean a full windows update anyway, not just updating the definitions.
A video that does a really good demonstration of this can be watched here:
Note: this video first shows online with a database that is not up-to-date, and then goes offline and repeats it. So watch till the end.
3You may create a scheduled task to (for example) daily update the Windows Defender antivirus signatures, using the Task Scheduler:
- Run START > Task Scheduler
- Right-click on Task Scheduler Library and select "Create Basic Task"
- Type any name for the task and click the Next button
- Set the trigger setting as Daily, and click the Next button
- Leave the daily setting to Recur every 1 days, and click Next
- Leave the action as "Start a program", and click Next
- In the Program/script field enter:
"C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe"(the quotes are required) - In "Add arguments enter:
-signatureupdate, and click Next - Click Finish to complete the task
- Double-click the task and in the General tab, select "Run whether user is logged in or not"
- Click OK and enter the password for your account.
