MSE virus & spyware definitions - DIY manual updates

[__philippe]

Users relying on MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) may have found the
'virus & spyware definitions' automatic update service stopped working end February 2025 *,
as signaled by a worrisome orange colored MSE icon in the system tray

* (under Win7, at any rate)

Techspot workaround to the rescue

From the above site:

• Check whether your version of Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit.
• Click the relevant link for your version of Windows.
• The downloaded file is called mpam-fe.exe (size ≈180Mb)
• Execute the file to update MSE virus definition

Et voilà ! System tray sporting anew its former eye soothing green-colored MSE icon …

Since MSE definitions are valid across the currently supported Microsoft platforms, this workaround should be good to go for awhile

[hermanwhited]

Whoa whoa here. Each MSE update is many megabytes (ignoring incrementals, full updates happen every few days). How many clients? If you have 100 computers trying to pull a 8mb definition update on dial-up then its just not going to work. MSE can pull definitions from WSUS. You might want to look into deploying WSUS for all your updates to save bandwidth.

[Charliehorse]

Or you can go to the Microsoft Security Intelligence resource page
to download the manual updates: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/defenderupdates

Scroll down to and select the MSE subsection and download the proper MSE file according to your Windows system. i.e. either 32bit or 64bit.

Run the file to update the definitions.

Note: After you run the downloaded file, as there is nothing to show the definition update has completed, use Task Manager to help determine that. And after the update has completed you can open MSE to check the definition date to see if it was successful.

[__philippe]

Thanks for the reference to the Microsoft Manual Update procedure, Charlie

What would be the typical size of an update file downloaded by this method ?

[__philippe]

Whoa whoa here...pulling...definition update on dial-up then its just not going to work...

Dial-up? ...Here's to you Hermanwhited !
…and there I was lamenting to be a near extinct dinosaur for sticking with Win7 ?

Seriously, for my grand one-man-show operation, the above workaround is quite tolerable, thank you very much

[M1P0]

KB4474419 and KB4516655 should be installed
Windows Update Agent must be updated:

Code: Select all

WindowsUpdateAgent-7.6-x64.exe /wuforce

If not, try this solution:

Code: Select all

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client" /f /v DisabledByDefault /t REG_DWORD /d 0
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.1\Client" /f /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client" /f /v DisabledByDefault /t REG_DWORD /d 0
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Client" /f /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp" /f /v DefaultSecureProtocols /t REG_DWORD /d 0xAA0
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp" /f /v DefaultSecureProtocols /t REG_DWORD /d 0xAA0 /reg:32
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp" /f /v DefaultSecureProtocols /t REG_DWORD /d 0xAA0
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp" /f /v DefaultSecureProtocols /t REG_DWORD /d 0xAA0 /reg:32
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319" /f /v SystemDefaultTlsVersions /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319" /f /v SystemDefaultTlsVersions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /reg:32
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0.50727" /f /v SystemDefaultTlsVersions /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0.50727" /f /v SystemDefaultTlsVersions /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /reg:32

More here, here, here and here

[Charliehorse]

Thank you MP1O.

I used the Microsft Support link you provied at the bottom of you post. I downloaded and ran the "Easy Fix" provided on the Microsoft Support webpage and that alone fixed the issue for me. No other changes were necessary.

MSE on my old Windows 7 x64 Laptop is now once again downloading the defination updates without any trouble.

Much appreciated.

[__philippe]

Thanks M1PO for doing the initial research and Charliehorse for confirming Microsoft "Easy Fix"
does indeed, well,...fix MSE automatic virus definition update issue

Here is Microsoft "Easy Fix" URL, which takes about three minutes to install,
including the creation of a system restore point:
https://download.microsoft.com/download ... x51044.msi

After installig the fix, open MSE and click "update" to get the current virus def loaded,
which, as of this post, is : 1.423.349.0 (created 11/03/2025)

Enjoy !

[__philippe]

“Look Ma, no hands !”
Looks like MSE automatic updates cycle has faithfully resumed, following the above "Easy Fix"

Code: Select all

Definitions created on:     11/03/2025 at 22:08
Definitions last updated:   12/03/2025 at 17:46
Virus definition version:   1.423.350.0
Spyware definition version: 1.423.350.0