MSE Updates

Question

As recently as a couple of minutes ago, when I look for an update the most recent is shown as 3:02 AM on 6/15/10 version 1.83.1887.0  It is now about 5:40 PM Mountain time, so that makes no updates for almost 39 hours give or take, if my arithmetic is right. Is it just me or are others having this happen?

Alexandra_P · Answer

Yes, I'm seeing the same thing - no update since 6/15 2:02 AM Pacific. . I've noticed similar gaps a couple times in the past (upwards of 48 hours) - technically it's supposed to be every 24 hours.

But I'm not sure whether it's a big deal or not. I believe it was KY331 that recently posted testing results for MSE's generic/heuristic capabilities for detecting malware that doesn't have a signature yet, and it was right up there with the paid "big boys" like Panda and Kaspersky.

I don't know if any of the other free AV's update any more frequently.. The paid Trend MIcro I had for 3 years updated at least 3 times a day, but every review or test I could find showed it wasn't any better than any of the free programs (including MSE), and often as not worse. But it still seemed to do the job, so I didn't worry about it until the subscription ran out in February.

So, now I pays no money and I takes my chances. At least until everything changes AGAIN, like everything technological does every 5 minutes. :emotion-4:

ky331 · Answer

Calendar of Updates is now showing an MSE update today, 16 June 2010, @ 10:11 PM "Coordinated Universal Time" --- which I think converts to 6:11 PM Eastern USA Daylight Saving Time.

definition version: 1.85.1.0

I am not using MSE... so I can't advise you how to manually check for updates... or how long you'll have to wait to automatically receive this update.

dalem29 · Answer

It is now 10 PM here and still no update. Could be server issue, will try again in the morning.

Alexandra_P · Answer

I have MS updates set to 'notify only' for both download and install on XP SP3,  but still get all the scheduled MS Security Essentials updates automatically.    Just for fun I'll turn the main MS Updates off completely overnight and let it run distributed computing projects, and see if it updates by itself tomorrow.  (Though I hate that little red x). I really don't remember if the initial MSE install did reset ALL of the MS updates to automatic - if it did,  I must have manually changed them back.  Or could be that by the time I installed it in February MS 'fixed' it due to complaints.

joe53 · Answer

I don't use MSE (yet) but do use Windows Defender, which does seem to share the same definitions version # with MSE on any given day. I'm not sure how often MSE updates, but for WD it seems to be only once per day, using the manual method, so it would seem logical that MSE only updates once also.

Here are the UTC times of the last daily update for MSE, over the past week, as posted at CoU:

Jun 16, 2010 10:11 PM UTC
Jun 15, 2010 01:30 PM UTC
Jun 14, 2010 09:30 PM UTC
Jun 13, 2010 09:30 PM UTC
Jun 12, 2010 01:30 PM UTC
Jun 11, 2010 01:30 PM UTC
Jun 10, 2010 01:30 PM UTC

Because of the way CoU reports updates (only the latest for each day remains listed) I cannot say that MSE does not update more frequently. If it is only once per day, then the above times would indicate it might on occasion exceed 24 hours between updates.
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One of my few reservations about MSE is that it appears to require one to enable MS Automatic Updates in order to keep it automatically updated. I have a few misgivings about this, as I prefer to manually install MS updates and patches, and only at my leisure. Can anyone using MSE confirm if there is any other way to auto-update MSE definitions only (and not all the other patches MS seems to think I need?)

dalem29 · Answer

Like you Alexandra I have my computer set to 'Notify'. In the case of MSE it appears that it defaults to Automatic with no option to change that to Manual. However, it does allow for a manual search between the regularly scheduled updates if the user desires. At any rate, no joy here as I just looked again...its been about 51 hours now. :emotion-42:

Bugbatter · Answer

I have automatic updates disabled for all my programs including Microsoft Windows and Office. However, MSE runs independently and does auto update. If I try to manually update, the program searches, but I do not get anything other than what others have reported here. (COU could be wrong. It won't be the first time.) I don't sit around and wait for MSE to update, but I do recall seeing the updater running last night. If there is an error someplace, I'm sure it will be fixed soon.

ky331 · Answer

if Joe's theory is correct, that MSE shares a database (or at least, database #) with windows defender:   I just manually downloaded the (larger) DAILY update for defender, and received version 1.85.31.0

snowshine · Answer

Mine is same as above 15th June 2010 version 1.83.1887.0. No luck with the manual updating either. Are we safe? without Definition update for Microsoft Security Essentials? Regards

Alexandra_P · Answer

Nothing here yet either (10 AM Pacific), with Automatic Updates on or off. Very odd that even the Manual update button in MSE doesn't pick it up. There are now 2 updates within the last 2 days that aren't loading - latest is 1.85.81.0 | Released: Jun 17, 2010 01:30 PM UTC

Links for downloading and installing the MSE definitions manually if necessary. The 32-bit version is 52.9MB - that's pretty hefty.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971606

https://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Definitions/ADL.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0

I'll poke around the MSE forums and see if anyone else is seeing this.

EDIT: Well, we're definitely not alone - but not finding anything yet on what's going on.

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/mseupdate/thread/60b2bd80-00f9-4fd2-91c7-31b78404f5c4

Bugbatter · Answer

[Deleted duplicate post]

Bugbatter · Answer

Are we safe? without Definition update for Microsoft Security Essentials?

Unless you are planning on doing some risky surfing, we're safe. You always have the option of running an online AV check, or download Dr Web or KAV's AVP to your computer and use that temporarily to scan anything suspicious. They will run from the Desktop. MSE is most likely a MS server issue.

Alexandra_P · Answer

MSE's manual update button is now working as of 7:45 PM Pacific - latest version is showing as 1.85.131.0, . Does appear it was just a server issue as BB surmised. :emotion-1:

Can only assume the regular automatic updates will resume normally as well.

Bugbatter · Answer

This morning I've got 1.85.140.0 update as of 6/17/2010. I guess we're back on track.

dalem29 · Answer

After a final attempt to manually update around suppertime last night I went ahead and installed Avast 5 and reactived Windows Defender, so I guess I have the best of both worlds for now. :emotion-1:

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