Prevent WD from creating restore points before every update?

  • Thread starter Thread starter markjpm
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markjpm

On my Vista computer, Windows Defender creates a restore point before every
definition update. Is there any way at all to disable this? I've not found
any options nor registry keys to prevent these pre-update restore points.

I think it's ridiculous for Windows Defender to create all these restore
points that take up space on my drive when all it's doing is getting a
definition update. And I find it irritating on principle that I would have
to go and clean up after WD simply to recover the disk space consumed by this
unnecessary action. WD updates its definitions almost every day, and if
there's no way to disable these pre-update restore points, then I'd rather
not run WD at all and just use some other product.
 
My understanding, from Tim Clark's useful posts in Announcements, is that
some updates trigger a restore point creation and others do not. I know of
no way to control this behavior--I'd guess it is below the level of Windows
Defender--I.e. if executable code is changed by a package installed by the
installer, it does a restore point.

I don't know of a way to control this behavior.
 
Interesting. That was a LONG time ago--and I'd sure forgotten it.

Three years ago, and I'm not sure the product was out of beta yet.

You could certainly look at the registry now, see if this looks plausible,
and try it, but I've no idea if it is still valid/possible.

Excellent find, though!
 
Hello markjpm,

And welcome to the club.

A couple of points to clarify.
Windows Defender updates via WindowsUpdate/MSupdate usually twice a week,
usually on Mondays and Thursdays. If you are getting indications that it is
updating almost every day something is wrong. You might want to verify that
those restore points you are seeing a inf act being created by an update to
Defender. Windows on it's own tries to create one restore point a day by
default about every 24 hours if nothing else is happening. The restore point
created by an update to Defender will usually take it's place so you would
generally still wind up with an average of one a day.

The situation that was occurring in the link provided by Engel was fixed a
long time ago.

If Defender was updating everyday I would try the registry solution
indicated but at 2x a week I could deal with it.

The direct links provided in announcements to the updates do not create a
restore point as they are not using the Windows Update/MSupdate mechanism.

This is also the case for any "daily" updates which must be manually
downloaded from the Security Portal, they do not create Restore Points either.

IF you do try the registry "fix" I would be interested in knowing if it
still works, I have never used it. My thought is that it would only work, if
it works, if you use check for updates in the Defender Program GUI itself. I
will be surprised if it works when Defender is updated thru the normal
Automatic Update process.

Please let us know what happens. The next update for Defender should be
released about 11:00am CDT Monday. Understand that the time that Automatic
Updates checks for updates will vary from machine to machine. If your
machine automatically checks for updates at 10:30am Monday and the update is
released at 11:00am you may not get it till the next time it checks, which
may not be till the next day.

Again, Please let us know what happens.

?:-)
Tim
 
A closer read of the instructions in the link provided lead me to believe
that that registry change will have NO effect on the creation of a Restore
Point during an update. I believe that registry change was intended to
effect the creation of Restore Points when WD is running a scan.

It might not hurt, but I don't think it will accomplish what you want.

?:-(
Tim
 
I tend to turn on the "check for updates before scheduled scans" button in
options--however that is titled. This would be an update within Windows
Defender, so the registry setting should apply, but it changes the timing
considerations somewhat, depending on your scan schedule.
 
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