Windows Defender Timer Malfunction

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bebbspoke
  • Start date Start date
B

Bebbspoke

When I program AVG to auto update and then to scan for and wipe errors it
does so at the proscribed time - likewise when I program Spybot S & D to
auto-update and then scan and wipe it behaves as expected......however - when
I program Windows Defender to auto-update and then scan for errors and wipe
it does so precisely when it feels like it! I use Widows Defender 1.1.1593.0,
Engine 1.1.4104.0, Definition 1.47.567.0 & Product 81664-274-0713296-04114
run with Win XP Pro with SP3 and all fully updated on a Dell 5100 Dimension.
Suggestions please.
 
I haven't tested this, but I believe your observation may be correct. My
recollection is that the time settings within the program are rather
simple--hourly, perhaps? and that there is a built-in variability to help
prevent many hundreds of thousands of Defender installations from, for
example, asking for definitions at precisely the same moment.

If you want to scan with precision, my suggestion is that you turn off the
automatic scanning within Windows Defender, and, instead, use the Scheduled
tasks facility within your version of Windows to schedule mpcmdrun.exe to do
the same task. This can be quite a bit more flexible--you can schedule as
precisely as you wish, and can schedule different types of scans at
different times.

mpcmdrun is a command line executable and can be found in the folder Windows
Defender is installed in. The syntax can be found by simply running it with
no switches, perhaps combined with |more so that it doesn't scroll off.

You can also look at the current scheduled task and use it as a template for
creating your own. In the scheduled tasks folder, you need to use the menus
to show hidden tasks, and look for one using mpcmdrun.
 
Bebbspoke said:
When I program AVG to auto update and then to scan for and wipe errors it
does so at the proscribed time - likewise when I program Spybot S & D to
auto-update and then scan and wipe it behaves as expected......however -
when
I program Windows Defender to auto-update and then scan for errors and
wipe
it does so precisely when it feels like it! I use Widows Defender
1.1.1593.0,
Engine 1.1.4104.0, Definition 1.47.567.0 & Product 81664-274-0713296-04114
run with Win XP Pro with SP3 and all fully updated on a Dell 5100
Dimension.
Suggestions please.
Click to expand...

AVG should not auto update and then scan at any time prohibited!
 
Interesting - further to Bill`s advice. I have the same version of WD as you.
I have tried various scanning configs (thru the GUI) as you describe and it
performs exactly as advertised - within a few minutes or so anyway - it dos
say `Approximately`;) Seriously. I would think the approximation may have
something to do with the time it takes for WD to connect with the update
servers , load the defs then commence the scan from the time you have set.
Could it be that you have not allowed sufficient time between your scheduled
scans to the point the WD scan is delayed while the others complete? Just a
theory. I have a `low performance notebook` by todays standards and have had
system lock ups if schedules are set too close apart. This has been
particulary true where AV/AS scans and system backups have been involved with
the associated demands on HD access.

Stu

Stu
 
Thanks Bill - I've set it to run via Schedules Tasks as you suggested
I'll mail you with a genuine thank you when I'm convinced it now does
behave. John
 
Stu brought up a very valid point: If you've set Defender to check for
definition updates before a scan, that check can take quite a variable
amount of time--if it is a low-traffic time and there are no new defs, it
would take only a few seconds, but if there is lots of traffic or load on
the update server, and there is an update, the time to download and install
can be substantial.

You can set up mpcmdrun to separate definition updates from scanning, if you
want to remove that variable from the picture.


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