Windows Defender Updates override Automatic Updates?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

I just notice something I didn't expect. I have my Windows Automatic Updates
set to Notify. This morning around 2:10am, I see the Windows Automatic
Updates pop up and think ...strange... I just update everything on this
computer yesterday (and I meant every high-priority update) but I was working
at the time and didn't pay attention to the pop up.

Later, about a few minutes past that autoupdate pop up, I notice that the
control was passed to somewhere on the desktop (hard to explain but
basically, I was typing and suddenly, the focus is changed to somewhere else
so you can not type anymore and hear the notification noise that whatever you
typed is not a valid command). So I was curious and wonder what happen.

I start checking everything from event log to windows update log and found
that Windows Defender was updated about that time??? So I realized that the
Windows Autoupdate popup was to notify me that the Windows Defender have new
update. I set the Windows Defender to Scan Automatically at 2:00am (around
the same time) and to check for update before scanning. Apparently, the new
update got installed (I remember that the version I had was released on April
17 and the new one was released April, 20). Based on the Event log and
Windows Update Log, it seem that the update (new definition) got installed
but the windows update also show the AU update action as "pending" which
indicate that it is waiting for my to say yes for downloading and installing.
But yet the definition got installed anyway???

So, my question is

Does the setting in the Windows Defender "Check for updates before scanning"
override the setting in the Windows Automatic Updates?

This happen on a newly set up computer with all security in place and fully
updated AV and Defender with minimal softwares and firewall on all the time
with no exception allowed. Thanks.

MM
 
Thanks for the reply but I cannot think of any other reasons why would
Windows Defender get updated all by itself???

What I think happening is that Windows Autoupdate find a new update for the
Windows Defender and then notify me. This is confirmed in the Windows Update
log as waiting for user response "pending" which I assume it meant it is
waiting for me to allow the update. Then Windows Defender kicked in for
automatic scanning and it search for an update and found one and then update
itself before scheduled scanning.

Can someone provide a definite answer whether the check box in the Windows
Defender that said "Check for an update before scanning..." allow Windows
Defender to update the definition file automatically even though Windows
Automatic Update setting is set to "Notify" only?

MM
 
I just want to confirm that the setting in the Windows Defender to "Check for
update before scan..." under the automatic scanning override the Windows
Updates setting. In my case, I set Windows Automatic Updates to "Notify" only
and it does notify correctly that there is an update (for Windows Defender
that is). But Windows Defender will then go ahead and download and install
the update without user intervention.

This behaviour is somewhat unexpected since I thought that WD update utilize
Windows Updates and, hence, should rely on the same rule. But this is
probably a better behavior anyway. Automatic update on WD without interfering
with other Windows updates is a welcome feature.

MM
 
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