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Groups > alt.comp.os.windows-10 > #186716

Re: Windows Defender Security After October

From VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH>
Newsgroups alt.comp.os.windows-10
Subject Re: Windows Defender Security After October
Date 2025-08-12 12:49 -0500
Organization Usenet Elder
Message-ID <pio5ch67cx44.dlg@v.nguard.lh> (permalink)
References <mfukj4F9colU1@mid.individual.net> <107dn2c$2sfp2$1@dont-email.me> <b96qcqs79n9p$.dlg@v.nguard.lh> <107ek37$32nl0$2@dont-email.me>

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Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote:
>
>> Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> wrote:
>> 
>>> Observe the file pattern here.
>>>
>>>    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/defenderupdates
>> 
>> What pattern?  A history of update dates is not listed, so no way to
>> determine there how often or at what intervals Defender gets updated.
> 
> Windows 7 still receives updates.

Wouldn't that just be signature updates?  And those are not for virus,
or other malware, just spyware (see last paragraph).  I thought Defender
got engine updates with new versions (builds) of Windows, but the
following Microsoft article lists when there were engine & platform
updates:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/microsoft-defender-antivirus-updates

July-2025 (Platform: 4.18.25070.5 | Engine: 1.1.25070.4)
  August 5, 2025 (Engine) / August 6, 2025 (Platform)
June-2025 (Platform: 4.18.25060.7 | Engine: 1.1.25060.6)
  July 22, 2025 (Engine) / July 22, 2025 (Platform)
May-2025 (Platform: 4.18.25050.5 | Engine: 1.1.25050.6)
  June 13, 2025 (Engine) / June 13, 2025 (Platform)
April-2025 (Platform: 4.18.25040.2 | Engine: 1.1.25040.1)
  May 14, 2025 (Engine) / May 22, 2025 (Platform)

That is as far back as that list shows.  Maybe there is another list
showing older history.  So, about once per month Defender gets engine
and platform updates.  

That article does not list versions of Windows, just "Windows" for the
supported platform.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/definitions/antimalware-definition-release-notes

By picking different versions, it looks like sig updates occur on the
same day (zero days), or every 1 to 2 days, not after a month.  
Algorithms (heuristics) are not signatures, so presumably those are in
the engine/platform updates at monthly intervals.

Before Windows 8, Defender was just a spyware detector.  In Vista and 7,
users were pointed at MS Security Essentials (MSE) to get AV protection.
MSE was discontinued back with Windows 7, and its updates supposedly
ceased in Feb 2025.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Security_Essentials#Discontinuation
  Although support for Windows 7[36] ended on 14 January 2020 Microsoft 
  will continue to update virus definitions for existing users until 
  2023."

Since you say you are using the old spyware-only Defender back in
Windows 7, you are no longer an existing MSE user; however, updates
supposedly ceased for MSE a while ago.

Not until Windows 8 did Microsoft roll their Endpoint client into
Windows to make Defender a true AV product, not just for spyware.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Defender_Antivirus#Conversion_to_full_antivirus

If you are using Defender under Windows 7, it was only a spyware
detector, and you should really switch to a 3rd-party AV.  You probably
cannot get a new install of MSE on Windows, anymore.

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Thread

Windows Defender Security After October "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net> - 2025-08-11 08:37 -0800
  Re: Windows Defender Security After October VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-08-11 12:12 -0500
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-11 19:17 +0000
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul in Houston TX <Paul@Houston.Texas> - 2025-08-11 18:47 -0500
        Re: Windows Defender Security After October Joerg Walther <joerg.walther@magenta.de> - 2025-08-12 11:44 +0200
          Re: Windows Defender Security After October Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-12 16:58 +0000
            Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-12 18:37 -0400
            Re: Windows Defender Security After October wasbit <wasbit@REMOVEhotmail.com> - 2025-08-13 09:15 +0100
              Re: Windows Defender Security After October Marion <marion@facts.com> - 2025-08-13 21:21 +0000
                Re: Windows Defender Security After October Hank Rogers <Hank@nospam.invalid> - 2025-08-13 19:14 -0500
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-12 21:22 +0200
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October mick <nospam@junk.mail> - 2025-08-11 20:46 +0100
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-08-11 19:47 -0500
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October wasbit <wasbit@REMOVEhotmail.com> - 2025-08-12 09:32 +0100
  Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-11 17:24 -0400
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-08-11 19:59 -0500
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-12 01:39 -0400
        Re: Windows Defender Security After October wasbit <wasbit@REMOVEhotmail.com> - 2025-08-12 09:41 +0100
        Re: Windows Defender Security After October VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-08-12 12:49 -0500
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-12 01:51 -0400
        Re: Windows Defender Security After October VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2025-08-12 13:08 -0500
  Re: Windows Defender Security After October Windows 11 User <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-08-12 00:01 +0000
  Re: Windows Defender Security After October knuttle <keith_nuttle@yahoo.com> - 2025-08-11 21:06 -0400
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-12 02:15 +0100
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-12 02:13 -0400
  Re: Windows Defender Security After October Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> - 2025-08-13 06:34 +0000
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-13 02:48 -0400
      Re: Windows Defender Security After October "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-13 12:04 +0100
  Re: Windows Defender Security After October dillinger <dillinger@invalid.not> - 2025-08-13 20:38 +0200
    Re: Windows Defender Security After October Bloody Microshit <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2025-08-14 00:33 +0100

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