How To Update Windows Defender Offline's Virus Definitions Manually

I tried to run Windows Defender Offline 64 bit on a friend's laptop using WDO installed on a USB stick, but it refused to scan the disk because it insisted on getting Updates to its definitions before scanning.

So either the definitions on the USB stick were too old or not present at all or WDO couldn't find them. I had not run WDO from that USB stick before.

But the laptop had just a Wi-Fi connection and WDO doesn't work over Wi-Fi.

I have successfully used the 32 bit WDO USB stick on my own Desktop without such a problem, probably because my Desktop is connected to the Internet via a LAN.

I checked another thread on this subject on SevenForums, here:

Defender Offline on DVD failed because no internet connection

I disagree with the statement by karlsnooks that WDO does not need an Internet connection. This was confirmed here:

defender offline cannot update no internet connection - Microsoft Community

However, if someone knows how to manually download the virus definitions and copy them to a USB stick, I would be very interested.

I suppose I could download and create another WDO ISO file on my hard drive and see what's in it, try to identify the definitions and update the equivalent files on the USB stick... but that would be very much trial and error. If someone has actually done it, please let me know.

maxie said:

Read the Link below

Get the latest definitions - Microsoft Malware Protection Center

Unfortunately, none of the information on that page is about Windows Defender Offline.

maxie said:

Hi there ... It did mention about WDO ... I have never used the Program .. But i thought it might have used the same definitions as Defender could well be wrong though ...

Yes, the "Defender" there is not the "Windows Defender Offline" that you burn onto a CD or a thumb drive.

Microsoft have really run out of ideas on what to call their anti-virus programs and it confuses the heck out of most people. There is a massively long article on the history of Windows Defender, MSE and Antispyware on Wikipedia - which is worth reading if you are a masochist: Windows Defender - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I was hoping to somehow get hold of the actual files that should be somewhere on the bootable USB version of WDO and simply update them because my 64 bit version of WDO on a bootable thumb drive simply won't scan the disk because the virus definition files are either out of date or missing. But the thumb drive was created using the .ISO file downloaded from Microsoft!

I probably need to run the USB on a 64 bit machine that has a LAN connection in order to update the definition files. Then it should work OK on a laptop that doesn't have a LAN connection.

The fact that WDO can't make an Internet connection over Wi-Fi shows what a disastrous state Microsoft have got themselves into. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Apple, anyone?

:)

matts6887 said:

Can the laptop you are trying to update get online at all? If not; it might be a lot easier if you can get it to get online first which will make updating a heck of a lot easier. If it wont update because of a connection/network issue then post in that forum and we can go from there. If not; try downloading them using a computer that has a working connection then update them. Also; try looking at the following link and see if it helps ya out:

Windows Defender Offline: frequently asked questions

Hi matts. Yes, the laptop can get online using Wi-Fi, and I did try - but failed - to get online by connecting its LAN port to the router's LAN port via an Ethernet cable. The location was in a local shop and the Wi-Fi router was the shop's, so I couldn't mess around too much.

Regarding posting in the forum about getting online over Wi-Fi, I'm sure that the Microsoft MVP is correct in the article I linked to ( defender offline cannot update no internet connection - Microsoft Community ) that WDO cannot connect over Wi-Fi.

Your idea of updating on a 64 bit machine with a LAN connection is a good one and I think that's my best bet.

re. the link you posted - not much help there, I'm afraid.

I think I need to make sure my Ethernet cable gets the laptop online OK at the shop, before I try to boot WDO from the USB. If I can do that, then the Internet link should work and WDO should download the definition files OK.

My own router doesn't care if the Ethernet cable is a cross-over or not. Maybe the router in the shop does. I'll be checking the cable on Sunday when I go to my "Computer Club" meeting.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

- ZB

Babel Fish said:

Zaphod...below:

"Now you can boot up using the media and you’ll get the familiar Windows Defender screen. Note that all the definition files are downloaded when you use the install tool. You don’t need an Internet connection or anything in order to update the definition files. If you need to run the tool again at a later time, you need to create the media again because it will download the latest files and then create the bootable media."

Use Windows Defender Offline Tool to Fix an Infected PC


kinda sucks, but at least answers your question. F secure rescue disk will do what you are looking for with updates and a usb drive to an existing rescue cd.

Interesting... thanks very much, Babel Fish. The quote you included is from here:
Use Windows Defender Offline Tool to Fix an Infected PC

But this sentence is misleading, IMO:

"You don’t need an Internet connection or anything in order to update the definition files."

What he should have said was:

"You cannot update the definition files over Wi-Fi. If you need to run the tool again at a later time you have to update it over a LAN, or create the media again on a LAN-enabled PC. That will also allow you to use it on a non-LAN-enabled PC."

If MS would just allow WDO to update the files via Wi-Fi this problem would be averted.

I've just downloaded the "F-Secure" rescue disk .ISO and have added it to my YUMI bootable USB drive. It worked fine and scanned my Netbook, but took 4 1/2 hours!

When it first ran, it said it could download its definition files over Wi-Fi, but I did it over the LAN as I have no Wi-Fi. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that at another time.

So thanks again for the F-Secure info.