MSE not updating automatically

The two main systems here, Vista and Win 7, both use MSE and both have Windows Update set to install Windows updates automatically. However on the Win 7 system the MSE definitions update does not get checked by default so the update icon appears in the tray and I always end up having to do it manually. It must be a WU setting or corrupt reg key somewhere but I'm darned if I can find it.

 

Just checking what has happened over the last 24 hours I see that the Vista machine has this morning automatically installed the latest MSE definition file but 7 is just showing the same update as available as an optional update. WU settings are identical on both machines so they should both be treating these MSE updates the same, but they are not.

Can I trouble one or two of you who use MSE and have WU set to install updates automatically, to just have a look at Vista and at 7 please and tell me what behaviour you are experiencing.

TIA

 

The behaviour I used to see with W7 and MSE was that the update might still be on the server 14+ hours after it had been released. I'd then update MSE manually. I quickly became bored with that and reinstalled Avast!

 

On Vista, here.Just started using MSE on a machine since a week. For some reason WU treats an MSE definition update as optional!!

WU will not install these unless manually opted for by the user. Checked my WU history and sure enough the MSE (optional) updates were installed, by MSE itself- I figure.

As Of now my definitions as per MSE are 1.105.443.0
WU shows 1.105.565 available to download and install. It probably checked earlier, after boot.My WU is set to notify and not to auto.

Since my last MSE update was 22hrs ago it should update to xxx.565 in 2hrs- as by default MSE checks once in 24hrs. With a reg tweak this can be changed to hourly if one chooses.

Has it been 24hrs since the 7 machine updated it's definitions? Then there is a problem..

Is this an MSE icon or WU notifying?
I'll prolly go back to Avast.
Cheers..

 

That's the same as Vista here - it's installing MSE updates automatically even though they are Optional. Why on Earth are they Optional I'm asking myself!

yes, but only on 7. But as these updates are optional, 7 is behaving correctly in fact - it should only install when asked

WU

Thanks both for the clarification. I didn't really think it was an issue with my machine, and clearly it is not. Just need to manually update MSE daily on 7, no big deal.


@satrow - thanks, that's consistent with my 7

 

I'm thinking MSE is installing and not WU on your vista machine. You'll have to catch it the way I saw it reflected as available on my machine via WU, as 24hrs had not passed since MSE updated last.

MSE should update anyways even without WU on auto.

Cheers..

 

Don't agree with that. As long as MS continue sending these updates via WU as Optional updates they should not install automatically. But it's a mystery why they are classifying them as optional.

 

No, I meant MSE will update, even if you turn off WU.
Not the best link but..
http://forum.thewindowsclub.com/windows-security/32211-mse-definitions.html
Cheers..

 

mmm, bit of a mugger's buddle if you ask me With identical WU and MSE settings, Vista and 7 are behaving differently. Also, that thread asserts that updates will be installed automatically before MSE does its next scheduled scan. Well that isn't so, because Vista here has updated itself every day this week but only runs a scheduled scan on Sundays. Not too sure about 7 as I just do it manually atm. Think I'll leave 7 for a few days and see what happens on Sunday when it is scheduled to scan.

 

That's a new one. :-D
Anyway, MSE updated to 1.105.565.0. After 24 hrs. Why I say WU is not needed is, because, the WU on this box is set to "Check for updates but let me choose weather to download and install".
Which I did not.

Since it (the update) was not even downloaded by WU. MSE took care of itself.

Keep us posted!

Cheers..

 

Maybe, but the update will now be listed in WU History so I still think it's WU driven.

 

I did try MSE for a while on my XP until I discovered that the updates showed up as restore points in CCleaner and no valid restore points were shown on those dates. :mad I thought WTH and got rid of MSE. I was so mad that I forgot to look at the restore calendar to see if there were genuine restore points shown there in addition to these MSE updates.

The above is just a comment as I don't have Vista or W7.

 

It's true, like all Windows updates MSE updates do create a restore point. They don't remove other restore points but do take up space and therefore restrict the number of useful restore points you can store.

For me the jury is still out on MSE, but I had many issues with AVG and I bet I would have with Avast too. Not a decision I intend to rush.

 

If the computer is on all the time MSE will update once every 24 hours. Read here if it doesn't:
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2011/01/change-microsoft-security-essentials-update-frequency/

If this is to much, I may be able to script this out.

 

Applied the hack, setting the update interval to 1 hour, but three hours later nothing has changed and the last check is still showing as 25 May. In the process I discovered that the reg key is not changing when I change the scan schedule from the MSE UI, so it seems my MSE installation in 7 is not working as it should. I'm going to try un/reinstalling it.

 

Why do you think that? I believe this forum has plenty of happy avast! users, including me. I'm currently using it with Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

 

It's just that I have MSE on wife's Vista, my own dual-boot XP, and on several VMs as well as on this Win 7 principal system. I don't want just one system using something different from all the others, especially as MSE is so unobtrusive - when working correctly of course

 

It's so 'unobtrusive' you have to keep checking if it's actually doing anything! Trying to find real help for MSE issues is something of a hit and miss project that might drag on for weeks (or until you give up and switch A/V's).

Avast! can be set so that it's just as unobtrusive as MSE, with the exception of a silent (or noisy) popup 3/4 times a day to reassure you that it's still operational and updating, even the duration of the popup can be modified. Avast!'s support forum must rank as one of the best there is.

 

I'll take a look at Avast if the MSE reinstall in 7 doesn't fix it, but MSE has done well on the comps here ever since it was released so I could do without having to change them all, however good Avast may be.

 

You might want to take a look at the concluding posts in this thread -

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=1628401#post1628401

 

In the end I've had to abandon MSE in Win 7. It wasn't updating its definitions unless I did it manually, and it wasn't scanning to schedule either. I found out how to force these events using Task Scheduler but still no joy. Looking at Event Viewer there was a whole string of errors for Microsoft Antimalware failing to start, and informing that active protection was not running because def files were not up-to-date.

Odd thing was, on another UK forum I use, another guy had just installed Win 7 and his MSE was failing in exactly the same way. Yet I see no evidence of any other Win 7 users of MSE having this problem.

Anyway I have taken Satrow's advice and installed Avast, much to the detriment of my startup time, but at least it does seem to be working. (Of course, my very fast startup may simply have been because MSE was not updating)