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Does Windows Defender Automatically Update Itself?

Marcus Vance • • 4 min read
Does Windows Defender Automatically Update Itself?
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Unlike MSE (and Defender) in Win7, Defender in Win10 (as well as Win8. 1) will ONLY auto-update itself when Windows Update is set to the default Automatic configuration. If you wanna leave it set to Notify Only, you’ll have to update Defender manually.

How do I get Windows Defender to automatically update?

Click to open Windows Defender by going to Control Panel > Windows Defender. Click Tools, and then click Options. Under Automatic scanning, make sure the “Automatically scan my computer (recommended)” check box is selected. Select the “Check for updated definitions before scanning” check box, and then click Save.

How do I know if my Windows Defender is updated?

  1. Open the Windows Defender Security Center by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Defender.
  2. Click the Virus & threat protection tile (or the shield icon on the left menu bar).
  3. Click Protection updates. …
  4. Click Check for updates to download new protection updates (if there are any).
Marcus Vance
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Marcus Vance

Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.