How to Update the Windows Defender Using the Command Prompt

The Microsoft Windows defender has proven to be one of the best antiviruses for the windows system. For those that do not rely on third-party antiviruses, you can be sure that your system is safe as windows defender is always running in the background to ensure that the system is safe from malware.

However, as malware keeps getting better and better, windows defender may fail to detect them and leave your windows system vulnerable to infection. To ensure that no malicious program goes undetected by the windows defender, it is essential to keep the defender up-to-date. You can run a full virus scan from the command prompt to check for malware.

The windows defender relies on windows updates to stay updated. Users will, at times, disable Windows updates meaning that Microsoft defender will not update either. It is possible to update the windows defender manually if windows updates are disabled on your system.

Let's see how to do it.

Updating Windows Defender Manually

1. Open the command prompt with administrative privileges by heading to the start menu and typing Command Prompt.

   From the search results, right-click on the first relevant option and choose Run as administrator

   

2. Once the command prompt is open, Navigate to the windows defender installation folder using the cd command and press Enter

   cd C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform\4.18*
   

   

3. Once you are in the right folder, use the command below to update the windows defender.

   MpCmdRun -SignatureUpdate
   

   This command should check for updates; if new updates are found, they are automatically installed on your system.

   

Downloading Microsoft Defender Updates Manually

Another option to keep the windows defender up-to-date is to download the updates from Microsoft manually.

Let's see how to do it.

1. Head to the Microsoft Security Intelligence Updates for Windows defender using the following link.

   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/defenderupdates

2. Once you are on the site, scroll down to the Manually download the update section

   

3. On the first option, select 32-bit or 64-bit, depending on your windows version.

   This should download an executable file to your downloads folder.

   You can check the type of windows system you are using with the following command

   systeminfo
   

   

   A 64-bit system is used for this demonstration

4. Launch the executable, and Microsoft defender will update automatically.

Ending...

It is crucial to keep the Windows Defender updated to ensure your windows system is protected from malware. While windows defender relies on the windows update to stay updated, it is possible to update it manually. By following the steps shown above, you can be sure that windows defender is up-to-date.

If you find this guide helpful, consider sharing it with those that may be interested.

Thank you for reading :)

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