Not sure that matters at this point, the messages appear to be pointing to 2 unrelated failure points.
I have an update.
We have identified the problem and are working on a new Windows Defender Offline release.
Paul...
Windows Defender Offline definitions out of date
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Anonymous
Windows 7 64 Bit. I have been using Windows Defender Offline on a USB thumb drive (4 GB, uses less than 1 GB) for years without problem. Last week updating Windows Defender Offline definitions to an already working USB thumb drive seemed to install correctly. When I boot to the USB thumb drive the program boots and runs but I get the message the "definitions out of date", and it will not scan the computer. I tried formatting USB thumb drive and then installing the whole Windows Defender Offline with definitions instead of just updating the definitions to the already working USB thumb drive. Everything went correctly, the size of the download appeared to be correct. I booted to the USB thumb drive and still got the message "definitions out of date". Since the Windows Defender Offline program started offline, and was installed onto a completely formatted USB thumb drive, it must have downloaded and installed correctly but the definitions are still "out of date". Are the definitions being updated by Microsoft or has the program been discontinued?
Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy
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Anonymous
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Reza-Ameri 45,896 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator2016-04-24T15:52:58+00:00 Normally it should update without any issue using WDO installer tool.
Try boot with Windows Defender Offline in other PC and check whether problem persist.
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Anonymous
2016-04-25T09:54:16+00:00 I used the same procedure I have been using successfully for years. The size of the downloaded definition file seemed the same as usual with no error on download and install. When I boot the USB thumb drive Windows Defender Offline runs but it gives the error message "definitions out of date". I do not have another computer to try. But Windows Defender Offline boots and starts successfully from the USB thumb drive. So the problem is with the definition file that is being downloaded and successfully installed. Apparently something is wrong on the Microsoft end.
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Anonymous
2016-04-30T23:50:57+00:00 I'm experiencing the exact same symptoms. I have tried running the WDO USB thumbdrive on 3 different computers and all report the same "definitions out of date" error. I have also tried downloading and creating the WDO bootable USB thumbdrive on 3 different computers (Win 7 and Win 10) with the same results.
I have been using WDO for years without any problems. I suspect that there is either some new malware which has figured out how to defeat WDO by doing some monkey business with the system dates or there is some bug in the WDO downloader which builds the bootable image.
Which reminds me, I also tried creating a WDO bootable CD which resulted in the same message once WDO loaded.
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Anonymous
2016-05-01T02:48:36+00:00 I have scanned my computer with Norton AntiVirus and the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool so I am pretty sure my system is clean. The first time this problem happened I was just updating the definition file to a working WDO scanner program on an existing USB thumbdrive so WDO should not have been the problem.
I would suspect the issue is Microsoft trying to force people off Windows 7 into Windows 10, but you say you have tried it on Windows 10 and it did not work, so that should not be it.
I am still of the opinion it is something wrong with the definition file created by Microsoft, either some incompatibility or just Microsoft has stopped updating the definition file.