Windows Defender Offline on Windows 7 machines DEFINITIONS OUT OF DATE

Anonymous
2017-05-31T08:59:20+00:00

Windows Defender Offline has stopped recognizing UPDATED Definitions on W7 machines,  Again.

Immediately after updating the Media USB, using the MSSSTOOL, attempts to boot from the USB fail,

indicating that the Definitions are out of date. On both 32bit and 64bit machines.

 This same failure occurred in 2016, on multitudes of W7 machines, between January and July.

Microsoft eventually fixed it by releasing a new version of the MSSSTOOL. 4.9.0221.0  (872kb).

The failure with WDO on W7 machines in 2016 began to occur shortly after problems showed up in

Windows Defender on W10 machines, and was probably the result of fixing the W10 machines.

We may now have the same thing occurring again. After the CREATOR update to W10, it appears they

are having problems with WDO.   And now WDO is broken for W7 machines.

MICROSOFT, if you have modified the configuration of the definitions or the WDO program data in an

effort to repair the problems in W10 machines, please release an updated version of the MSSSTOOL

that will allow W7 machines to accommodate those changes.    Thanks,  Glen

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy

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Anonymous
2017-08-20T01:47:10+00:00

GREAT NEWS !

Windows Defender Offline is working once again on Windows 7 machines.

There has been a change made to the Windows Defender Offline Program.

It no longer updates definitions before running.

In order to take advantage of this FIX, it will be necessary to format your

USB before you run the mssstool. This will ensure that a fresh copy of the

Program is installed on the USB.

Don't know why we were not notified!  I just happened to discover this change,

while examining a WDO problem on Windows 10. There, it is possible track

the operation, using the Event Viewer. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Happy Scanning,  Glen

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  1. bhringer-9380 4,350 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-06-04T07:15:30+00:00

    @GlenProuty

    Don't know why you would assume there would be no internet connection except that Windows Defender Offline is really misnamed. Without connection one wouldn't get latest definitions or take advantage of sample submission for analysis during scan. I re-ran same USB drive created a few days ago and WDO updated to more recent than the latest definitions listed at MMPC. (1.245.444.0 vs 1.245.443.0)

    I have no idea why the version available for DL is at version 4.9.0221.0. I tend to agree that it probably should be at same version as MSE (4.10.209.0). Doesn't really matter as the antimalware engine and definitions are current..

    As I suggested in my reply to you the connection errors mean nothing, same thing happens with MSE (wish MS would fix that).

    ~bhringer

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-06-03T08:59:44+00:00

    Thanks for your interest in this problem.  The last time it occurred it took months to resolve. As stated

    earlier, the resolution at that time was a newly released version of the MSSSTOOL 4.9.0221.0 (872kb).

    The previous tool was only (840kb).

    The problem is not that the definitions are out of date. The problem is that the WDO program that was

    just created on the USB using the MSSSTOOL, sees them as out of date. In both cases, this problem has

    occurred after activity by Microsoft in resolving Defender problems on Windows 10 machines.

    Be aware that there is no connectivity to the internet, by wi-fi or ethernet, while the machine is booted

    to the USB on a W7 machine. The "Update Definitions" button will always show a connection error,

    because there is no connection.

    Someone needs to convince Microsoft to release another update to the MSSSTOOL,    I think.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-06-02T13:24:25+00:00

    @bhringer:

    The machine you were running the scan on: any connection to the Internet?

    I was attempting to run it on a laptop with only a Wi-Fi connection, which of course is dead in the recovery environment. So I never thought to tell the scanner to make the attempt to update.

    Timothy J. McGowan

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  4. bhringer-9380 4,350 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2017-06-02T06:01:12+00:00

    There does seem to be a slight glitch. Just created USB flash drive WDO from fresh DL of tool and on reboot indicated definitions were out of date and after what seemed to be update WDO reported "Connection fail" but displayed (after checking MMPC) current definitions. Hit "Update definitions" again and shortly showed definitions up to date,.scan took a few minutes. This was on an old DELL laptop with Win 7 Pro.

    ~bhringer

    EDIT: Just FYI, the tool version was 4.9.0221.0 .

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