Windows Defender, "Items Skipped During Scan"

I do get that message...

...with a manual quick scan or with a full scan. It happens whether/not I turn off Cloud-delivered Protection or Controlled Folder Access. I didn't try the other settings. I've got no folder excluded.

But it did not happen with an Offline Scan. And it hasn't happened after Defender's self-initiated scan, but I'm unsure one has run since the problem began. I'm watching closely for it. But I'm sure more than one has run since 3/10/2020.

It looks like my latest platform came in on 2/24/2020 & is 4.18.2001.10 - but I'm almost willing to swear I saw one come in with those other updates on 2/27 that isn't recorded at View Update History. And I hadn't run a manual scan until yesterday (that I recall). I don't want to say why I ran it, no one else has reported such a thing.

I'm not all that worried. I'll sit tight & see what happens.

Edit: View Reliability History shows the above, plus these two...

And "Windows Defender, Settings, About" shows...

So - Update History is bogus. And two quick ones in a row indicate MSFT tried to fix something but apparently failed. I guess I'll sit tight - & I fully expect a fix soon that will eliminate that message.

Hi, 

I have the same problem since wednesday last week. 

In reddit and in tenforums someone reported the same problem.

https://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/fgalvt/windows_defender_skipping_files_yet_no_exclusions/

https://www.tenforums.com/antivirus-firewalls-system-security/152000-new-defender-platform-4-18-2003-4-0-items-skipped-during-scan-alert-2.html

I hope Windows fix this soon, it is easy to thing a malware problem, the 3 last Windows Defender Platform updates (4.18.2003.4-0, 4.18.2003.5-0, 4.18.2003.6-0) are not listed in Windows Catalog Update (https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/home.aspx)

The last one working fine is 4.18.2001.10. 

I hope that someone can help us.

Regards

Not a problem ChipmunkLover, I understood your focus and was only wanting to be certain you didn't believe I was trying to tell you what to do.

I fully understand the frustration, but also realize the complications for Microsoft in their attempts to use Windows 10 to try to move quickly to a more secure platform, which though I think you might at least have a glimmer of an idea, I'm sure most consumers don't.

When Microsoft began their push with Windows 10 in 2015 I had expected to see many issues like this one, since the rapid development environment it's really intended to be is like nothing they, nor anyone else for that matter has ever attempted.  Though to most Windows 10 simply appears to be another Windows version with major updates similar to the older service packs twice each year, in truth it's actually more like a new set of well tested beta releases on that same cycle.

Unfortunately, this inevitably leads to some of the very issues you describe.  However, I must point out that due to certain design criteria inherent in the 32-bit Windows environment, that platform is likely to die a much quicker death than even its 64-bit sibling, since some of these security issues don't have a solution on the older 32-bit platform.

That may not have anything to do with why this particular notification message occurs on that system, but it's another reason I'd be advising clients or customers to try and leave it behind if at all possible.

I've forgotten which of the specific directions we've already discussed in this thread, but as for myself, I'm trying to transition quickly to first the Surface Go running Windows 10 S mode and eventually likely something based on Windows Core, hoping to leave the legacy desktop completely behind with my most recent systems and most of the malware and security issues along with it.

I know not everyone has that choice, but I feel it's likely to end up being the only way to survive the cyber attacks I expect we'll be experiencing over the next decade.  Attacks against our government health services websites during such a critical period are just a small hint at what's to come.

Stealing money from befuddled grandmothers and small businesses was just the beginning.

Rob