Microsoft Security Essentials - Not Updating

erb

For the last 2 days my Microsoft Security Esseentials has failed to update. I have tried doing this manually clicking the update button, it starts searching but then just stops with no update and no error message.

Anyone else had the same problem or know what the problem is?

kwikbreaks

Maybe there is no update.

Mine says definitions created on 20/01/2013 at 12:57

There was an automatic update (presumably getting nothing) on 22/01/2013 at 03:28

erb

Usually there is an update everyday. Interestingly 20 Jan is my last definition and nothing for 21 or 22.

erb

I have just found on the Microsoft site this which says the latest definition is today 22nd. Just tried updating again but did not work. At least I can now try and update using the information on the Microsoft site I have just found but this is a bit of a pain.

waddler_8

Can you use windows update ok?

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/

23n1th

Are people still using this? You know they don't qualify as any good on independent tests?

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/17/avtest_microsoft_test_dispute/

waddler_8

That depends on what test results you believe.

http://www.westcoastlabs.com/realTimeTesting/article/?articleID=1#item1

23n1th

Not bad in april 2011, but in 2013...

Stompa

From the posts here:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/protect_updating

it would appear that MS are working on it.

waddler_8

23n1th wrote: »

Not bad in april 2011, but in 2013...

I took this to mean the tests were ongoing from 2011, not that the data is from 2011:

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of free antivirus solutions, West Coast Labs has been running ongoing performance capability tests against a large number of samples from their ‘Real Time Project’, which leverages a geographically dispersed honeypot network to capture and provide a set of streaming samples 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Maybe this means the data is from 2011? :think:

"West Coast Labs has been running ongoing performance capability tests"

http://www.westcoastlabs.com/realTimeTesting/

Whatever.

The point is well argued by MS here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2013/01/16/lessons-learned-from-the-latest-test-results.aspx

The antimalware world is challenging, for both antimalware companies protecting their customers and for independent testing organizations trying to determine the efficacy of antimalware products. We choose to meet that challenge by prioritizing our protection work based on prevalence and customer impact measures....

I would question AV-tests findings of an average of 92% industry average for new ("zero-day") malware. The files I have uploaded, and other files that I see uploaded don't appear to reflect this.

Browse here and see what initial detections are like for the submitted malware when uploaded to VirusTotal.


In using MSE for the past couple of years my PC has never been compromised. Here's a few detection's from my own recent realtime scan logs: Some of these are genuine detections and some are deliberately downloaded.

DETECTION Rogue:Win32/FakeVimes
DETECTION Trojan:Win32/Alureon.FV
DETECTION Trojan:DOS/Alureon.K
DETECTION Trojan:JS/Tracur.F
DETECTION Trojan:Win32/Reveton.F
DETECTION TrojanDownloader:Win32/Karagany.L
DETECTION Adware:Win32/OpenCandy
DETECTION Exploit:Java/CVE-2012-1723.ZVD
DETECTION Rogue:Win32/FakePAV
DETECTION VirTool:Win32/Obfuscator.XG
DETECTION Trojan:Win64/Sirefef.C
DETECTION Trojan:Win32/Tobfy.J
DETECTION TrojanDownloader:Win32/Umbald.A
DETECTION VirTool:Win32/VBInject

The point I'm making is don't rely solely on tests. The AV-test results are one test. Different test methodology, different samples - different day, different results.

Besides, there's more to PC security than just the AV being used.

erb

Back to the subject, normal service has been resumed today as it updated. Never did find out what the problem was.