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Windows Defender Boot Scan and Update Questions


Jody Thornton

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I have two questions that I posted at eightforums.com, but no answer there. :( . When I update manually or use the Task Scheduler, I receive an error in Task Scheduler, saying "The system cannot find the file specified (0x80070002)", Or I get an update message if I perform it manually, saying I wasn't able to connect. HOWEVER - Windows Defender DOES indeed updates.

Can anyone explain this anomaly?

Also, I have disabled Automatic Protection, and I have set up update and scan times for Windows Defender, through the Task Scheduler. However, when I login to my desktop, after about two minutes, Windows Defender updates and scans my system. I turn it off and it stops.

When am I not doing so that this action will be disabled? I update at 2:45 am and scan at 3am, and this works, but why does it need to scan at boot time?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't have answers, but maybe I see something similar.

On 8.1, sometimes when I manually start updates in Defender's GUI, it works, fully fills the progress bar, then concludes by saying "update failed". And yet, the virus definitions version and date do show a newer version. I haven't yet ruled out my firewall settings being to blame.

Re scan-on-boot, dunno. But it's ironic that with all the talk about fast boot and kernel hibernation for quick restarts, after that quick restart/boot you have a minute or two of bad responsiveness when a whole bunch of unclear services or tasks chug and chug. Compare with WinXP. Restart/boots may take a few more seconds, but after the shell loads the system is responsive almost immediately.

 

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I just tried updating Windows Defender on a virtual machine. Have Windows Defender disabled by policy, so I enabled it and tried updating. It said that it couldn't (connection issues), but the definitions version increased. Then I restored virtual machine snapshot to a previous state and tried again, this time it worked without errors. But when I click Update again, here comes Connection failed error. Decided to reboot, Update, and now it goes through a lengthy process again (except Installing part), no errors. Click Update again and bam, Connection failed.

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Very interesting and very helpful  Just to make sure I'm clear, the Windows Update service is on, but Automatic Updating is off.  So I only update Windows Defender either manually, or with Task Scheduler.  This error appears to have gone away now that I don't include Windows Defender in Ccleaner, so that's maybe one down.

But when I boot my system and login to the desktop, after about two minutes, Windows Defender starts scanning my whole system.  How can I stop that scan from happening?  Again, so far the help has been terrific.  Thank you so much

:)


 

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1 hour ago, JodyT said:

Just to make sure I'm clear, the Windows Update service is on, but Automatic Updating is off.

Tested with the same settings. I suppose it's just Defender being buggy, one of those unexplained oddities in MS's software.

1 hour ago, JodyT said:

But when I boot my system and login to the desktop, after about two minutes, Windows Defender starts scanning my whole system.  How can I stop that scan from happening?

That's strange, especially since you have real-time protection turned off, which by itself makes Defender quiet. But, you said you scheduled scans via Task Scheduler. Does that task's status say Running when it happens? If yes, maybe it missed last scheduled time and attempted to run it again when it had the chance. Check the status of the checkbox "Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed" in task's properties dialog on Settings tab.

Edited by UCyborg
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40 minutes ago, UCyborg said:

Tested with the same settings. I suppose it's just Defender being buggy, one of those unexplained oddities in MS's software.

That's strange, especially since you have real-time protection turned off, which by itself makes Defender quiet. But, you said you scheduled scans via Task Scheduler. Does that task's status say Running when it happens? If yes, maybe it missed last scheduled time and attempted to run it again when it had the chance. Check the status of the checkbox "Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed" in task's properties dialog on Settings tab.

No sorry.  Real Time Protection is ON.  Let me check though to see if the task runs when missed.

:)

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