Advice Request What is your opinion about Microsoft Windows Defender (Windows 10)?

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

SeriousHoax

Level 47
Well-known
Mar 16, 2019
3,630
WD has improved the rate at which they create offline signatures but still lags behind most of the competitors. Sometimes they create offline signatures within a day or two, sometimes takes 5-6 days and more based on the prevalence of the sample I assume. So, from my experience I would say local signatures will detect most of newer threats within 7-10. But anyway, scanning with WD is resource heavy and time consuming so it's simply better to use better second opinion scanners and use WD for at which it's good at which is Real Time Protection.
 

plat

Level 29
Top Poster
Sep 13, 2018
1,793
The Antimalware Platform updated today via Windows Update. KB4052623

New version: 4.18.2006.9

Info

How to get your Defender system information:

Open Microsoft Defender user interface "Security at a glance"
Click three lines at top-left
Click Settings w/gear bottom left
Click "About" in middle of page
 

plat

Level 29
Top Poster
Sep 13, 2018
1,793
OOO-OOO. You are right! If you click on the embedded link in the Update History section under Definition updates, that's what you get. Geez. Thank you for pointing this out. Have no clue why it's showing an older version. Here's the opportunity to check your version like I suggested above. Might be a mistake?

def version.PNG
 
Last edited:

SeriousHoax

Level 47
Well-known
Mar 16, 2019
3,630
The Antimalware Platform updated today via Windows Update. KB4052623

New version: 4.18.2006.9

Info

How to get your Defender system information:

Open Microsoft Defender user interface "Security at a glance"
Click three lines at top-left
Click Settings w/gear bottom left
Click "About" in middle of page
Maybe this update includes the feature mentioned here:
 

CyberTech

Level 44
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Nov 10, 2017
3,247

CyberTech

Level 44
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Nov 10, 2017
3,247
Maybe this update includes the feature mentioned here:

Are you using WD?
 

Vitali Ortzi

Level 22
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 12, 2016
1,147
WD has improved the rate at which they create offline signatures but still lags behind most of the competitors. Sometimes they create offline signatures within a day or two, sometimes takes 5-6 days and more based on the prevalence of the sample I assume. So, from my experience I would say local signatures will detect most of newer threats within 7-10. But anyway, scanning with WD is resource heavy and time consuming so it's simply better to use better second opinion scanners and use WD for at which it's good at which is Real Time Protection.
If the offline scanner was as fast as Kaspersky virus removal / hitman and faster updates
Then I might add it to my toolkit.
More automatic detection = less labor that's why I use those tools as well for minor infection.
Or if I don't have enough time 😬.
If you have unlimited time manual is better and full restore +reinstall of Bios / OS is even better!
About real-time configere defender is impressive especially the easy to use hard configurator .
since I can't modify the application and device control on the unmanaged client.
At least without much labor to port it to an Unmanaged client. I usually use hard configurator for friends with SEP / Kaspersky (they blocked my modified version of KFA so no more Kaspersky) .
Hard configurator is So much easier to manage such a time saver !
 
Last edited:

plat

Level 29
Top Poster
Sep 13, 2018
1,793
Maybe this update includes the feature mentioned here:

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment. :rolleyes:


defender scans.PNG
 

Vitali Ortzi

Level 22
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 12, 2016
1,147
The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment. :rolleyes:


This is indeed helpful .
How much faster is it now on a hard drive ?
 

South Park

Level 9
Verified
Well-known
Jun 23, 2018
431
Too much unfortunately .
What parts of the os / storage does the recommended scan scan other then ram of course?
I think it mainly scans the Windows folders and Program Files. I usually run Hitman Pro free for a second-opinion scan, which covers the same system folders as well as executable files that have been recently introduced to the computer, wherever they are on the disk. (A full scan with HMP takes about 8 min. on my current and former laptops, both with a slow HDD. HMP's automatic quick scan takes about 4 min.)
 

SeriousHoax

Level 47
Well-known
Mar 16, 2019
3,630
The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment. :rolleyes:


It's been there before. Not via the latest platform update.
The Microsoft Defender Offline scan is now officially included in the Scan options section of the Virus and Threat protection part of the Defender user interface. Unsure if this was added in the Antimalware Platform update today or an earlier one. Why? Because the changelog isn't reflecting the current version at the moment. :rolleyes:


This didn't came with the last platform update. It's been there at least since Windows 2004 at least. Before that I didn't notice if it was there or not.
 
F

ForgottenSeer 78429

For me Windows Defender experience is not so good. After every start RAM usage keeps increasing. After 4-5 starts it was around 700 MB. After restart it was back to normal around 100-120MB. I have also seen memory use by Windows Defender as high as 1200MB and that too on a fresh install of Windows 10 2004 after 2-3 days without restarting my PC.
 

SeriousHoax

Level 47
Well-known
Mar 16, 2019
3,630
For me Windows Defender experience is not so good. After every start RAM usage keeps increasing. After 4-5 starts it was around 700 MB. After restart it was back to normal around 100-120MB. I have also seen memory use by Windows Defender as high as 1200MB and that too on a fresh install of Windows 10 2004 after 2-3 days without restarting my PC.
This is an abnormal behavior 🤔 How much ram do you have on your PC?
 

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