Can I skip some Microsoft definition updates?

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Greetings, I wanted to ask if its recommended to skip certain definition updates, since daily my windows defender install them, can I skip some of them and then patch each 6 days?

Just someone who don't want Windows to mess with its computer.

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Hi @zaphyrus, I see this has lingered unnoticed, so thought I would give a partial reply so that it may be seen. I use MSE on Win7, so do not have direct experience with your interface.

But I believe the Microsoft protections are so closely related, my information should hold for you as well. When definitions are created and approved for distribution, they are listed in a single, pooled resource. When Defender updates by schedule automatically, it retrieves the most current definitions and checks that all intervening definitions are included. This is labeled Cumulative in Windowsspeak. When you make a manual request, the same function is performed, from the same pooled resource.

Define for yourself how frequently you need these updates for your comfort. For me, daily is possibly overkill, but it fits my habits better to verify daily rather than letting it slip my mind.

Conclusion, when you can see on the interface display that an update successfully completed within your comfort timeline, there is no need to perform an additional manual check. Conversely if some connection issue, including a hibernating laptop, has caused the last successful update to fall outside your comfort zone, then take a few minutes to request the task manually. Both methods pull from the same resource. Both methods will supply any ‘skipped’ definitions, cumulatively.

Since I’ve opined outside my experience, I welcome correction.

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Zaphyrus

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thanks anon for your advice, its just that everyday that I check my WU I always see Definition updates installing

Just someone who don't want Windows to mess with its computer.

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Ah, yes. I almost answered forgetting the Win7 – Win10 difference, and droned on in the wrong system. Win7 has a selector to tie together Windows Update and Microsoft Update, or leave them separate. I invite others to address this concept in Win10 terms.

Instead I will return to the Question:

can I skip some of them…?

And give one answer in three ways. Yes. You can skip them. Up to the period of time you are comfortable with. Your comfort may be six days. Mine is two days.

First, view the Defender interface before checking Windows update. Defender will display the last update received. You may find it is only hours old, and just a few steps behind in the definition version number (e.g. 1.285.1510.0) from what WU offers. Skipping may seem inconsequential.

Second, Skipping is only temporary. You will not miss out on anything in the long run. The next update will be cumulative and include all definitions and engine upgrades distributed since the last time you received an update. No matter how many times you skipped.

Third, the method of requesting and accepting the update does not make a difference in the end result. Through Defender, automatically or manually, or by Windows update, automatically or manually, all roads lead to the same pool.

I’ll include here a reference site to review the current status of the definition pool:
https://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/definitions/whatsnew.aspx
But it is currently suffering from the same difficulties in completing information from within the Microsoft based systems. The embedded links that should give up to date status reports are failing to resolve. (Maybe Microsoft should change their DNS settings.)

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lately WU have been having DNS issues, in fact some of us, including me had problems with WU

Just someone who don't want Windows to mess with its computer.

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maybe from your end, Zaphyrus, but not for me.

I only had DNS issues with WU back on Tue. Jan. 29, 2018. After that date, WU started working correctly again (the internet provider I’m using is Spectrum, not Comcast). I even ran WU on all my Win7, 8.1 & 10 machines yesterday Feb. 12 and WU appears to be working fine on all of them.

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@ep , from your location, could you follow the Microsoft link provided above, and here https://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/definitions/whatsnew.aspx and tell me if the current information resolves correctly for you? It tells me to refresh.

I’ve just tried again now, and it seems Microsoft pages will not communicate correctly, even among themselves. Maybe I am not understanding how they build their pages.

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well, there were some that still had issues… hope that this get solved soon

Just someone who don't want Windows to mess with its computer.

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Over the last couple of hours, I’ve seen the reference page https://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/definitions/whatsnew.aspx acknowledge two new increments: versions 1.285.1541.0, then 1.285.1544.0

But each refresh still fails to give the detailed information for new or updated definitions. I would be willing to look into my browser settings, and extensions. Except I tried a different test instead. From the dropdown list of the last 20 versions, I select #…1351… and the expected information displays properly. I believe this demonstrates there is no DNS difficulty with my router or my IPS. The failure to correctly display current information resides with Microsoft.

Hope I have been of help.

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