Does the Malicious Software Removal Tool install itself automatically?

Topic

New Reply

It looks like I’m wrong – and I’d appreciate your comments and observations. This from CH: I see that you post a lot of replies saying that MSRT insta
[See the full post at: Does the Malicious Software Removal Tool install itself automatically?]

Reply | Quote

Replies

Woody, I read your comment the other day about the Malicious Software Removal Tool auto installing and thought it strange. It has never auto installed on Win 7, but then I haven’t waited days to see if it does. I just install it when I am notified of the update. I assume it runs automatically after installation, but it does not appear to install automatically.

iPhone 13, 2019 iMac(SSD)

Reply | Quote

I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but I have never seen MSRT install itself without my say-so. At least not since I turned off automatic updates on my system.

Reply | Quote

I agree with the first two commenters. MSRT has never downloaded itself and run automatically on any of my PCs (currently I have one PC running Win 7 x64 and I have updates set to Notify but don’t Download). I also thought your comment was strange at the time, but then what do I know? I can’t speak for those with updates set to Download but don’t Run.

Reply | Quote

On five computers in my household, I have Win7 set to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them”. I have never see the MSRT install itself; it only installs if I invoke it.

The only MS product I use that updates itself independently of my Windows Update settings is Microsoft Security Essentials. Even there, the virus definitions update themselves pretty much on a daily basis, but changes to the MSE Client do not install without my express permission.

Reply | Quote

Ah… but what do I know? I was running off memory, and my memory was faulty. Repeatedly.

Reply | Quote

As I wrote the other day about my recollections of how MSRT behaves for me
(at https://www.askwoody.com/2016/win7-security-patch-kb3146706-causing-problems/#comment-80684),
I have Win 7, I check for windows updates manually, and I don’t think MSRT runs on my computer without my checking it in Windows Update and pressing the button to install.

I am still pretty sure that this is the case, but I guess it could be operating pretty silently and stealthily, and I wouldn’t know the difference!

—
(By the way,
the second part of my earlier recollection, that I thought that the MSRT windows update entry retained its *old* month’s name into the future if I didn’t download it for a while,
seems NOT to be correct,
at least currently – based on the Windows Update trial that I have conducted this evening.
I have not run MSRT for the past 2 months, and tonight in my Windows Update the MSRT entry is termed “April” and is dated April 12th.)

Reply | Quote

On my Win 7 computer, the Windows Update description for April’s MSRT, kb890830, makes it sound like the control is in the hands of the computer operator:
“After the download, this tool runs one time to check your computer for infection by specific, prevalent malicious software… and helps remove any infection that is found.
If an infection is found, the tool will display a status report the next time you start your computer.
A new version of the tool will be offered every month.
…This tool is not a replacement for an antivirus product. To help protect your computer, you should use an antivirus product.”

Reply | Quote

I just go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner page, download it and run a full system scan. Works off the full Windows Defender database, but is otherwise similar to MSRT.

MSRT doesn’t use definitions which aren’t used in the WD database, so Safety Scanner catches what MSRT would catch, plus a whole lot more. It doesn’t remove much if anything, but it will catch almost everything a full system scan with Windows Defender would catch.

Reply | Quote

MSRT is always selected and installs itself if Automatic Updates are enabled and scheduled. This is very likely the source of the confusion.

Reply | Quote

This is about right, not an antivirus but a file scanner. And I think it checks only specific system files considered critical by Microsoft, does not scan a full system like an antivirus would do. I don’t know all the details though and I never monitored the process for file access which I am convinced that is possible to be done by anyone determined enough and willing to spend the time.

Reply | Quote

It may be entirely true that the Safety Scanner is a better tool, however MSRT runs automatically when “installed” while the Microsoft Security Scanner seems to require more interactive intervention.
I think MSRT can be considered as a bonus more than anything else.
Enterprise administrators are advised by Microsoft documentation that MSRT is entirely optional while not harmful for performance or anything else, so it can be either way. I personally choose to install/run it if I am to make that decision.

Reply | Quote

I’ve never had definition updates for Windows Defender install themselves automatically either (I’m on “Notify me but let me choose what to download” setting). This has always irritated me about Defender utilizing the Windows Update system for its definition files. The definition updates appear in the update list and sit there, and sit, and sit, until I finally go in and manually uncheck all of the other updates, double-check that Defender updates are still checked, double-check that no other updates are checked, and finally hit install. Oh, and then it makes a System Restore point…just to install definition updates. (At least it doesn’t require a reboot.)

Really wish Defender could just update itself by itself without piggybacking on a much more heavyweight system. (If there’s a way to make this happen, please let me know. Besides turning on Automatic Updates, obviously.)

Regarding the Malicious Software Removal Tool that shows up every month: it requires accepting an EULA. Presumably it can’t run automatically regardless, because the user has to first accept the EULA.

Reply | Quote

Open Windows Defender application and click on Tools then Options. Make sure that ‘Check for updated definitions before scanning’ is checked. If you make any changes, be sure to click on ‘Save’ to update your selections.

Reply | Quote

Woody
The answer is no.I have Windows 7 Home Premium set to notify me and let me decide to download and update or not.
It doesn t update automatically. I always run that a couple of days after the black Tues. notifications Then I wait for you to give the go ahead later on and run the rest of the updates.
Sam

Reply | Quote

Last Friday, I told Windows Update to run this coming Friday. It would install the 218 release, the new MSRT and the new Flash Update.

Today it ran without my prompting. But it may have been prompted on this Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga by Lenovo because it processed/installed a couple of Lenovo Updates (that I cannot identify) and the three Windows Updates that I had told it to wait for Friday to process/install. Everything seems to be running fine but I wish I knew what is happening.

Reply | Quote

My WSUS install has seen no trace of MSRT for April…? It’s not showing up under All Updates, even when I search by KB number, I see all the old versions pop up, but no April 2016 one…
My servers and workstations naturally aren’t installing it if not offered, but if I go to the servers or workstations and manually do an update check via Windows Updates from Microsoft directly, it shows up.
Anyone else seeing something similar?

Reply | Quote

Yes the Malicious software removal tool does install automatically cause the same update of KB890890 windows malicious software removal tool installed automatically 20 different times between July 13, 2016 and August 8, 2016 on my computer. Now my computer will not check for updates and has not downloaded the August 9, 2016 Patch Tuesday updates. I do have windows vista Operating system.

Reply | Quote