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How to keep Windows Defender definitions up to date in Windows 10

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Windows Defenderis the built-in antivirus in yourWindows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 devices and it’s quite good, at least for me. The purpose of this article is to keep an easier to understand changelog of the latest updates that have been made available.

If you don’t feel like you want to install another antivirus program on yourWindows 10, Windows 8.1 device, then you can rely onWindows Defenderas it seems to be performing its job quite well.

However, if you have decided to stick with it, then make sure you get the latest updates, as soon as possible. Of course, the easiest way to do that is to set to receive updates automatically, but if you’re curious to learn what they are about, you will want to set that to manually. And here, we are going to review the updates as often as we can an provide an easier to understand changelog.

Windows Defender on Windows 10

Microsoft completelyrevamped Windows DefenderinWindows 10. The tech giant added a series of important new features and improvements that makeWindows Defenderone of the best antivirus solutions to use in 2018. As a matter of fact, AV-Test, a reliable third-party testing company, recentlyplaced Windows Defender on the first positionwhen it comes to blocking real-life cyber threats, includingransomware attacks.

Here are some of the most important changes thatWindows Defenderreceived onWindows 10:

Download the latest Windows Defender version on Windows 10

Windows Defender on Windows 8.1

Before Windows 8,Windows Defenderfeatured antispyware capabilities. It included a number of real-time security agents that monitored several common areas of Windows for changes which may be caused by spyware. It also included the ability to easily remove installed ActiveX software. Also integrated support for Microsoft SpyNet that allows users to report to Microsoft what they consider to be spyware, and what applications and device drivers they allow to be installed on their system. In Windows 8, functionality has increased to offer antivirus protection as well.Windows Defenderin Windows 8 resembles Microsoft Security Essentials and uses the same virus definitions.

So, as we can see from the above description, along with the release of Windows 8, theWindows Defenderutility has been made much stronger and similar to how Microsoft Security Essentials works. You can configure the program for real-time protection options, Internet Explorer integration and, of course, to scan files on your system whenever you want. At the moment,Windows Defenderonly works in desktop mode, and it’s unlikely, at least for now, that it will be released for the modern, touch interface ofWindows 8.1.

DownloadWindows Defenderfor Windows 8.1 [version 1.173.831.0]

This current version has been made available on 29 April, 2014 and you can go ahead and get it by updatingWindows Defenderor by using theWindows Updatefunction. Or you can followthis linkand get it manually. As for the update itself, it fixes a lot of severe security problems, most of them being trojans and backdoor viruses, as follows:

So, go ahead and install the latest update in order not to fall prey to thesesecurity vulnerabilities.

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More about the topics:windows 10,windows 8.1,Windows Defender issues

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

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