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Windows Defender Won’t Update: 5 Quick Fixes
Learn what to do when Windows Defender updates are not installing
5 min. read
Updated onApril 3, 2024
updated onApril 3, 2024
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Key notes
A good number ofWindows 10users have raised concerns that Windows Defender won’t update on their computers.
Most of these queries have to do withWindows Defenderfailing to update virus definitions, and this usually happens when their internet connection is good.
Sometimes even the Windows Update feature is affected as it fails to update the system.
While using Windows Defender, you may receive a message with regards to definition updates when opening the service, or when you try tocheck for updatesand it says they cannot be checked, downloaded, or installed.
If you’re experiencing the Windows Defender update failed issue, try the solutions listed below to resolve the issue.
What can I do if Windows Defender won’t update?
Before getting into more detailed explanations, let’s get through a couple of basic checks and steps to perform:
If your computer is part of a company network, or it is managed by an admin, they’ll configure updates through local network drives or set policies to update after approval. Check with your network admin first.
1. Try out a different antivirus solution
When Windows Defender fails to meet your expectations, it’s time to consider using an alternative. Well, if you want to forget all about update errors, then try the solution below.
This professional antivirus does its job in the background and always keeps you safe from computer viruses, malware, ransomware, and identity theft.
Moreover, rest assured that it’s easy to install on your computer and straightforward to use, having no pointless features that could clutter the interface.
ESET HOME Security Essential
2. Manually install update definitions
Microsoft usually delivers updates through Windows Update, Automatic Updates, or Windows Server Update Service (WSUS).
In some cases, Windows Defender won’t update because of problems with these services. In this case, update the definitions manually, as described above.
If you were able to install updates manually, the issue is caused by a Windows Update problem. We gave anexcellent listof tools that will help you solve Windows Update issues.
3. Verify that you have all required Windows Update files
Usually, all the needed updates will come right to your PC but sometimes, if they are blocked for some reason, you won’t see them. Perform the steps below to make sure you’re up-to-date.
4. Set Windows Defender service as automatic
If Windows Defender service won’t start, check out thisdetailed guideto fix the problem in no time.
5. Run an SFC Scan
This will check whether there are corrupted system files that prevent the default antivirus from updating.
What is Windows Defender?
Windows Defender is the default, pre-installed antimalware software built into Windows 10 OS, to protect users from malware.
This includes adware, viruses, worms, Trojans, Rootkit, Backdoor, ransomware, and spyware, among other emerging threats.
In this case, the service should work well in the background notifying users of any detected malware or when something is wrong.
In some cases, however, you may come across issues such as this, when Windows Defender is not updating, or the update fails.
Usually, there are three ways to update it:
We’ve written extensively about its problems before, and we have an excellent guide onhow to fix Windows Defender issues. Don’t hesitate to take a closer look too.
Let us know if any of these solutions worked when the Windows Defender update failed. Just leavea comment in the section below.
More about the topics:Windows Defender issues
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
