Unable to install Optional Updates – MS Essentials Virus Definitions

[jpst]

I have a batch of computers that are unable to install the virus definitions. When I run the Check it shows “No updates…” then when I run it again it show 1 Updates found. Can BatchPatch install Optional updates and/or MSEssentials virus def updates ?

JP

[doug]

Yes, BatchPatch can/will install optional updates. See Tools > Settings > Windows Updates for the various filtering options.

As for MS Essentials Virus Def updates, Essentials installs its own updates, but it appears to somehow use the Windows Update agent to do this. If you check the BatchPatch.log (in C:Program FilesBatchPatch) on the target computer you’ll be able to see if the virus def is actually getting installed by BP. I know for sure that Defender’s updates will be installed by BP, but MS Essentials might be doing something a bit differently. I vaguely recall seeing similar behavior to what you’re describing where MS Essentials pretty much always has an update that’s waiting, but only it can install it for itself. I’m not 100% sure of this behavior, but similarly I don’t think the Windows Update GUI will ever show the MS Essentials update as available to install because Essentials has to install it itself.

-Doug

[jpst]

Doug,

I have always been able to install AV defs for MSE using BatchPatch. But this AV dev build 5727 was sneaky – when you re-scan it with BP it showed no updates to install., then when yu-rescan again it showed as an update in BP. Weird. Anyway, I manually installed using the windows Update (without using BP; yes WU can install MSE AV defs). After that another AV def came out from a BP scan and BP was able to install it. Weird again. Do you know how to manually push the AV def using BP Deploy software / patch / script / regkey / etc. ?

[doug]

Thanks for confirming the behavior of MSE updates. Definitely strange. Anyway, the only way you would be able to push the AV def using the ‘Deploy’ feature would be to somehow obtain that update in msi, msu, msp, exe format etc. Not sure if these are available directly from Microsoft’s website or not, and I’m also not sure what format the updates come from Windows Update, but you could take a look by using ‘Actions > Windows Update > Retrieve consolidated URL list’ against a computer that has the particular update waiting/available for installation. From there you can download the actual file that Windows Update uses to perform the update.

-Doug

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