OK, here’s what I got … some systems worked fine, some didn’t, see findings below:
Findings for Win7 (x64 & x86) …
If the Win7 Windows Defender “engine” version is pre “1.1.15000.2”, Win7 Windows Defender will find and update the engine & definitions to the MOST current version available.
If, however, the engine version is already at “1.1.15000.2”, newer engine & definition updates are no longer found – verified as the system I just successfully updated earlier (posted above) with engine at “1.1.15000.2” & def at “1.271.328.0” dated 7/1/2018 7:00AM, it now can’t find the newest most current def version “1.271.332.0” dated 7/1/2018 12:44PM.
Manually downloading & installing the latest “1.271.332.0” update from Microsoft here works as I was able to download it then manually update the system I just updated in my previous post above.
All other Win7 (x64 & x86) systems I tested had various defs versions (pre 6/12/2018)
& all had engine version “1.1.14901.4” and all updated to engine “1.1.15000.2” & def “1.271.332.0” successfully.
Findings for Vista Ultimate (x86) …
When I started, engine version was at “1.1.14800.3” & def was at “1.267.425.0” dated 4/26/2018.
Running update resulted in engine updated to “1.1.14901.4” & defs to “1.269.1075.0” dated 6/11/2018 6:50AM.
But … why only to 6/11/2018? … this is not the MOST current engine & defs! Win7 just updated fine (see above) when starting with engine at “1.1.14901.4” & defs at “1.269.1075.0” dated 6/11/2018 6:50AM.
Running a 2nd/3rd update resulted in “No new updates found”.
Manually downloading & installing Windows Defender update from Microsoft here, engine is now at version “1.1.15000.2” & defs at “1.271.332.0” dated 7/1/2018 12:44PM so a manual update seems to currently work for Vista as well.
My thoughts …
Microsoft tweaked the engine(?) to stop updating Defender for Vista after “6/11/2018” as, well … Vista is no longer supported & IE9 for Vista is no longer supported, so why continue to support Windows Defender for Vista? Though presently, the manual update method still seems to work but for how long?
In tweaking the engine(?), I believe Microsoft screwed up their tweak which seems to allow Windows 7 to update to the MOST current engine & def versions but only if the previous installed engine version is pre “1.1.15000.2”. Once the current engine version is at “1.1.15000.2”, no further updates are allowed and/or found.
I think this is a mistake/bug but, who but Microsoft really knows. Let’s hope they discover & fix it or we Win7 (& Vista) folks will have to do manual updates (for as long as they let us) from now on.
Win7 - PRO & Ultimate, x64 & x86
Win8.1 - PRO, x64 & x86
Groups A, B & ABS
