Unable to update virus and security

This setting allows Microsoft Defender to get constantly updated improvements from Microsoft while you're connected to the internet. This will result in more accurately identifying, stopping, and fixing, threats. Microsoft will notify you if you need to send additional files, and alert you if a requested file contains personal information so you can decide whether or not you want to send that file or not.

If you're concerned about a file and want to make sure it was submitted for evaluation you can select Submit a sample manually to send us any file you want.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings can occasionally get changed by malicious, or careless, apps or processes; or sometimes by unaware people. With Tamper Protection turned on, important settings like real-time protection, can't be easily or accidentally turned off. Learn more about Tamper Protection. Use the Controlled folder access setting to manage which folders untrusted apps can make changes to.

You can also add additional apps to the trusted list so they can make changes in those folders. This is a powerful tool to make your files safer from ransomware. When you turn on Controlled folder access, a lot of the folders you use most often will be protected by default. This means that content in any of these folders cannot be accessed or changed by any unknown or untrusted apps. If you add additional folders, they become protected as well.

Learn more about using Controlled folder access. In those rare instances you can add an exclusion for them. Learn more about adding an exclusion to Windows Security. Windows Security will send notifications about the health and safety of your device. You can turn these notifications on, or off, on the notifications page. See Windows Security notifications. Security intelligence sometimes referred to as "definitions" are files that contain information about the latest threats that could infect your device.

Windows Security uses security intelligence every time a scan is run. Microsoft automatically downloads the latest intelligence to your device as part of Windows Update , but you can also manually check for it. How malware can infect your PC. We make no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products. We provide third-party contact information to help you find technical support.

This contact information may change without notice. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information. Table of contents. Release Date:. Security-only update. Need more help? Expand your skills. Get new features first. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help. Can you help us improve? Resolved my issue. Clear instructions. Therefore, print them, write them down, or copy them to another file, and then bookmark this topic for future access.

Note: Resetting these settings in Internet Explorer deletes your temporary files, cookies, browsing history, and your online passwords. Click Start , and in the Start Search box, type inetcpl. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab. Wait until Internet Explorer finishes resetting the settings, and then click OK. If the issue persists, go on to the next step. In the Internet Options dialog box, click the Programs tab.

Under Default Web browser , click Make default. Click OK. Open Microsoft Security Essentials. Click the Update tab, and then click Update. If the error message that you received contains the code 0xf8f, the problem is most likely caused by an incorrect date or time setting on your PC.

To reset your PC's date or time setting, follow the steps in Fix broken desktop shortcuts and common system maintenance tasks. Click Start , click Run , type services. Right-click the Automatic Updates service, and then click Stop. Click Start , click Run , type cmd , and then click OK.