Windows 8 Why do I keep getting messages in the Action Center that say Defender needs to scan my computer?

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Every few days I get a message in the Action Center that says I need to update and Run Defender.

I have real time protection and everything else turn on, why doesn't it do this on it's own.

Also I don't see any options as there used to be about when to run scans i.e. time and how often etc.

As far as I can see it has never quarantined anything but when I manually run a scan it come up clean, not surprising I guess because I run Malwarebytes every day, and SuperAntiSpyware regularly, and I'm using Comodo firewall.

I did run a fake test virus and it caught it immediately so it seems to be working fine.

Any info welcome.

Mike

 

[Mitchell_A]

Do you run CCleaner? If you have Windows Defender selected as an option during cleaning, it will erase update and scan history. Just a thought.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Thanks

I'll check that out, I do run CCleaner every day, I never considered that.

Mike

 

[davehc]

"Also I don't see any options as there used to be about when to run scans i.e. time and how often etc."
You could put a trigger in the task scheduler, but, if the message is irritating, why not turn off the messages in the action centre. You could also turn off the warning in the notification area. I know they are there to help, but they are, at the end of the day, only warnings, not real protection
But, only my own observation, you do seem a little over endowed with security programs?. Is Defender and the windows firewall still actually running? I would have thought, with the other programs installed, they might have been automatically turned off.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Windows Defender is running, when I ran a fake virus test it caught it immediately.

But I just keep wondering why it tells me it needs to be updated and to be run when I assume that it's doing that automaticly. It does this every 3 or 4 days it's not a daily occurrence.

As far as the Firewall goes I've never been able to get it to start.

I've tried off and on for ever since I discovered that it wouldn't, shortly after getting my new computer.

I tried again today while I was messing around I signed it to the Administrator account,(which is still set pretty much to basic default settings) and it just says it can't start with no explanation or error message.

The thing is that I never have any security issues, I haven't had a virus or anything like that in years.

I do run Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware and because the Windows one won't work I use the Comodo Firewall, not any other part of the Comodo antivirus package.

When I run any of these they never find anything more than a few advertising related cookies.

I assume that Windows Defender runs when the computer is inactive and I never notice it, but I always update and run it when I get the notifications anyway.

Mike

 

[Joe S]

I quit using the MSE a few weeks ago after MS kept getting low score and lost it's certification in independent testing. I was never happy the way it updated and on 2 or 3 occasions I looked down and noticed it had stopped for some reason. I went back to Avast. I don't think MS is doing near enough with their AV stuff. It should update at least twice or more a day like commercial AV software.
Joe

 

[davehc]

You wont be able to get the Firewall going, unless you totally uninstall Comodo.
fwiw, I am advised of Defender definition updates, daily, through my normal Windows update service. I get a large notice on log in that an update is available. I do have my updates configured to notify but not download without my consent. As I rarely download immediately, it is just possible that they sometimes come through twice in a day.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Well I only installed Comodo because I spent a month trying to get Windows firewall working with no luck.

It would be nice if it at least gave you some clue about why the Firewall Service won't start instead of just saying "Firewall can't be started".

I guess I'll just live with Comodo until I have to do a complete reinstall if I ever do.

Mike