I have had MSE for years and I am aware that the definitions updates come in through Optional Windows Update and get automatically installed. Mostly daily and they are small in size. A new engine is a larger download, but that is always identified in Windows Update as a new engine. Over the past month I have seen phantom downloads of various download size, but I do not know what they are. Lat week it was 29MB, today 58.3MB. One download was over 100MB but there is no indication on the MSE/about tab as to what these downloads are. They come in under Microsoft Security Client MsMpEng exe or MpCmdrun exe. I assume these 2 execs are only for MSE and not other windows update security downloads. Has anyone seen these downloads and do you know what they are?
My first experience with Microsoft Antivirus comes since the release of Win8 with Windows Defender. Because you're running Win7, what you are telling seems to be MSE trying to catch up the new antimalware technologies developed in WD. http://www.windowsecurity.com/artic...crosoft-ignites-new-focus-security-part1.html
Tnx Macstorm for responding and linking that article. I did not even consider that. It makes sense to only have one version of an AV across several platforms. If this indeed proves to be the answer, the manner in which MS decided to deliver these downloads (250MB since August 1, 2015) is strange - not as Important windows updates for W7 users , but rather as a series of stealth installs. A strategy that creates confusion and anxiety.
You're welcome! Also, and for what it's worth, I noticed really slow system updates for Win 7 machines from MS servers. I upgraded a couple of friend's PCs from Win 7 to Win 10 over the weekend. It seems to me that MS servers are giving top priority to their new OS.
What a weird coincidence - I spent the weekend updating a friend's PC from W8 to W10. I would not be surprised if MS was prioritizing their servers for W10 downloads, though it is a bit disrespectful to W7 users . After all they did pay for their licensed copy of the OS. As MSE /WD has an unusual relationship with WSUS, maybe these stealth installs I am seeing are temporary so as to alleviate the current demand on the servers.
I don't know if this is related as I don't use MSE but yesterday I spent all day reinstalling Win7 on one machine and toward the end Windows Update said It was up to date but there was a Windows Update icon in the Systray downloading 'something' for quite a while. Next time I restarted my machine I got a message that Windows was installing update 1 of 1, don't turn off the machine etc, no shield icon on the Shut down button. This screen displayed for over 10 minutes but the machine did eventually reboot. I checked Windows Update but there was no mention of what this mysterious update was. I was afraid MS might of been installing Win10, even though I have hidden the GWX update. I can't remember ever seeing this behaviour before with Win7.
Microsoft makes heavy use of Akamai caches colocated w/ISPs to deliver updates/upgrades. Probably a matter of congestion there rather than anything else.
@Krusty13: Your machine was silently downloading WIN10 upgrade files, like my WIN7 machine did. Hiding GWX is not enough, to stop MS overtaking your machine. If you are running WIN7-pro, you can stop overtaking, by gpedit. As this is O.T., send me PM
My apologies to @emmjay for going off topic. It is Win7 Home Premium. I hope not as I had already upgraded that machine to Win10 but wanted to keep it at Win7. If I choose to install Win10 on that machine it will be a clean installation on a new SSD. Thanks.
You may be right. Anyway, in my case it would be too coincidental that on both upgraded machines the download speed of the Windows updates has increased dramatically comparing both OSes. Win10 updates/files were downloaded very fast.
The second paragraph may explain the phantom downloads, be they for MSE or for some other component. .. Choice and control Update Services are turned on if you choose one of the following settings: (a) install updates automatically; (b) download updates but let me choose whether to install them; or (c) check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them. The Windows Update service is turned on and set to "Install updates automatically" when you choose the express settings during Windows setup. If you turn on the Update Services, regardless of which setting you have chosen, required updates to some components of the service will be downloaded and installed automatically without further notice to you. If you would prefer not to receive required updates, turn off the Update Services. Source: Microsoft Windows Update
