To determine if Windows Defender is up to date, users must access the Windows Security app on their device.
The Windows Security app is typically located in the Start Menu, under the “Security and Maintenance” category. Alternatively, it can be accessed from the taskbar by typing “Security & Maintenance” into the search bar.
Once the app has been opened, users need to click “Virus & threat protection”.
In the “Virus & threat protection” window, users should then select “Windows Defender Antivirus”. This will open a new window displaying relevant information about Windows Defender.
To check if Windows Defender is up to date, users must look for the “Virus & threat protection updates” section. The last virus definition update should be displayed here. If the last update displayed is less than four hours ago, then Windows Defender is considered up to date.
In some cases, Windows Defender may not be up to date even if the last virus definition update was less than four hours ago. This could indicate a problem with Windows update service or with the version of Windows Defender that is running on the device.
If Windows Defender is not up to date, users must ensure that the Windows update service is running properly. To do this, users can go to the “Windows Update” section of the “Settings” app and click “Check for updates”. If any updates are available, they must be installed.
If updating Windows does not resolve the issue, users must check to see if Windows Defender is running the latest version. This can be done by going to the “Virus & threat protection” window and clicking “Advanced options”. Under the “Advanced options” tab, users should look for the “Update history” section. This will list the recent virus definition updates. If the most recent update listed is not the same as the one displayed in the “Virus & threat protection updates” section, then Windows Defender is not running the latest version and must be updated.
To update Windows Defender, users can either download the latest version from the Microsoft website or open the “Updates & security” panel in the “Settings” app, select the “Windows Defender” tab, and click “Check for updates”.
Once all necessary measures have been taken, users should again check the “Virus & threat protection updates” section to ensure that Windows Defender is now up to date.