Since registry editing is uncomfortable for some people, here’s a follow-on to last week’s trick that forces MSSE to update more frequently.
This command will force signatures to update. You can create a scheduled task that runs this, create a shortcut and put it in your Startup folder, put a shortcut on your desktop or in your Start menu so you can run it on demand, or any or all of the above.
“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Essentials\MpCmdRun.exe” -SignatureUpdate
The path to MpCmdRun.exe is usually “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Essentials\MpCmdRun.exe” if the file isn’t already in your path. If it’s different on your system (everything is subject to change, isn’t it?) search for the file MpCmdRun.exe and adjust your shortcut accordingly.
MpCmdRun is also capable of running scans. Use the command line options Scan 0 to do a default scan, Scan 1 for a quick scan, and Scan 2 for a full system scan. So you can create scheduled tasks to do a scan more than once a day if you wish. Or, on a laptop, you can put this in your Startup folder and let it do a scan when you log in, since your laptop could be shut down or hibernating when the time comes for the scheduled scans. It seems like mine usually is.
Create these tasks, and then your laptop has something to do in the airport if you arrive two hours early and get through security more quickly than expected.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.