Microsoft Defender Update for Windows Operating System Installation Images

When a new version of Windows installation images is deployed, the Microsoft Defender’s software binaries are not necessarily updated. The system might be vulnerable in the first hours after a release, until the first Defender software update.

This situation can be avoided by applying the following patch, suggestively called Microsoft Defender Update for Windows Operating System Installation Images.

Thanks to this update package, the Microsoft Defender’s binaries inside a Windows OS installation image can be kept up-to-date, even if the OS images are old.

Released monthly, the package includes the anti-malware tool that comes with Windows, the anti-malware engine and the most recent security intelligence updates. It installs the latest signatures on Windows 10 (Home, Pro and Enterprise), as well as Windows Server 2016 and 2019, for both 64-bit and 32-bit images (separate download links available).

Live images cannot be updated using this patch, as this could easily damage the Windows installation and render the image unusable.

To be able to deploy it, you must be running a 64-bit Windows 10 system with administrator privileges. PowerShell 5.1 or later and the Microsoft.PowerShell.Security and DISM modules are also mandatory requirements.

The update can be removed or rolled back, if needed. However, it is advisable you create a backup of the original images before applying it.