How To Change Microsoft Security Essentials Signature Update Interval

Microsoft Security Essentials is a very popular free anti-virus, antimalware and antispyware software that proves itself a very reliable and trustable security software in the IT industry. However, sometimes Microsoft Security Essentials can fail to update its virus and spyware definitions signature database. Actually, the main problem is that Microsoft Security Essentials does not update the virus and spyware definitions according to schedule. This can lead in the form of system corrupt or Microsoft Security essential’s itself corruption and will lead you towards security breach. You can change the Microsoft Security Essentials signature update interval manually and save yourself from lot of problems. Steps are given as under:

  1. Go to Run and open Registry Editor by entering regedit command.
  2. Navigate to the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Microsoft Antimalware/Signature Updates
  3. In the right pane, take ownership and grant full control permissions on a registry key, a REG_DWORD value named SignatureUpdateInterval. (How you can take permission control on this key, Click on SignatureUpdateInterval dword key and go to Edit Menu and then go to permissions.)
  4. Double click on the SignatureUpdateInterval. By default, its value is 24 (in Decimal) or 18 (in Hexadecimal). Change its value to any number between 1 and 24 (both inclusive) in Decimal.
    The numerical value determines how frequent and how fast (in hours) Microsoft Security Essentials will check for updates and update the virus and spyware definitions.
  5. Restart the computer.

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