Discusses how to update the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine, including prerequisites, restart, and removal, and how to verify that the updates were installed correctly.

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As part of this effort, Microsoft Windows Defender regularly downloads updates to the definition files that are used to identify spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Windows Defender may also periodically download detection engine updates.

To download the Microsoft Forefront Client Security, the Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010, or the Microsoft System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection antimalware definition update file (Mpam-fe.exe) for 32-bit (x86-based) versions of Windows, click the following link:

Microsoft regularly releases anti-malware platform updates to guarantee consistency in protection, performance, robustness, and usability in a malware landscape that is constantly changing. This update package is dated August 2013.

Microsoft Security Essentials works automatically with Microsoft Update to ensure that your virus and spyware definitions are kept up to date. Here are some common issues with automatic updates: You see error messages indicating that updates have failed.

Real-time protection is a feature in the Windows Security app that continuously monitors your device for potential threats such as viruses, malware, and spyware. This feature ensures that your device is actively protected by scanning files and programs as they are accessed or executed.

Anti-malware platform updates for Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 are typically delivered through updates to Windows Defender. This specific issue only affects those Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 computers managed by Endpoint Protection. This update is available from Microsoft Update.

To find the version information, click About on the Help menu of the Endpoint Protection client user interface. The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11. Learn more. Note: Use these steps for Windows programs.