TSCMD194 FAQ: Updating Microsoft Defender Antivirus using a script. Assorted NT/2000/XP/.. CMD.EXE script tricks written by Timo Salmi

This page is edited from the 1cmdfaq.txt faq-file contained in my tscmd.zip command line interface (CLI) collection. That zipped file has much additional material, including a number of detached .cmd script files. It is recommended that you also get the zipped version as a companion.

Please see "The Description and the Index page" for the conditions of usage and other such information.

194} Updating Microsoft Defender AntiVirus using a script.

@echo off & setlocal enableextensions
echo "%%ProgramFiles%%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate
call set /p reply_="Do [y,N]?"
if /i not "%reply_%"=="y" goto :EOF
powershell -command "Get-Date -Format 'ddd dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm:ss'"
"%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate
powershell -command "Get-Date -Format 'ddd dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm:ss'"
endlocal & goto :EOF

The output might be e.g.
C:\_D\TEST>cmdfaq
"%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe" -SignatureUpdate
Do [y,N]?y
Thu 23.07.2026 17:33:47
Signature update started . . .
Service Version: 4.18.26060.3008
Engine Version: 1.1.26060.3008
AntiSpyware Signature Version: 1.455.285.0
AntiVirus Signature Version: 1.455.285.0
Signature update finished.
Thu 23.07.2026 17:34:01

Assorted NT/2000/XP/.. CMD.EXE Script Tricks From the html version of the tscmd.zip 1cmdfaq.txt file To the Description and the Index

Assorted NT/2000/XP/.. CMD.EXE Script Tricks
From the html version of the tscmd.zip 1cmdfaq.txt file
To the Description and the Index