How to Update Microsoft Security Essentials Definitions Offline

Microsoft Security Essentials uses Microsoft Update to check for, and download definition updates every 24 hours. If you have a number of computers in your home or office without (or having limited) internet access, you may have to install the definition updates offline. To download the Microsoft Security Essentials virus and spyware definition update file, click the appropriate link below:

• Mpam-fe.exe for 32-bit (x86-based) version of Windows.
• Mpam-fex64.exe for 64-bit version of Windows.

Detailed information about this is available in Microsoft’s article How to manually download the latest definition updates for MSE.

Alternate Method

If one of your PCs having internet access has already updated itself with the latest definitions for the day, you can obtain the definitions from that system and use it in other systems that share the same architecture (x86 to x86, x64 to x64.)

Locating the Definition Updates Folder in the Source PC

1. Open the following folder path using Windows Explorer, by typing the following in Address Bar:

Windows 7 and Windows Vista

2. Double-click the {GUID} folder.

Note: {GUID} is a string whose valid format is {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX} where X is a hex digit (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F). For example, the {GUID} string format might look like {A3EB313F-F9D9-442B-A191-2BA607752323}. The {GUID} string varies for each computer.

3. Copy the following files to a removable media.