I personally think the MSRT component of Windows Updates is a great feature which sweeps up and cleans targeted nasties from machines that may be poorly protected security wise (in some cases not protected at all)
The only thing I wish is that there could be an indication on a users machine that a scan is running. Some folk don't even know that MSRT each month actually does a scan of the computer and therefore it can seem that the machine is frozen during the time when Windows is installing updates.
I have known quite a few people think ''oh, it's frozen'' and turn off the machine sometimes with nasty consequences.
This is especially tru on Vista and Windows 7 when a user has turned off a machine and gets the ''installing updates, do not turn off your machine'' The scan is running and the user thinks the machine is frozen so does a hard shutdown.
NOTE....This is not a thread about how nasty/awkward/stupid or anything else Windows Updates are, it is about MSRT.
MSRT is not dependant on you having an av installed, or even whatever av you have installed, it is part of Windows Updates and it's great at keeping the world population of nasties down. It only targets specific ones each month, sometimes targets just one nasty. But it works.
As login said it can be run as a standalone if you really wanted to, the Windows Update one runs a quick scan. Should you want to do the whole scan you can.
On vista and Win 7 just type mrt into your machine's search and it should come up. Run as admin.
In XP it's C\Windows\system32\mrt.exe Double click to run it.
Should it be missing for whatever reason on your machine it can be downloaded from here.
Why the need for MSRT when you have MS Security Essentials installed? I don't get it...
I just use it for another check on the system. It's free and easy, and it is microsoft, so they should be good at checking their OS. I don't have msse installed, use Avast and some other stuff, so it serves as another checkup.
I actually have had to kill the MSRT process a few times on some of my servers (it often takes a long time (read hour+); this is not a suggestion, more a comment on the some people thinking the computer is frozen. It is a great update, but boy is it inconvenient sometimes.
Next to the dreaded takes literally forever to install .Net Framework updates MSRT is another slow thing monthly thing that makes me cringe every month doing Microsoft Updates.
I do agree it needs some form of indication to users that it's running. I often open Task Scheduler to see why Microsoft Updates are taking so long to complete, and it's always either been MSRT (MRT.exe) running in the background, or something even slower and worse the .NET Runtime Optimization Service (mscorsvw.exe).
I keep telling you, keep taking the pills. And if you run out, I'll send you some of mine.
I am, I am, probably need a higher dosage. Also have changed my eyeglasses several times. Just wish it was possible to upgrade my memory like I did for old HAL here.
I am, I am, probably need a higher dosage. Also have changed my eyeglasses several times. Just wish it was possible to upgrade my memory like I did for old HAL here.
You and me both! My memory is shot and I'm only 19