In order to maintain compatibility with Windows Update, Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) 2.0.1 is now available.

What is MBSA 2.0.1?

MBSA 2.0.1 is an update to MBSA 2.0 to enable compatibility with the new Windows Update (WU) offline scan file. (For information on the new scan file, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926464.) This fix enables MBSA to download and read the new file format.

In order to run offline scans, MBSA 2.0 must have the scan file on the scanning machine. MBSA 2.0 automatically downloads this file if the scanning machine has Internet access. If not, the file must be downloaded and installed manually. MBSA 2.0.1 behaves in the same manner, except that it uses the new scan file.

What do users need to do?

If you use MBSA in the offline mode, you will need to download the new version of MBSA. See the Download Now section below.

You will also need to download the new offline scan file, wsusscn2.cab, by clicking http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=76054. Save this file to C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\MBSA\2.0\Cache\wsusscn2.cab.

What if I don’t download MBSA 2.0.1?

If you only run MBSA 2.0 in the online mode, then you do not need to do anything.

If you use MBSA 2.0 in the offline mode, it will work until March 2007; however, while each subsequent release of the Windows Update offline scan file (wsusscan.cab) will be updated with the latest security updates, older updates will gradually be removed to make room for new ones. (For more information on which updates have been removed from the offline scan file, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924513/.) The wsusscan.cab file will not be updated after March 2007.

Will I notice a difference when I run MBSA 2.0.1?

The first time MBSA 2.0.1 is executed against a given set of machines, it will first push out and install the updated Windows Update Agent. This will increase the scan time beyond what would normally be expected. Subsequent scans will execute as normal.

Note: Unless specifically noted, all references to MBSA 2.0 in the MBSA TechNet pages also apply to MBSA 2.0.1.