Microsoft Security Essentials - Any Use It?

Correct. 10 char

 

Baserk, what do you currently use for AV protection/spyware?

 

On XP I use Avira free (settings to high), MBAM free and the paid version of Online Armor (most internet facing apps on 'run safer') which I got free through Gizmo.
On Vista I currently use Outpost free with Avast free (all shields) and SUPERAntispyware free (but Vista will probably be binned soon).
On Windows 7, I use ComodoFW&D+ and MSE.

That's it atm.
(btw, Avira finally seems to have solved their free version update issues)

 

You use 3 different protection setups for each OS...lol. I ask, just because I'm curious what you think is better Avira or MSE and you seem to be the Security software guy here. Better as in keeping viruses out while producing minimal ram usage. I currently use Avira free, MBAM, SAS and SpywareBlaster on all my OS's and I am completely satisfied; however, my overwhelming curiosity for new apps such as MSE is irking me, especially reading so many good things about it. I tested MSE on my notebook, but wasn't too pleased with its memory use. I was wondering if that was just a fluke, because I keep reading how LOW memory it uses. Earlier in this thread someone posted two .exe's, and I am pretty sure when I checked task manager it was one of those processes that was running rather high on idle. On your Windows 7 config, how is MSE treating your ram? Checkmark "Show processes from all users" too in case you haven't already. Thanks!

 

I changed almost all my machines' AV to MSSE instead of Avira Antivir Personal 9.
Actually, MSSE can detects what AAP9 can't, while AAP9 can detects what MSSE missed too. I tested this with AAP9 installed machine and another MSSE installed machine. Sad.

 

Well, I ran a quick scan to see if it would catch anything Avira didn't and it didn't. Granted, I didn't let it do a Full Scan...not so sure if it would have found anything.

 

You're right McGrady.
It's the MSMPENG process that uses a lot.

'Problem' is, is that when installing MSE, Windows Defender gets uninstalled automatically.
An improved version of WD has been incorporated in MSE, resulting in the extra process.

Now, if one would have used WD always, you could argue that the overall RAM usage by Microsoft security apps hasn't changed (much) by installing MSE.
However, in my case I found WD pretty much useless and I uninstalled it, so I consider the RAM usage by MSE 'much' higher than that of Avira.
Whether the RAM usage is an issue or not depends on your hardware config and personal opinion I guess.

About detection rates, I'll leave that to specialized outfits like AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.
Examining/comparing detection and cleaning scores is a huge task (if you test with a decent sample set), it simply can't be done by one man in a serious fashion, so I'll gladly pass this on to the companies mentioned above.

 

I don't like MSE's UI. There are absolutely no options for right click taskbar icon tp do a scan/ update/ disable real time protection if needed, While Avira free has it. Avira also annoys with false positives and the alert warnings are annoying (too many windows for one finding). Also Avira has more configurable options.

 

Yeah, I believe that was the one. And on the same boat as you, WD was useless and I disabled it as well, after realizing how much ram the active protection was and how crappy its detection rates were.
That is what I don't get, why is everyone saying MSE is using low resources in comparison to Avira? I have no doubt MSE is a great product, but until it calms down the ram usage I will stick to Avira which is pretty much the same protection at a lower cost on ram. Also, I've really never encountered false positives on Avira thus far.

 

Ok. It did not. I will disable it.

 

It should disable it automatically.

It did on my girlfriend's mom's desktop anyway.

 

I am using the Forefront...
No Key or registration required.

 

It did when I installed it on Win7.

Gary

 

The final is suppose to disable defender, for those people who posted it did for them, ever heard of a glitch? It didn't for him, the end.

 

Windows Defender is useless and pointless. Disable it is core, gain back some Resources. XD
However, I hope MS will improve the RAM Usage for MSSE. It's ridicolous much now.

 

Its not useless.

Because you have not noticed it working doesn't mean its useless.

 

Ever hear of needing to know it SHOULD have disabled it for him and that the "glitch" might be indicative of something that NEEDS to be looked into? Ignoring glitches is not a good idea. The end.

Oh, btw the final is not supposed to disable defender, it is supposed to UNINSTALL it. The current version is supposed to disable it.

Gary

 

I switched from Avira to MSE a few days ago and haven't seen much difference in resources. MSE does use a little more on idle but really it hasn't affected my memory consumption. On idle, I try to use up ~2GB (usually a bit more) out of my 3GB with a RAMDisk (by DataRam) and putting cache and temp files on that plus eBoostr (but I haven't noticed much difference in performance). Even when I have 50+ Firefox tabs open, MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Foxit Reader, Winamp, MSN, Skype, RMClock, and a few other programs open, I don't run out of memory as Windows frees up some memory.

 

You have a point that at times, glitches indicate something, more often than not, it doesn't. I suppose I simply don't see the point in multiple people simply posting "it does for me lol!" What good does that do for him?

Wait, so there is a new version out now? AFAIK, there has only been one version since the last beta, 1.0.1611.0, IIRC it's only suppose to disable Defender, Defender is still there for me on a fresh install of 7, with only 1.0.1611.0 installed on it. So Windows Defender has been uninstalled for you in your system? The Control Panel option isn't there anymore? That's an interesting decision by Microsoft, I should've read the support forums more. The internal version check doesn't detect a new version either, I suppose I'll download them manually, thanks for the news.

 

If no one told him it worked for them, how would he realize that he did have some glitch. Sorry, but I don't have the same lack of concern for so called "glitches" that you do. An error is an error. If something is supposed to happen and it didn't there is a problem. How serious it is, of course, is a matter of degrees. But when something as entrenched into the internals of the operatiing system as antivirus or antispyware, is not reconfigured as it is SUPPOSED to be, I would be concerned. The ramifications could be VERY serious. They may not be, but since I make my living using my machine 10-12 hours per day, I can't afford to take such risks.

The FINAL version is NOT out yet. Defender is still installed on my machine, just disabled for now. I can't remember if the control panel option was EVER there to be honest. (I never looked.)

Gary

 

So, after all, MS did plan to kill Windows Defender.
Good Work!

 

For anyone with MSE, they already did. I suspect they didn't automatically uninstall it as a safety measure until MSE final is out. That way if they needed to, Defender could be turned back on quickly.

Gary

 

The current version of MSE is the final version.

 

Why do you think it is the "final release"? I don't think that is so. There are messages on the MSDN forums (and elsewhere) indicating that the final release will actually uninstall Windows Defender. The current release did not do that. (Unless there is a newer release than 1.0.1611.0 that I haven;t seen yet.)

Gary

 

There is beta version of MSE out recently. LINK

 

It has come out of Beta ages ago.

Edit, Ok, Beta of a new build.

But then that's just like CCleaner... new build every now and then...

 

It has? My bad then. Sorry.

EDIT: Wait, 1.0.1676.0 has come out of beta? I dont think so.

 

How do you install Microsoft Security Essentials onto a Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium laptop? When I tried to install, it gave some error about 32 bit and 64 bit...

 

Where're you downloading the MSSE? Get it directly from Microsoft. Some websites were providing 32bit MSSE which can't be install in 64bit Windows.

 

I agree and I won't argue that point, I suppose in this case, I simply cast aside the fact that his MSE install didn't disable Defender as it supposed to, I told him to check that, and for me that's the end of it. My original post was just me being irked by multiple posts saying the same thing without offering something new. I'm all for mindless Internet banter, but for some reason in this case it irked me.

I should clarify, the version thing was a misunderstanding on my part, I should've used the word "current" instead of final, I used the term final relative to the beta version and was simply referring to the version that's not-beta.

 

Does this scan emails for malware and viruses???

 

It should scan files - but Outlook does some filtering of its own.

 

I had a look though the setting and i could not find anything relating to emails , I need some confirmation on this.

 

You need to define "scans emails"

There are programs that offer email integration, but these programs specifically are scanning email clients like outlook, outlook express...they do this by integrating themselves into the program and scanning emails as they are downloaded from a pop or exchange server. They scan the email before the email gets into your client inbox.

With the advent of webmail (hotmail, yahoo, gmail, etc.) this feature is pointless. There is no client to integrate with for your antivirus.

That is the "scan email feature"

If that is the feature you are looking for, no, it does not scan email.

However, if you are using these clients or webbased email, MSE sits resident in memory and scans your computer in realtime. If you attempt to download and infected attachement, MSE jumps up and warns you and offers to clean the infection.

This assumes the virus even gets through your email server. Most email servers are running antivirus software that clean the virus before it ever reaches your inbox. Try and send yourself an infected file through any major email provider and you will never see it.

Email viruses are pretty low risk these days, other than emails that ask people to click on a link to visit a server that infects you.