Microsoft Security Essentials

[Bob N]

Questions: Does any one use this free antivirus software from Microsoft, and if so do you like it? If you do not like it, do you have any suggestions to other free antivirus software that you do like?

Thinking about using Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014. Thanks! :thumbs:

 

[Dragonfly]

Yep.

It's on both my daughters Windows OS computers. Along with Malwarebytes and CCleaner.

Never had any issues with it. Seems to do a good job.

 

[Bob N]

Yep.

It's on both my daughters Windows OS computers. Along with Malwarebytes and CCleaner.

Never had any issues with it. Seems to do a good job.

Thanks for your input! :thumbs:

 

[Dragonfly]

In the past I've used McAfee, Avast, and AVG.

I've had likes and dislikes with most of those.

The MSE generally sits in the background and does it's job.

It's free too.


So far - knock on wood - my kids have not had issues.

 

[Redress]

I have found it to do the job, and it is unobtrusive.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Questions: Does any one use this free antivirus software from Microsoft, and if so do you like it? If you do not like it, do you have any suggestions to other free antivirus software that you do like?

Thinking about using Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014. Thanks! :thumbs:

It ****ing sucks. we switched over because we had the licensing from SCCM and we get viruses like crazy now.

 

[Dragonfly]

It ****ing sucks. we switched over because we had the licensing from SCCM and we get viruses like crazy now.

But seriously now... What's "SCCM"? Is this on a regular home computer? Doing regular home computing stuff?

Microsoft Security Essentials (64-bit) - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com


Maybe a better question is: Where the hell are you going on your computer???

What browser you using? Are you using Ad-block Plus?

I use Chrome as do my kids. We all have Ad-Block Plus installed too.

Adblock Plus for Chrome - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com

 

[Slartibartfast]

But seriously now... What's "SCCM"? Is this on a regular home computer? Doing regular home computing stuff?

Microsoft Security Essentials (64-bit) - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com


Maybe a better question is: Where the hell are you going on your computer???

What browser you using? Are you using Ad-block Plus?

I use Chrome as do my kids. We all have Ad-Block Plus installed too.

Adblock Plus for Chrome - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com

This would be a roll out by the company I work for. I have had to clean up two viruses in the last three months. I had nothing like that with the previous antivirus.

SCCM = system center configuration manager. Its a control method for handling lots of computers at once.

As for me at home, I haven't had a virus issue in a long long time.

 

[Dragonfly]

I've never heard of companies using MSE on work computers.

I wonder if your virus issues are coming from your work servers?

 

[Simon W. Moon]

I've never heard of companies using MSE on work computers.
I wonder if your virus issues are coming from your work servers?

Lol. Viruses come from users.

 

[Lutherf]

Questions: Does any one use this free antivirus software from Microsoft, and if so do you like it? If you do not like it, do you have any suggestions to other free antivirus software that you do like?

Thinking about using Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014. Thanks! :thumbs:

I use it both at home and at the office. It seems to be pretty reliable and isn't as resource heavy as some of the other free stuff tends to be.

 

[Lutherf]

This would be a roll out by the company I work for. I have had to clean up two viruses in the last three months. I had nothing like that with the previous antivirus.

SCCM = system center configuration manager. Its a control method for handling lots of computers at once.

As for me at home, I haven't had a virus issue in a long long time.

I've had a couple of viruses when using MSE but was able to trace those back to someone clicking on a "warning" that popped up...one of those "Click here to save your computer from imminent destruction!!" popups.

 

[eohrnberger]

I have had nothing but a good experience with Avast. It also has a free 1 year license for the home user, and at the end of the year you can re-register for another free year. Been doing that since '05, and have had no problems. Consistently a winner in the PcMag's antivirus list.

 

[Redress]

This would be a roll out by the company I work for. I have had to clean up two viruses in the last three months. I had nothing like that with the previous antivirus.

SCCM = system center configuration manager. Its a control method for handling lots of computers at once.

As for me at home, I haven't had a virus issue in a long long time.

I would find out who was using their work comp for porn...

 

[Slartibartfast]

I would find out who was using their work comp for porn...

Not my department (and I may be getting out of user support entirely (and going in r&d)

 

[APACHERAT]

Questions: Does any one use this free antivirus software from Microsoft, and if so do you like it? If you do not like it, do you have any suggestions to other free antivirus software that you do like?

Thinking about using Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014. Thanks! :thumbs:

According to Leo Laporte , Microsoft Security Essentials is the best free antivirus program out there. < The Tech Guy | with Leo Laporte >

Been using it for a few years and it caught every virus, etc. (5) and quartineed it immediatly. From what I've been told, don't run any other anti virus malware program with it.

I'm going to be buying a new laptop next week and I ain't going to use the antivirus program that usually comes with the computer, first thing I'm going to do is download Security Essentials.

Thinking about picking up a Chromebook since they are so cheap. Anyone know anything about Chromebook OS ?

 

[PeteEU]

Questions: Does any one use this free antivirus software from Microsoft, and if so do you like it? If you do not like it, do you have any suggestions to other free antivirus software that you do like?

Thinking about using Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014. Thanks! :thumbs:

1) There is no such thing as Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014... hence if anything is claiming to be that it is a scam and a virus it self. Usually they call themselves Security Essentials 2013 or something similar close to the original to trick people. They even look a lot like the original, but are in fact scareware and even ransomware, so beware about those. Download only from Microsoft it self.

2) Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is built-in in Windows 8 so no need to install it on that.

3) MSE is okay according to most tests. AV-Comparatives Independent Tests of Anti-Virus Software » AV-Comparatives has more information on which antivirus are best and so on.

4) MSE is by far the most light weight anti-virus out there.

I use MSE personally on my Windows 8 machine and it is fine. However I would never trust it on a novice user's PC since the key threat here is the user it self. That is why I have installed Kaspersky on the family's computers and it has helped a lot on preventing stupid behaviour. Yes it costs money but it is good money given out and saves a lot of time on maintenance on the family's computers.

The reason for not trusting MSE is that it basically can find and remove bad stuff very well, but it is not so good preventing it getting on the PC in the first place.... this is all relatively speaking of course.

 

[PeteEU]

Thinking about picking up a Chromebook since they are so cheap. Anyone know anything about Chromebook OS ?

It is basically Chrome browser as an OS and requires pretty much you are connected to the internet to even work properly.

 

[Bob N]

1) There is no such thing as Microsoft Security Essentials for 2014... hence if anything is claiming to be that it is a scam and a virus it self. Usually they call themselves Security Essentials 2013 or something similar close to the original to trick people. They even look a lot like the original, but are in fact scareware and even ransomware, so beware about those. Download only from Microsoft it self.

Thanks. I meant I want to use the free software from the Microsoft site for this year.

 

[Dragonfly]

The newest version, for Windows 8, is called Microsoft Defender isn't it?

Isn't MSE for Windows 7 and backwards?

I'm a Linux guy so..........

 

[Green Balls]

I've been using AVG for years (free version) and I haven't ran into any issues.

 

[mbig]

Security Essentials is good, probably adequate... Mebbe not.
I just feel naked without the full Kaspersky Internet Security.
Occasionally I'll run another program to check it, but not as much as I used to.
Don't like Avast or AVG.

There used to be a great Free program Hitman Pro.
Based in the Netherlands, it ran (and kinda poached) a combo of the best pay programs in existence.
You could just watch them all, by name, run consecutively.

Now I see there is a short-hand Highly rated Cloud version of it
HitmanPro 3 (32-bit) - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com
and it's a Free trial but Pay Program.
I Haven't tried it. Read the reviews, maybe it's what you're looking for.

Searching CNET's Download.com is very useful in finding utility programs, free or pay.

 

[clownboy]

I've had a couple of viruses when using MSE but was able to trace those back to someone clicking on a "warning" that popped up...one of those "Click here to save your computer from imminent destruction!!" popups.

Yeah, those aren't viruses but trojans, nothing is going to defend you from what amounts to be stupid users. When one of those things pops up (infected site) go immediately to task manager and kill the IE process. Anything else and the trojan is likely to place. If you don't do that, and instead click anything else, you still have a chance. MSE will catch the infection afterwards and is fairly good at cleaning trojans.

MSE, the free version, isn't really supposed to be used for server products, there's a pay version available for server products. However it does work and does a good job of it as long as you keep the definitions updated. The real problem for servers comes when you have some low knowledge admin who browses from the server (bad, bad practice) and doesn't know how to lock down a server.

For regular computer users who are windows OS, MSE is the best available. The rest suck goats either in detection or resource usage, or both.

 

[clownboy]

I have had nothing but a good experience with Avast. It also has a free 1 year license for the home user, and at the end of the year you can re-register for another free year. Been doing that since '05, and have had no problems. Consistently a winner in the PcMag's antivirus list.

My mother is a stupid user, very low info. My sister maintained avast on her machine. I've since had to wipe and start her out again clean. Avast doesn't catch near what any of the others do. PC mag isn't what they used to be and will give awards to whomever pays for the most advo.

 

[clownboy]

The newest version, for Windows 8, is called Microsoft Defender isn't it?

Isn't MSE for Windows 7 and backwards?

I'm a Linux guy so..........

Defender was the paid anti-spyware before win 8. Now they've combined it with MSE and use it as an inclusion with win 8.